National Science Foundation (NSF)

How will the next generation's workforce be equipped for farming while facing new challenges? Listen to CEO Hollie Mackey describe strategies used at the North Dakota Advanced Agriculture Technology Engine, an #NSFfunded project, in "NSF's Discovery Files" episode. Explore how North Dakota's unique landscape and conditions make it a perfect proving ground for advancing agricultural technologies: https://bit.ly/4hAMEp8

The massive Yellowstone Caldera system spans Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. It won’t be for hundreds of thousands of years, but where will it erupt? 🌋 #NSFfunded researchers recently published in Nature which magma-rich region is most likely to explode. 💥🗺️ To locate magma, which has a higher conductivity⚡than solid rock, #NSFfunded U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) volcanic seismologists used magnetotelluric instruments — devices that help identify material capable of conducting electricity under the Earth’s crust. After surveying 100 measuring stations across the caldera, they were able to locate four magma reservoirs and one that will remain hot enough to keep magma liquid long enough to erupt. Read to find out where it is: https://bit.ly/3WDTKkC 📷: Ellen T. Showalter

Astronomers have discovered the most distant astronomical object of its kind yet. 🌌 #NSFfunded scientists pinpoint a far-off blazar, an active galactic nucleus, that may help explain the nature of the early universe. The discovery challenges scientists' current notions about the early universe, especially black holes. Namely, how big they could get, how fast they could grow and how many could have existed. The findings are made possible by multiple U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) facilities, including the NSF Very Large Array, the NSF Very Long Baseline Array and the NSF-supported Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA Observatory. "This observation adds to a body of findings indicating that supermassive black holes in the early universe aren't acting like we thought they should," says Joe Pesce, NSF program director for NSF NRAO. "But they are also exciting because it's a new mystery that we have to solve, and in doing so, we will learn more about the universe and how it works." https://bit.ly/42sXw4a 📷: U.S. National Science Foundation/NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory, B. Saxton

Yank Technologies creates customizable wireless charging systems for various industries such as industrial, consumer, space and automotive. Their contactless technology, supported by NSF, utilizes proprietary antenna and amplifier advancements in magnetic resonance, allowing users to charge devices without plugging them in. 🚫🔌 This innovation simplifies wiring, enhances durability and efficiency, and introduces new features across multiple applications. 🪢 Yank Tech makes wireless powered seats for vehicles to eliminate cumbersome wire harness connections, improve reliability and enable new product features, like seat rotation and interchangeable seat layouts. 🚗 They are also developing wireless power systems for rovers in space to improve charging reliability and robotic vehicle autonomy in harsh environments. Yank Tech was recently named a Top Clean Mobility Startup Shaping 2025 by Forbes. To learn more, check out https://bit.ly/3EfG4pN. #NSFSBIR #NSFfunded #cleantech 📷: Yank Technologies

Robots will not be needed for this job. Simple electronics can assemble themselves. A recent proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates a potential way to manufacture electronic devices with less energy and waste. This technique, supported by the NSF Center for Complex Particle Systems, features a relatively "passive" creation process compared to current industry practices, eliminating the need for expensive robotic or manual labor. The technique could also work with complicated electronics like 3D computer chips. Success would be a big boon to the U.S. industry. Learn more: https://bit.ly/40Nhsxu #NSFfunded 📷: Julia Chang

Calling all teachers, mentors, and parents: Get K-12 students to create a video game that shows science and technology solving problems and enhancing our lives in the future (and win a cash prize!). The theme: “Life in 2100”: 75 years ahead as NSF commemorates its founding in 1950. Inspire students to consider how we will live differently in 2100. What challenges will we have to tackle? Focus the projects on #NSFfunded research areas like futuristic cities, medical technology, sustainable ecosystems, and more. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3CofWbw #STEM #NSF75 #NSFGameMakerAwards

Graduate student mentoring is invaluable. Armando Urbina, a fourth-year NSF Graduate Research fellow from the University of Southern California (USC), reflects on a key experience that changed his career: "When I participated in an NSF REU program, Alex Chen, a PhD student at UC San Diego, introduced me to a pilot mentorship initiative. His guidance helped me navigate the PhD application process and gave me the confidence to pursue graduate school as a first-generation student." This mentorship had a lasting impact, inspiring him to create the Graduate Application Mentorship Program at USC, which has helped 18 students, navigate the doctoral application process. For Armando, mentoring is about creating opportunities for others to achieve what once seemed out of reach. 📸: Armando Urbina, USC #mentoring #NSFGRFP

In recognition, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the #PAESMEM program are excited to host a dynamic discussion exploring the transformative power of mentoring. Join us as award-winning mentors and expert panelists share insights on how mentorship fuels innovation, develops intellectual capital and bolsters national security. 📅 When: January 30 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST 📍 Where: NSF headquarters or virtually Register today! ➡️ https://bit.ly/3WmBJaf

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan spent the week reinforcing the agency's mission to inspire and harness talent everywhere to catalyze the progress of innovation. On Monday, Jan. 13, Panchanathan welcomed the Government of Canada's Chief Science Advisor Mona Nemer to agency headquarters, where they explored opportunities to sync global talent to advance cutting-edge research and underscored the importance of supporting societally relevant and use-inspired research to promote global prosperity. NSF has supported U.S. researchers working with Canadian counterparts in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum information science, the bioeconomy and energy and resilience. On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the director met with Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX-36), Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, where he expressed his excitement for future collaborative efforts between NSF, the committee and the 119th Congress to ensure the U.S. remains at the vanguard of discovery and innovation. Later that day, he met with Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23), who chaired the House Bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and thanked Obernolte for his task force leadership and expressed his great appreciation for the task force's recognition of NSF's longstanding AI investments and the important advancements those sustained investments have enabled. This week, NSF is honoring STEM educators, mentors and early-career researchers advancing the frontiers of science and engineering with prestigious awards. These awards include the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. "These honorees embody the excellence and innovation that drive STEM education and research forward," said the Director. "We are proud to support these educators and scientists whose transformative work inspires students, cultivates a passion for learning and advances the frontiers of discovery." https://bit.ly/4hm2S5i This week, Texascale Magazine also highlighted the upcoming NSF Leadership-Class Computing Facility (NSF LCCF) Horizon, led by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin. "NSF LCCF represents a pivotal step forward in our mission to support transformative research across all fields of science and engineering," said the Director. "This facility will provide the computational resources necessary to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time, enabling researchers to push the boundaries of what is possible." https://bit.ly/3E02kDY #PAEMST #PAESMEM

Congratulations to the exceptional K-12 STEM educators, mentors and early-career researchers in science and engineering who were recently recognized by the president of the United States with prestigious awards by The White House. The awards include: • More than 300 recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. • Close to 400 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. 111 of these awardees have been supported through the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program. Learn more: https://bit.ly/42eowEr.