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Nsf

All articles tagged with #nsf

American airlifted from Antarctica for urgent medical care amid brutal winter conditions
science16 days ago

American airlifted from Antarctica for urgent medical care amid brutal winter conditions

An American involved with the U.S. Antarctic Program was evacuated from McMurdo Station to Christchurch Hospital in serious condition on July 31, 2026, in a hazardous winter-operation supported by the Australian Antarctic Division, Skytraders, and the New Zealand Defense Force, with NSF coordination and consular assistance from the State Department; authorities have not released further details about the patient.

Appalachia to Lead U.S. Energy Tech Future with $321M NSF Engine
technology1 month ago

Appalachia to Lead U.S. Energy Tech Future with $321M NSF Engine

NSF will fund about $321 million to the RETI Engine led by West Virginia University with the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University and 60 partners to build a regional energy-innovation hub in Appalachia. The project includes up to $160 million from NSF and $161 million from industry and partners over a decade, aiming to spur energy resilience, grid management, AI-enabled tech, storage, and advanced manufacturing, with projected impacts of ~21,000 jobs, 150 startups, and over $1 billion in regional growth.

NSF backs five teams to design next-gen quantum tech through National Quantum Virtual Laboratory
technology2 months ago

NSF backs five teams to design next-gen quantum tech through National Quantum Virtual Laboratory

The National Science Foundation is funding five new teams—joining four from 2025—with $20 million to design experimental quantum technologies via the National Quantum Virtual Laboratory. Each team will receive $4 million over two years to develop integrated systems in sensors, networks and computing and to prepare for implementation in 2026. The effort includes partnerships with federal labs, industry and educators, and aims to translate quantum research into real-world applications while expanding the quantum workforce.

NSF reverses plan to dismantle key U.S. ocean observing system amid backlash
science2 months ago

NSF reverses plan to dismantle key U.S. ocean observing system amid backlash

Facing bipartisan backlash, the National Science Foundation halted plans to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, keeping the data network online, continuing maintenance, and organizing stakeholder input and an expert panel to chart a sustainable path. A bipartisan Senate bill also blocks decommissioning until a thorough review is completed, and the Endurance Array will be redeployed after servicing, underscoring the network’s importance for climate research and weather forecasting.

Bipartisan backlash halts plan to dismantle critical ocean-monitoring network
science2 months ago

Bipartisan backlash halts plan to dismantle critical ocean-monitoring network

After bipartisan backlash in Congress, the National Science Foundation halted plans to remove equipment from the Ocean Observatories Initiative, will convene experts to chart a sustainable path forward, and pledged to redeploy remaining assets rather than further descale the decade-old, 900-instrument network that provides vital climate data.

Trump administration moves to pull 900 deep-sea sensors, risking Atlantic current data
rivers-and-oceans2 months ago

Trump administration moves to pull 900 deep-sea sensors, risking Atlantic current data

The Trump administration plans to remove over 900 deep-sea instruments from the Ocean Observatories Initiative, dismantling four arrays in the Atlantic and Pacific as part of a shift to a leaner lifecycle approach. NSF says it is not canceling ocean science, but prioritizing evolving priorities and technologies, with only the Regional Cabled Array remaining. The cut threatens long-running, real-time data on ocean conditions and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), potentially hindering climate research and monitoring, even as a substantial 2026 funding cut was proposed elsewhere in the NSF budget.

Pacific Ocean Observatories Shut Down as NSF Scales Back Ocean Monitoring
science2 months ago

Pacific Ocean Observatories Shut Down as NSF Scales Back Ocean Monitoring

Under NSF's descoping push, four Ocean Observatories Initiative arrays are being dismantled—off the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, North Carolina, and Greenland—with most in-water equipment to be removed by 2027, including Washington’s Coastal Endurance Array already taken out; only Oregon’s Regional Cabled Array remains, prompting concerns about loss of long-term ocean data for science, fisheries, and maritime safety.

Trump Admin Dismantles Vital Deep-Ocean Monitoring Network
climate2 months ago

Trump Admin Dismantles Vital Deep-Ocean Monitoring Network

The Trump administration will dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $368 million deep-ocean monitoring network with about 900 instruments across the Pacific and Atlantic, removing in-water infrastructure over 15 months. Scientists warn the move could hamper fisheries management, weather forecasting, and understanding the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation amid record ocean warming and an impending El Niño.

Scientists warn: US plans to scale back decade-long ocean monitoring network
science2 months ago

Scientists warn: US plans to scale back decade-long ocean monitoring network

The National Science Foundation announced a plan to descope the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $368 million, 900-instrument deep-sea network that has provided data on ocean currents, climate variability, and marine ecosystems since 2016. The phased removal of in-water infrastructure at sites off North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and in the Irminger Sea will take about 15 months and ends continuous monitoring after more than a decade. Scientists and Democratic lawmakers criticized the move as short-sighted and warned it could create a data gap and complicate future rebuilding, even as NSF says the program is not canceled and aims to prioritize evolving priorities and technologies.

Denver Judge Blocks NCAR Breakup Over Process Flaws and Brain Drain
science2 months ago

Denver Judge Blocks NCAR Breakup Over Process Flaws and Brain Drain

A federal judge in Denver issued a 38-page injunction blocking the federal government’s plan to divest NCAR’s Wyoming-based supercomputing center and hand it to the University of Wyoming, ruling NSF’s decision flawed and likely to harm operations. The move, framed by UCAR as politically motivated retaliation, risks expert losses and disruption to atmospheric research, prompting continued litigation while the center’s operations are protected for now.

Giant Telescope Pinpoints Artemis 2’s Moon Loop in Unprecedented Detail
space3 months ago

Giant Telescope Pinpoints Artemis 2’s Moon Loop in Unprecedented Detail

NSF's Green Bank Telescope tracked NASA's Artemis 2 Orion capsule around the Moon for five days from more than 213,000 miles away, delivering distance and Doppler measurements that matched NASA projections to about 0.2 millimeters per second and producing a pixelated image of the spacecraft with a scientist noting “there are four people in those pixels.” The observations illustrate how a giant radio telescope can assist future space missions and radar-related efforts, highlighting the Green Bank Telescope’s role as the largest moving structure on land.

NSF bets $1.5B on X-Labs to unlock breakthrough science
science3 months ago

NSF bets $1.5B on X-Labs to unlock breakthrough science

The National Science Foundation announced NSF X-Labs, a decade-long initiative pledging up to $1.5 billion to fund independent, milestone-driven research teams outside traditional institutions, aiming to turn early concepts into commercially viable platforms. Initial topics cover Scientific Instrumentation for Sensing and Imaging and Quantum Systems: Interconnects and Integrated Photonics, with additional areas to be announced as the program progresses.

Trump Dismisses National Science Board, Clearing Path for NSF Shake-Up
politics3 months ago

Trump Dismisses National Science Board, Clearing Path for NSF Shake-Up

President Donald Trump fired the entire National Science Board, the 22-person advisory panel that oversees the NSF, effective immediately. The move drew criticism from Democrats and comes amid ongoing budget-cut talk, potentially easing cuts to basic science funding and leaving the NSF without its key oversight ahead of a planned meeting and a forthcoming state‑of‑science report.