News & Updates

On July 24, 2019 Office of Science and Technology Policy Director (OSTP) Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier testified at the House Appropriations Committee Budget and Oversight Hearing. As he explained his personal connection to STEM, Dr. Droegemeier reminded members that he hails from the “so-called EPSCoR state” of Oklahoma. He was also quick to emphasize his focus on ensuring everyone has access to opportunity, that “Americans of all backgrounds should have access to STEM education and skills.”

"Stimuli is a summary collection of college and university basic research and technology development reports impacting NASA's earth science, aviation, and human and robotic deep space exploration programs. This document addresses research which is relevant to NASA’s mission, and currently administered by the agency's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research." Read the full report from NASA here.

The National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the United Kingdom Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council have begun a collaboration to develop cutting-edge responses to fundamental food security questions. These "Breakthrough Technology Awards" enable the "high-risk, high-reward" research that is essential to developing solutions to drought, flood, pests, and disease.

Coral reefs are retreating from equatorial waters and establishing new reefs in more temperate regions, according to new research in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. The researchers found that the number of young corals on tropical reefs has declined by 85 percent – and doubled on subtropical reefs – during the last four decades.

"Scientists using an experimental treatment have slowed the progression of scrapie, a degenerative central nervous disease caused by prions, in laboratory mice and greatly extended the rodents’ lives, according to a new report in JCI Insight. The scientists used antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), synthetic compounds that inhibit the formation of specific proteins.

"Researchers at Tuskegee University have modified and discovered new bio-based natural materials that could eliminate the harmful buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They believe the use of naturally occurring nanocellulose holds the key to efficiently and cost-effectively mitigating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases associated with rising global temperatures and extreme weather events.

The Western Nevada College campus in Fallon hosted a three-week research opportunity that was funded by Nevada IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). The Fallon summer project was led by Dr. Gary Evett and Dr. Rachelle Bassen. The project focused on discovering novel genetic variations in the cyclooxygenase (COX-1) gene that might be involved in chronic inflammation in the body (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis).

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center has received an $18.7 million NIH IDeA grant to expand biomedical research for some of the most complex diseases and to develop the workforce to take that research into the future. The grant is focused on cancer, diabetes, and the development of new medical devices and treatments. Dr. Darrin Akins, Director of the Oklahoma IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence highlighted the importance of the IDeA grant.