News & Updates

USDA NIFA recently invested $2 million for seven awards for the Special Research Grants Program for Aquaculture to support the development of new science-based information and technology for environmentally and economically sustainable aquaculture industry in the United States. The Special Research Grants Program for Aquaculture is authorized by the Competitive Special and Facilities Research Grants Act to develop practical solutions that will facilitate growth of the US aquaculture industry, reduce the US trade deficit in seafood products, and enhancing the capacity of the US aquaculture industry to contribute to food security and economic growth.

The DOE has awarded nearly $40 million to 40 projects that are advancing the next generation of solar, storage, and industrial technologies necessary for achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s climate goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035. Specifically, the projects will reduce the cost of solar technologies by increasing the lifespan of photovoltaic (PV) systems from 30 to 50 years, developing technologies that will enable solar to be used in fuel and chemicals production, and advancing novel storage technologies.

NASA has awarded $28 million to fund the next five years of research infrastructure development across 28 jurisdictions. The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a part of NASA’s Office of Stem Engagement and based out of the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, supports science and technology research and development at colleges and universities while also funding studies in Earth science, aeronautics, and human and robotic deep space exploration – all of which are disciplines critical to the NASA mission.

The DOE has announced $20 million in funding to four projects working to accelerate the regional deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The projects, representing all four corners of the country, are referred to as DOE’s Regional Initiatives to Accelerate CCUS Deployment—an initiative designed to identify and address regional storage and transportation challenges facing the commercial deployment of CCUS.

In celebration of National Nanotechnology Day, the US Department of Energy announced Stage 1 winners of the Conductivity-enhanced materials for Affordable, Breakthrough Leapfrog Electric and thermal applications (CABLE) Conductor Manufacturing Prize. Ten teams selected in Stage 1 of this $4.5M, three-stage competition will work to develop affordable, manufacturable materials that conduct electricity more efficiently and upgrade our manufacturing and transportation infrastructures.

The DOE has announced $61M for 10 pilot projects that will deploy new technology to transform thousands of homes and workplaces into state-of-the-art, energy-efficient buildings. These Connected Communities can interact with the electrical grid to optimize their energy consumption which will substantially decrease their carbon emissions and cut energy costs.

The DOE has announced $45M in funding for 12 projects to advance point-source carbon capture and storage technologies that can capture at least 95% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from natural gas power and industrial facilities that produce commodities like cement and steel.

The DOE has announced $12M in funding for seven research projects to advance the commercialization of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) — man-made reservoirs that produce clean, renewable energy. EGS development could expand US geothermal energy capabilities and extend the use of geothermal energy into new geographic areas across the country.

NASA has announced the 60 teams from 22 states and Puerto Rico selected to compete in the 2022 Student Launch – one of seven Artemis Student Challenges.

This past week, the Nobel Assembly and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the 2021 Nobel Prize recipients. Among the prize recipients in physiology or medicine, physics, and economic sciences are researchers who have been supported by the NSF.