(Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation)
The U.S. National Science Foundation is investing up to $100 million to establish a nationwide network of open-access research facilities for quantum and nanoscale technologies, innovation, and workforce training. Through the new NSF National Quantum and Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NSF NQNI) program, NSF will support up to 16 sites over five years, providing students, researchers, and industry with access to state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization tools, instrumentation, and expertise. Together, the sites will form a shared national resource serving regional innovation ecosystems, including community colleges and small businesses.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced, at the Office of Science Advisory Committee meeting, investments in fundamental scientific research and technology development across a wide range of disciplines in the physical sciences. These awards, totaling over $320 million, will support 217 university and industry projects aimed at expanding the frontiers of knowledge and addressing critical science and technology needs. The awards span materials science, nuclear and particle physics, fusion energy, quantum information science, and chemical molecular sciences to study molecular interfaces.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced funding to advance the Genesis Mission’s efforts to tackle the nation’s most complex science and technology challenges. This includes a $293 million Request for Application (RFA),“The Genesis Mission: Transforming Science and Energy with AI.” Through this RFA, DOE invites interdisciplinary teams to leverage novel AI models and frameworks to address over 20 national challenges spanning advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear energy, and quantum information science. 

Thursday, Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. ET. This session will provide an overview of nanomedicine and include a discussion of classroom-ready examples highlighting current and future applications in the field.

(Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy)
Researchers who discovered a versatile type of two-dimensional conductive nanomaterial, called a MXene, nearly a decade and a half ago, have now reported on a process for producing its one-dimensional cousin: the MXene nanoscroll. The group posits that these materials, which are 100 times thinner than human hair yet more conductive than their two-dimensional counterparts, could be used to improve the performance of energy storage devices, biosensors and wearable technology.