News & Updates

Flood mitigation measures, rural transportation systems and pharmaceutical supply chains are among the subjects being examined by nine new research projects receiving backing from the NSF. NSF is investing more than $8 million in the projects through its Strengthening American Infrastructure program. The program supports research that utilizes advances in behavioral and social science to improve the value and usefulness of infrastructure in people’s lives, from US roads and highways to state and local power grids.

The Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA), launched by NSF in April 2021, provides the engineering research community with a process for identifying bold and societally impactful engineering research directions that will place the United States in a leading position to realize a better future for all. For its inaugural visioning event, ERVA convened more than 100 experts from academia, industry, and government to identify priorities for engineering research that address one of the world’s most vexing challenges: climate change.

US Government Accountability Office (GAO)’s report examines (1) the effects of the NSF EPSCoR program on jurisdictions’ competitiveness in obtaining NSF and other federal research funding, (2) jurisdiction officials’ perspectives on the program’s effects, and (3) NSF’s efforts to assess the effects of the program and identify opportunities for improvement. GAO is making one recommendation that NSF enhance its annual reporting to Congress on the EPSCoR. More

The NSF is investing more than $7.5 million in new research focused on empowering more reliable prediction of the spread of infectious diseases, the effects of mitigation measures and other critical aspects of national health crises. The funding will support eight interdisciplinary research projects aimed at incorporating the complexities of human behavior into epidemiological models.

From understanding the multifaceted transmission of disease to deciphering how living organisms adapt to harsh conditions, answering big questions in biology requires interdisciplinary research and scientists engaging and partnering with those from other fields of study.

From Southwestern deserts to tropical mangrove reefs, everywhere humans live or go we impact the environment, and the environment impacts us. Fifteen new projects totaling more than $21.6 million funded by the NSF will explore these complex interactions in ecosystems around the globe, examine how they affect a variety of species from humans to bees to trees, and develop tools and models that can be used to predict future impacts to vital resources.

Each award supports research in a specific socio-environmental system, across multiple systems, or the creation of networks of scientists to share data and advance socio-environmental research.

Projects awarded to NSF EPSCoR jurisdictions include:

The Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA) is led by Principal Investigator Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska and a co-PI team representing academia and industry. ERVA seeks a visionary and well-respected researcher to serve in a leadership role by joining the current principal investigators in advancing the initiative’s mission. They request your assistance in identifying suitable candidates. Some specifics from the solicitation:

The EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation, a Core Partner of the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA), hosted the ERVA Leadership Convening Meeting, July 12-July 13, in Washington, DC. Representatives from the ERVA Standing Council, Advisory Board, Working Groups, visioning Thematic Task Forces and Affiliate Partners attended the meeting. EIF Executive Director, Jessica Molesworth, who co-Chairs the ERVA Government Engagement Working Group, helped organize an informational briefing on the Hill on July 13. The briefing focused on the ERVA report executive summary, “The Role of Engineering in Addressing Climate Change.” Dorota Grejner-Brezinska, The Ohio State University, Amy Heintz, Batelle; and Stacy Hutchinson, Kansas State University, presented identified priorities for engineering research to make an impact.

On Thursday, July 28, the House passed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America and Science Act by a vote of 243-187 following the Senate’s vote of 64-33 to pass the landmark legislation in that body on Wednesday. The measure will now be sent to the President for his signature.

NSF has announced the winners of the Taking Action: COVID-19 Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Challenge. The goals of this competition were to identify actions that Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) could take to ensure DEI in STEM despite the long-term challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and to share these strategies broadly, including via social media and other means, thereby highlighting the importance of these actions, and providing information for others to implement these actions if applicable to their institutional context. NSF distributed a total of $200,000 in cash prizes.