Science Matters

A man smiles slightly as he stares at a large computer screen that displays a multicolored model of a virus

#NSFstories: Leading an army of citizen scientists in the fight against COVID-19

June 10, 2020

For computational biophysicist Gregory Bowman, sleep these days is hard to come by. Since turning his research team’s attention to the fight against COVID-19, life for this leader of the largest crowd…

a school of fish swims over a coral reef

10 NSF-funded discoveries that help us understand our oceans and waterways

June 1, 2020

Join us as NSF celebrates our nation’s oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes for National Ocean Month

Ice floats on top of a body of water in front of a pink sky

Life on the ice during a pandemic: Keeping science in Antarctica going and the continent COVID-19-free

May 26, 2020

It is hard to imagine a location that has not been touched by the pandemic currently sweeping the globe, reordering our daily lives and collective priorities. It might come as a surprise, though, that…

A microscope is shown with a cutaway to a illustration of the SARS-COVID-2 virus

RAPID responders: How NSF support is enabling the fight against COVID-19 in real time

May 20, 2020

When a disaster or emergency strikes, first responders answer the call. The COVID-19 global pandemic has shown that scientists and engineers are part of this essential group. Everything from vaccine…

Two small children look at a colorful exhibit in a museum

7 NSF-funded museums and science centers offering virtual experiences to enjoy from your home

May 14, 2020

Though museums and science centers across the nation may have closed their doors due to COVID-19, there are still ways to enjoy their exhibitions. Museums, science centers, zoo, aquariums, and other…

Acting NSF director Kelvin Droegemeier sits at an early supercomputer known as Cray-1 located at NCAR.

#NSFStories: From chasing storms to shaping science policy

May 14, 2020

Most of us get a glimpse of the future every day. It's usually a green or yellow blob -- though sometimes blue or purple in the winter -- slowly oozing over a weather map of your local area letting…

Small business, big impact: How NSF-funded startups are joining the fight against COVID-19

May 12, 2020

In the fight against COVID-19, the world faces a new and elusive enemy. To confront the challenges posed by the current global pandemic, National Science Foundation-funded small businesses and…

computer simulated models depicting an all-atom model of the influenza virus on the left and the coronavirus on the right.

Once Considered Too High-Risk, Supercomputer Simulations of 'Wiggling and Jiggling' Atoms Could Help Stop Coronavirus   

May 8, 2020

UC San Diego Professor Rommie Amaro had an idea. The way it was, you took snapshots of a single protein to figure out its atomic structure. What Amaro wanted to do, use snapshots from many proteins to…

Illustrated mural depicting the fruits of NSF supported research over the past 70 years.

Yesterday's research, today's innovation

May 6, 2020

Dr. Fleming Crim, the Chief Operating Officer for NSF, discusses how long-term investments in fundamental research fuels national response in times of crisis

Photograph of the Earth with blue ocean and swirling white clouds set against the blackness of space

10 NSF projects that help us understand our planet as we celebrate Earth Day’s 50th

April 20, 2020

The year 2020 will most likely be remembered for the year of social distancing, but a result of this has been a renewed appreciation for the great outdoors. This year also marks Earth Day's 50th…