National Science Foundation (NSF)

I can see into you…? While much investigation remains before this can be tested with people, #NSFfunded researchers at Stanford University have used common food dye to make skin and muscle safely and reversibly transparent, revealing organs, blood flow and even digestion in sleeping animals. This groundbreaking discovery has the potential to be applied to various medical diagnostics, from locating injuries to monitoring digestive disorders to identifying cancers. Results were published in Science Magazine. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/3yXxQjV (Do not try this at home!) #science

On July 7, 2024, Hurricane Beryl hit Houston, Texas, devastating entire communities with injury and loss of life and leaving more than two million people without power. In the aftermath, officials estimate the hurricane’s damage around $3.3 billion. To aid in the relief effort, the Houston-based #NSFfunded startup Resilitix.AI partnered with local organizations to assist with "disaster situational awareness" — a term which Resilitix's founder, Ali Mostafavi, describes as information for emergency teams to identify areas in need and reduce the response time typically experienced in emergencies. By harnessing community-scale data and machine learning through NSF-supported digital twin technology, Resilitix offers a predictive lens in community preparedness, evacuation measures, protective actions and post-event recovery. This innovative technology promises effective aid for future climate hazards, with great potential to enhance public safety and improve the societal well-being of millions of people. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e4FPgDkS

Every year, NSF awards an early career researcher with the Alan T. Waterman award for their outstanding contributions to science and engineering. The awardee will receive $1 million to conduct their research over five years! The deadline for nominations is Sept. 20, 2024: https://bit.ly/4dS8uDg.

NSF invests in #BioFoundries to drive advances across science and engineering. 🧪 NSF BioFoundries are integrated facilities that enable rapid designing, creating and testing of tools and products to advance the bioeconomy. 📈 Five awards totaling $75 million will support the creation of five biofoundries that will spur innovation, provide tools and technologies to researchers nationwide, and help advance biology, biotechnology and the broader science, technology, engineering and mathematics enterprise. "Across all fields of science and engineering, addressing grand challenges requires access to advanced technologies, sophisticated instrumentation and workflows, but not every researcher at every institution can access those critical capabilities," said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. "The new NSF BioFoundries will help democratize access to critical research infrastructure, helping to spur opportunities everywhere so innovation can happen anywhere. Not only will these NSF BioFoundries advance biology, they also will lead to developments in artificial intelligence, data storage, health, climate resilience and more." https://bit.ly/4g8VBGn

TOMORROW! Tune in for the Waterman awardee distinguished lecture "Advancing community-engaged pharmacogenomics with Indigenous communities" by Katrina G. Claw, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. 📅 Date: Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. 🕦 Time: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EDT. 🔗 Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3XsAtmZ For more information: https://bit.ly/3MxJBke This talk is part of a three-part series featuring the 2024 Alan T. Waterman Award laureates.

⚛ Researchers make an atomic-level discovery on how the COVID-19 virus latches onto and enters human cells. A team led by researchers with the NSF Physics Frontiers Center for Theoretical Biological Physics at Rice University reported that their findings are based on atomic-scale images acquired through cryo-electron tomography combined with computer simulations and theoretical predictions. Their work revealed the shape-changing sequence that allows coronavirus proteins to fuse with human cells. "Understanding the fundamental physical workings within intricate biological mechanisms is essential for developing more effective and universal treatments that can protect our health and save lives," says Saul Gonzalez, director of the NSF Division of Physics. https://bit.ly/3TbWaoM 📷: Mikey Grunst, Yale University #NSFfunded #covid19 #caronavirus

This week, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan engaged with leaders and innovators at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University (OSU), focusing on the future of workforce development, the economic impact of public research universities, and NSF-supported research. In Fiscal Year 2023, NSF invested over $121 million in Oregon to advance research, innovation and education. At the University of Oregon, the director participated in discussions on workforce development and a roundtable on economic contributions with NSF Chief Science Officer Karen Marrongelle and former Congressman Peter DeFazio. The visit concluded with a tour of the Center for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon (CAMCOR). At Oregon State University, Panchanathan spoke with the campus research community about NSF's strategic direction and the crucial universities play in driving next-generation science and innovation. He also participated in a roundtable discussion on semiconductor technology innovation and workforce development, highlighting OSU's leadership in this critical field. Key participants included OSU semiconductor research and development and education leaders such as Sanjay Natarajan, senior vice president and co-general manager Intel Corporation; Arun Agarwal, R&D director for the Advanced Technology and Strategy Lab at HP; and representatives from state and industry partners. In addition to these engagements, on Tuesday, the agency announced a $14.5 million investment in its NSF Innovation in Two-Year College in STEM Education program. "Community colleges play a critical role in training people from all parts of the country for a variety of STEM careers, including future scientists, engineers and technicians," noted Panchanathan. On Thursday, NSF also announced a $39 million investment through the NSF Expanding Capacity in Quantum Information Science and Engineering program to grow quantum research activities at more institutions nationwide. "Maintaining our country's global leadership in quantum information science demands that we engage the full spectrum of talent that's waiting to be unleashed from each and every U.S. community," said Panchanathan. These initiatives represent significant strides in expanding opportunities and capabilities across the nation's educational landscape. 📷: Oregon State University; Kim Silverman/NSF

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build your own startup company? 👩💼💼 America’s Seed Fund, powered by NSF, awards $200+ million in research and development funding to about 400 startups across the United States each year. An upcoming webinar with an NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program director will answer questions about how to get started, the basics of eligibility, and what they look for when they review project pitches. Join the Zoom call Thursday, Sept. 5, 2-3 p.m. EDT. Register today: https://bit.ly/3MqKCdH 📷: America's Seed Fund powered by the National Science Foundation (NSF SBIR/STTR) #AmericasSeedFund #NSFSBIR #startup

Conducting successful cruises aboard research vessels requires chief scientists and supervisors able to manage and coordinate personnel and equipment, plan for operations and survey tasks at sea, and work with vessel crew and staff. To help with this, NSF is committed to building and maintaining a robust scientific workforce to lead researcher cruises. To equip and motivate a new generation of seagoing oceanographers to use these assets, an NSF-funded team hosted a training for early-career scientists with support from four science mentors and community observers. The goal of the training was to develop proficiency, build confidence and join an early-career polar oceanographer cohort. 📸: Lloyd Pikok

The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, a global network of radio telescopes funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and international partners, has achieved the highest resolution radio observations of astronomical objects ever obtained. Their recently published pilot experiment study unveils a novel technique that detects radio waves from distant galaxies at a wavelength of 0.87 mm. This substantially improves the previous 1.3 mm wavelength observations used by the collaboration to image supermassive black holes in two galaxies. The researchers estimate that, in the future, their new method will allow them to capture black hole images with 50% more detail than before. "This is a critically important technical advance, demonstrating an observational capability which will be essential for deeper understanding of the physics behind many astrophysical objects," says Nigel Sharp, program director in the NSF Division of Physics. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3XntP1q 📸: ESO/M. Kornmesser