The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a new Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) encouraging Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to submit proposals for new Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST Center) addressing the social, political, cultural or cognitive dimensions of “advancing emerging technologies.”
CREST projects are five-year research awards that increase research capacity and infrastructure at MSIs.
The $30 million program called APTO—Assessing and Predicting Technology Outcomes—funds research to evaluate the effectiveness of R&D investments in technology and create models and information for decision-makers to optimize investments and advance long-term U.S. competitiveness.
Specific technology areas of interest are those outlined in the “CHIPS and Science Act” of 2022: energy; materials; artificial intelligence; high-performance computing or semiconductors; quantum information technology; bioengineering; robotics; technology for disaster prevention; communications technology; and data storage.
APTO awards of up to five years will support:
The Directorate for Stem Education of the National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced new award opportunities for FY 2023 and FY 2024 in two programs, Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) and Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT).T
According to the June 13, 2023, “Dear Colleague Letter” (DCL Document number nsf23118), these efforts are intended to build on or leverage strong industry-academic partnerships to strengthen the semiconductor manufacturing workforce by advancing and supporting the development of a skilled STEM workforce in advanced memory manufacturing and/or semiconductor manufacturing and design. The goal is to meet the critical need to expand domestic “semiconductor research and development, design, and manufacturing” and fill the talent shortage in the domestic semiconductor industry through inclusive and equitable STEM education opportunities.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced 34 semifinalists for the first-ever NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) competition, spanning nearly all key technology areas and societal and economic challenges highlighted in the CHIPS and Science Act. The list of NSF Engine semifinalists, map of the NSF Engines semifinalists, and additional details are on the NSF website. NSF released the list of NSF Engines program semifinalists to transparently encourage teaming among diverse organizations, innovation, and regional growth. (more…)
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBU) Excellence in Research Program (HBCU-EiR) provides opportunities to stimulate sustainable improvement in research and development capacity. HBCU-EiR grants seek to create stronger connections between HBCU researchers and the National Science Foundation (NSF) by funding research projects aligned with NSF’s research programs.
The program was established in response to direction provided in the Senate Commerce and Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Report (Senate Report 115-139) and is built on prior and continuing efforts by the NSF to strengthen research capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This report provided guidance to NSF to establish the HBCU Excellence in Research program “to provide opportunities for both public and private HBCUs, particularly for those who have not been successful in larger NSF Research & Related Activities competitions, in order to stimulate sustainable improvement in their research and development capacity” (https://congress.gov/congressional-report/115th-congress/senate-report/139/1).
Learn moreA message from The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
In 1933, ten years after winning the Nobel Prize, Neils Bohr lectured on the importance of applying the principles of physics to the field of biology and living organisms. Over the last several decades, the field of biophysics has generated incredible discoveries, from helping scientists understand the structures of molecules inside of a cell, to predicting and replicating the mechanical movements of large mammals.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is undertaking a decadal survey of biophysics that will evaluate the current state of the field and identify important future research directions. This study, funded by the National Science Foundation, will serve as a guide for federal agencies and academic leadership as they make decisions regarding biophysics funding, workforce, and research portfolios. (more…)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) will host the first, pilot NSF Convergence Accelerator (C-Accel) activity, which aims to fund approximately 50 Phase 1 projects at up to $1 million each.
But that’s not all – in 2020, Phase 1 projects will be eligible to apply for Phase 2 C-Accel support, of up to $5 million.
According to NSF, the purpose of the pilot is to transform how NSF supports the most innovative science and engineering to accelerate use-inspired convergence research in areas of national importance by facilitating convergent team-building capacity around exploratory, potentially high-risk proposals. (more…)
