National Science Foundation (NSF)

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens in the state of Washington erupted. It caused the largest landslide in recorded history, destroying everything in its path. Inspired by this event and the efforts to restore the area, ecologists and video game developers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, created "Resilience: After the Eruption." This interactive video game engages the player in the roles of ecologist, resource manager, recreation manager and forester to reach the goal of managing the new landscape. This game — funded in part by an NSF Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis grant — aims to teach about basic ecological concepts. The game has been recognized as a "2024 GEE! Learning Games Awards" finalist. One of its creators, Parker Maynard, recently presented the game and his work at the Play Make Learn Annual Conference in Madison, Wisconsin. Congratulations to Parker and the team. To learn more and download the free game, visit https://bit.ly/3A2t197 #ConservationDay #NSFfunded 📷: Parker Maynard

This week, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan participated in a series of pivotal discussions and events, underscoring the U.S. National Science Foundation’s role at the forefront of scientific innovation and workforce development in the United States. At the National Science Board (NSB) meeting, the director welcomed new NSB Chairman Darío Gil and highlighted NSF's dynamic initiatives. These included the $18 million Trailblazer Engineering program and the transformative impact of the NSF Research Traineeship Program, now celebrating its 10th year. On Tuesday, the director spoke in Washington, D.C., at a Capital Convening focused on NSF Engines and U.S. Economic Development Administration Tech Hubs, which are part of the largest place-based science and technology investment in over 150 years. He emphasized the collaborative efforts needed to catalyze a vibrant, future-ready economy and praised the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022's" pivotal role in fostering such innovation. Later that day at the Innovative Capital Summit reception, the Director reiterated the significance of place-based innovation and NSF's commitment to spreading economic opportunity nationwide, outlining how NSF Engines and EDA Tech Hubs are cultivating local talents and transforming regional economies into national assets. The Director spoke alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), acknowledging their instrumental roles in championing the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022" and propelling America's global leadership in STEM. This week also spotlighted NSF's strategic initiatives. NSF announced a $50 million investment in its Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials program aimed at expanding materials science education and careers, particularly at minority-serving institutions. Additionally, a $67 million investment for the new NSF Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem (SECURE) Center and SECURE Analytics will bolster U.S. research security, protecting scientific integrity against global threats. Moreover, NSF, in collaboration with NIST, is leading a new initiative to train the semiconductor workforce, further highlighted by the establishment of a national network for microelectronics education. NSF remains dedicated to fostering an inclusive and innovative scientific enterprise, setting the stage for a future where every community can participate in and benefit from the expanding frontiers of science and technology.

Today is National Disability Independence Day. Around 15% of the world’s population, or an estimated 1 billion people, live with disabilities. Bansen Labs, an #NSFfunded startup, developed a hardware and software platform to help people with disabilities gain control over their experience with technology. The company’s platform, Xogo, is a universal adapter that connects assistive technology to smart home devices, cable boxes and game consoles. Xogo not only gives people with disabilities access to use technology in a way that works for them but also provides access to all people. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/4dlN7tj. 📷: Bansen Labs #NationalDisabilityIndependenceDay #SBIR

Sometimes called "failed stars," brown dwarfs are stellar objects bigger than planets and smaller than stars. Although brown dwarfs don't emit much visible light, they are a key ingredient for understanding the history of the Milky Way. These elusive objects have existed since the early universe and have remained relatively unchanged. Starting in 2025, the NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time will detect a population of ancient brown dwarfs about 20 times bigger than previously seen, revealing the processes that shaped our home galaxy. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3A049Pi #CaptureTheCosmos 📷: NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory/NSF NOIRLab/AURA/J. da Silva

Calling all nominations for the 2025 Alan T. Waterman award! As the nation's highest honor for early-career scientists and engineers, the Alan T. Waterman award recognizes an outstanding young researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The awardee will receive an honorary medal and a grant worth $1 million over a five-year period to support their research. To learn more about the nomination process, including FAQs, past recipients, eligibility, dates, deadlines and more, please visit: https://bit.ly/4c6DKwE

Safeguarding U.S. research security is paramount as some foreign entities continue to attempt to exploit American innovation unethically or even unlawfully. Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation announced a five-year $67 million investment in establishing the Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem (SECURE) Center. 🔐 As mandated in the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022," the NSF SECURE Center, led by the University of Washington with support from nine institutions of higher education, will serve as a clearinghouse for information to empower the research community to identify and mitigate foreign interference that poses risks to the U.S. research enterprise. "The SECURE Center is how we bring the research community together to identify risks, share information and leverage national expertise on research security to develop solutions that protect essential research being done at institutions across the nation. This is a community-focused platform, and the research community will be the drivers of how SECURE Center tools and services are designed, used and improved upon," said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. https://bit.ly/3A3KGwS 📷: Joey Csunyo/Unsplash

An #NSFfunded study reveals an ideal tree property that makes some regions of the Amazon rainforest more drought-resilient.🔥💧🌳 In southern Amazonia (near the Brazilian Shield rock formation), forests have shorter trees with shorter roots. According to researchers, these trees depend on shallow water tables — making the forests in the region less drought-resilient. Conversely, forests in the northern Amazon's Guiana Shield were more drought resilient because the trees there grow tall and their roots deep (reaching shallow and deep-water tables alike). "This is an innovative approach to thinking about the other side of drought, the unseen belowground component," says Kendra McLauchlan, a program director in the NSF Division of Environmental Biology. Studies like this help us understand the regional differences across the Amazon rainforest — knowledge critical to improving predictions of forest responses to climate change and informing conservation efforts. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4dc35pH 📷: Neil Palmer/CIAT #NSFfunded

This week, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan visited Seoul, South Korea, to celebrate U.S.-South Korea partnerships in semiconductor and bioeconomy research and explore new collaboration opportunities. During his trip, Panchanathan met with Minister Lee Jong Ho of the Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology; Senior Secretary to the President for Science and Technology Park Sangook; Vice-chairman of Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology Lee Woo Il; National Research Foundation of Korea President Lee Kwang-bok; President Min Byungjoo of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT); and U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg. A key highlight was the announcement of six new U.S.-South Korea semiconductor projects. These projects are part of the first bilateral funding initiative aimed at advancing semiconductor design and fabrication, enabling energy-efficient computation for fields like artificial intelligence. This investment is expected to advance energy-efficient machine learning, neuromorphic computing, computer vision, quantum information processing, communications, and sensing, areas highlighted in the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022." Panchanathan also participated in two roundtable events with South Korea's science and tech leaders, including representatives from corporations like Samsung. Participants explored cooperative research and development opportunities in "lab to market" areas such as biotech, green technologies, materials science and nanotechnology. Sharing access to research infrastructure, including test beds and fabrication facilities, was identified as advantageous for both nations. "By leveraging our resources and expertise, partnerships like ours, that go beyond borders, disciplines and sectors, are how we remain at the vanguard of innovation and ensure that the promise and opportunities that science and technology hold will be for everyone's benefit," Panchanathan said. "Together, we will continue to create positive change, fueling amazing discoveries and impacts for our nations for decades to come." Future collaborative endeavors discussed during these roundtables will build on the track record of cooperative activities between NSF and South Korea's science funding agencies. These include student mobility programs and the NSF Global Centers program, underscoring the common aspirations and like-mindedness of the U.S. and South Korea as their science and technology relationship strengthens.

Exciting opportunity to join our amazing leadership team! The U.S. National Science Foundation Office of Information and Resource Management is seeking a qualified individual to join the Division of Administrative Services (DAS) as Deputy Division Director. The DAS Deputy Division Director provides leadership and direction to the division, supporting key service areas including building security, employee safety, emergency management, personnel security, information security, operations security, and continuity of operations. Individuals interested in applying should apply through USAJOBS by Aug. 08, 2024. For the full description, visit: https://bit.ly/3WbbwdZ

With an increasing demand in the energy industry for clean, affordable hydrogen, #NSFfunded startup Thiozen Inc. is commercializing a process that produces clean hydrogen from sour gas waste streams. Sour gas is a natural gas containing significant amounts of hydrogen sulfide. Their chemical decarbonization process converts hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen gas, dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Thiozen recently received $3.2 million in funding from the government of Alberta, Canada, for a clean hydrogen project that will generate zero-emission hydrogen and improve community air quality and respiratory health. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/4d73gmm. #NSFSBIR #hydrogen 📷: Thiozen