K-State events and announcements | |
Registration for NEH Summer Stipends Writing Clinic closes Friday | |
The Office of Research Development will again offer a month-long writing clinic that will use an iterative process to help interested faculty members develop and refine their submissions for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Stipends program. This clinic is based on the approach ORD has successfully offered for the National Science Foundation CAREER opportunity and has used for the last four years for the NEH Summer Stipends program.
The Writing Clinic steps will be as follows:
- Prewriting Questions – submit by July 8; group meeting week of July 8.
- Significance and contribution section as well as the Organization and methods section– based on answers to prewriting questions – submit by July 15; group meeting week of July 15
- Competencies, skills and access; final product and dissemination sections as well as the work plan (1 page) and bibliography – submit by July 22; group meeting week of July 22
- Full 3-page narrative section, 1 page work plan and resume – submit by July 29; group meeting week of July 29.
We will meet once a week via zoom to review and discuss the writing assignments. Participants agree to take part in all sessions and complete the assignments of the clinic.
If you are interested in participating in this Writing Clinic please send an email stating your interest to ord@ksu.edu by June 28. Please use “Summer Stipends” on the email subject line.
NOTE: You do not have to participate in this writing clinic to notify the Office of Research Development of your interest in being nominated for a submission to the Summer Stipends program and participate in the limited submission process. Please see the Summer Stipends program announcement included above for more information.
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Notifications to ORD for NSF’s MRI Program due | |
The National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training. An MRI award supports the acquisition of a multi-user research instrument that is commercially available through direct purchase from a vendor, or for the personnel costs and equipment that are required for the development of an instrument with new capabilities. MRI instruments are, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.
The MRI is a limited submission program with four submissions allowed per university:
- Track 1: Two submissions for instruments whose cost is greater than or equal to $100,000 and less than $1,400,000.
- Track 2: One submission for instruments whose cost is greater than or equal to $1,400,000, with a ceiling of up to and including $4,000,000.
- Track 3: One submission asking for an award greater than or equal to $100,000 and less than or equal to $4,000,000 for the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment and instrumentation to reduce consumption of helium.
If you are interested in submitting to this program, you must first notify (working title, team list, 2 to 3 sentence synopsis, which Track you will be submitting under) the Office of Research Development (ORD) by 5 pm on July 24, 2024 via ordlimitedsubs@ksu.edu. If there are more interested groups than there are submission slots, an internal competition will be held with preproposals due by 5 pm August 21, 2024 also via ordlimitedsubs@ksu.edu.
If you have any questions, please contact Mary Lou Marino, mlmarino@ksu.edu or ordlimitedsubs@ksu.edu.
| Fiscal Year 2025 Fringe Benefit Rates for Proposal Budgets | |
Final fringe benefit rates for fiscal year 2025 have been confirmed. You may begin using these rates when preparing budget estimates to be included in proposals submitted for extramural support that has a start date in FY2025. To facilitate the transition to these new rates, budgets that are in process will be accepted at the old rate until July 12, 2024 at which time the Office of Sponsored Programs will require the adoption of fiscal year 2025 rates.
Fiscal year 2025 rates are as follows:
· Faculty and unclassified staff: 33%
· University support staff: 45%
· Student hourly employees and enrolled graduate research assistants and graduate teaching assistants with appointments less than 0.5 time: 1%
· Student hourly employees and non-enrolled graduate research assistants and graduate teaching assistants with appointments less than 0.5 time: 9.0%*
· Graduate research assistants and graduate teaching assistants enrolled in six hours or more and who have appointments of 0.5 time or grater: 14.0% - this includes the percentage allocable to employer’s share of health insurance
*Add 13% to this rate to include health insurance for benefit eligible graduate students not enrolled during the summer.
The above rates are to be used for estimating purposes. An individual’s actual fringe benefits will be charged to the sponsored project account.
Details regarding the different rates are available on the OVPR website.
If a particular employee’s actual fringe benefit rate is known to be higher than the estimates detailed within the table due to higher health insurance costs, then you may use that individual’s substantiated actual rate for budget estimating purposes. Payroll documentation will be obtained and secured as a part of the sponsored proposal/award record.
Please circulate this notification to all who need to know these new rates. Questions? Call Sponsored Programs at 785-532-6804 or email research@k-state.edu.
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Apply for the open Research/Facility Security Officer position | |
As a Research Security Officer/Facility Security Officer at Kansas State University, you will be responsible for implementing NSPM-33 guidance to safeguard our research initiatives. This role requires a bachelor’s degree and 5-10 years of relevant experience, with a preference for advanced degrees and extensive security program experience. Key qualifications include strong interpersonal skills, the ability to manage competing demands, and the capacity to work independently. Applicants must be able to obtain a high-level security clearance and meet other security requirements.
Learn more and apply here.
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Updated SciENcv C&POS Common Form Instructions for Researchers | |
Hello, RAC Community!
NSF’s Proposals and Awards Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) 24-1, which is effective for proposals submitted or due on or after May 20, 2024, includes, among other revisions, updated guidance for Common Forms versions of the Current and Pending (Other) Support and Biographical Sketch documents. The updated SciENcv C&POS Instructions for Researchers is attached to this email and can also be found on our website.
For both the Biographical Sketch and C&POS, please ensure that researchers are using the SciENcv “Type”: “NSF Current and Pending (Other) Support (for proposals submitted or due on or after May 20, 2024)”. If you are uncertain or reviewing the PDF, you can identify the version by the document’s footer: The 24-1 Common Forms version will indicate “v.2024-1”, while the old version will indicate “v.2023-1 (rev.01/31/2023)”. Note that the 2023 version will cause an error in Research.gov and will not be accepted on or after 20 May 2024.
Primary updates to the Biographical Sketch Common Form:
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Consistent with NSPM-33, individuals are required to disclose contracts associated with participation in programs sponsored by foreign governments, instrumentalities, or entities, including foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs.
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In accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 19232, individuals are prohibited from being a party in a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
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A table entitled, NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance Pre- and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support [28] has been created to provide helpful reference information regarding pre-award and post-award disclosures.
- There is no page limitation to the Biographical Sketch.
- As before, NSF will continue to use ORCiD as the optional Persistent Identifier.
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Senior/key personnel must only identify all domestic and foreign professional appointments and positions outside of the primary organization for a period of up to three years from the date the proposer submits the proposal to NSF for funding consideration.
- Synergistic Activities will no longer be part of the Biographical Sketch but will instead be uploaded to the proposal as a separate document. See PAPPG 24-1 for additional information on this change.
- Certification Statement language updated to confirm the researcher is not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
Primary updates to the C&POS Common Form:
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Consistent with NSPM-33, individuals are required to disclose contracts associated with participation in programs sponsored by foreign governments, instrumentalities, or entities, including foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs.
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In accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 19232, individuals are prohibited from being a party in a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
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A table entitled, NSPM-33 Implementation Guidance Pre- and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support [28] has been created to provide helpful reference information regarding pre-award and post-award disclosures.
- As before, NSF will continue to use ORCiD as the optional Persistent Identifier.
- In-Kind Contributions must only be disclosed if they have a dollar value of $5,000 or more and require a commitment of the individual’s time. In-kind contributions that require no time commitment or have a dollar value of less than $5,000 need not be reported.
- Certification Statement language updated to confirm the researcher is not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program.
- Certification date must be within the same calendar year as the submission to NSF.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Office of Sponsored Programs grant specialist or the Office of Sponsored Programs at research@ksu.edu.
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NSF’s EPSCoR Track-2 Program is now the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program | |
The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program (RII-FEC), formerly known as “EPSCoR Track-2 program”, builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus areas consistent with the current National Science Foundation Strategic Plan. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions (states) with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or as rapidly independently.
The new RFA for this program was released in mid-May announcing the renaming of the EPSCoR Track-2 program. NSF designates a focus area for this program typically announced in the annual RFA. Under the new RII-FEC program, the focus area will be announced in a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) every two years. The DCL for the current RII-FEC was released late in May. The focus area for this and next year is ‘Building capacity towards use-inspired research’." NSF defines “Use-inspired research” as work whose rationale, conceptualization, and directions are inspired by potential use cases.
This is a limited submission program with K-State allowed to submit only one proposal each year. Thus, if you are interested in submitting to this program, you must notify (working title, team list and a 2 to 3 sentence synopsis of the planned project) the Office of Research Development by 5 pm September 3, 2024 via ordlimitedsubs@ksu.edu. If there are two or more interested groups who notify, an internal competition will be required with preproposals due by 5 pm September 30, 2024. If you have questions, please contact Mary Lou Marino at mlmarino@ksu.edu.
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NEH Summer Stipends Program | |
The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Summer Stipends program supports continuous full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two consecutive months. NEH funds may support recipients’ compensation, travel, and other costs related to the proposed scholarly research. This is a limited submission; thus, if you are interested in submitting to this program you must notify (working title and a short, two to three sentence synopsis of your project) the Office of Research Development by August 2, 2024 via ordlimitedsubs@ksu.edu. If two or more faculty members notify by this date, an internal competition will be held with preproposals due by August 16, 2024.
This program’s anticipated due date to NEH is September 18, 2024. The new 2024 application should be available on the NEH website by June 18. Typically, NEH hosts a webinar for this program in mid-August, but due to the changes NEH is making to this program the webinar will be July 10 at 1-2 p.m. CT. Again, remember that to apply to this program, you must first go through the internal process outlined above because K-State can only nominate one tenure-track/tenured faculty to apply to this program. However, non-tenure track faculty may apply without nomination and without going through this process, but the Office of Research Development (ord@ksu.edu) would like to know in this case if you will be submitting.
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External events and announcements | |
NSF enhances research security with new TRUST proposal assessment process | |
The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced a new risk mitigation process, the Trusted Research Using Safeguards and Transparency (TRUST) framework, which will guide the agency in assessing grant proposals for potential national security risks. The revised procedures will help safeguard U.S. taxpayer investments in research and innovation while strengthening international collaboration.
The full news release can be found on the NSF website.
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DOE Office of Science Office Hours | |
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science monthly virtual office hours are opportunities to share information and ask questions about our six research programs and two research and development and production offices. Researchers at all institutions are welcome to attend and learn more about our programs. Topics will vary each month.
Learn more about the programs, dates and times using the links provided below:
The office hour will be in the form of a zoom meeting, starting with a brief presentation on the monthly topic, followed by questions.
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The Linguistics and DLI-DEL Programs are seeking reviewers and panelists | |
National STEM Teacher Corps: Webinars Information | |
June 27, 2024, 12 – 1 p.m.
July 10, 2024, 3 – 4 p.m.
See additional dates and times on nsf.gov
Staff from the National STEM Teachers Corps program will be hosting a series of webinars.
Register here.
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Early Career Faculty 2024 Solicitation Town Hall | |
Thursday, June 27, 1-2 p.m.
NASA Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program will conduct a Town Hall on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 2 pm Eastern Time, to provide an overview of the ECF24 solicitation and discuss questions about the proposal process.
Questions may be submitted and upvoted at https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/gkkg/#!/dashboard before and during the event. STRG plans to answer questions of programmatic nature during the event, as time permits. General questions related to the two Topics featured in the solicitation may also be answered during the meeting. More specific Topic-related questions, as well as other unanswered questions, may be answered through entries in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) documents on NSPIRES webpage for the solicitation after the meeting. Please note that the questions asked are not private.
The meeting will be listen-only for participants. The only way to interact with NASA during the session is by submitting questions through https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/gkkg/#!/dashboard. The hosts will not be able to respond to voice questions or raised hands.
Presentations made during the session, including answers to submitted questions, will be posted as part of the “Other documents” section on the NSPIRES webpage for the solicitation as soon as practicable. NASA also plans to post a recording of the Town Hall on NSPIRES.
The posting of the questions and answers as part of the FAQ documents on NSPIRES will serve as the official response from the STRG Program. In case of a conflict between the discussions during the Town Hall and the posted material, the content of the FAQ documents takes precedence. We look forward to seeing you at the Town Hall!
NASA STRG Program: hq-ecf-call@mail.nasa.gov
Submit Questions here.
Webinar information:
https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=me8d34b39225dec00f0454139a2f8d424
Webinar number (access code): 2827 122 4544
Webinar password: XEdXEf6r@97 (93393367 when dialing from a phone or video system)
Join by phone: +1-415-527-5035 United States Toll
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2024 Virtual Space Biosciences Training Course: STAR | |
NASA invites applications for the 5th annual course of the Spaceflight Technology, Applications, and Research (STAR) virtual training focused on the science and technology behind biological experiments in space. STAR is designed to encourage networking and collaborations in spaceflight technologies, applications, and research across all areas interested in space and biological sciences.
This course aims to facilitate the entry of researchers into space biology and preparation for spaceflight experiments using NASA and commercial platforms. The STAR course will cover both fundamental and applied aspects of the field of space biology, as well as practical aspects of preparing for, conducting, and analyzing the results of spaceflight experiments. See the STAR Program website for more information.
Responses must be submitted electronically using the NSPIRES web site before June 28, 2024. STAR-5 is open to all eligible individuals based on eligibility as outlined in Section III in the RFI.
Submitting a STAR application does not guarantee course acceptance. The course will take place virtually from September 2024 – February 2025 with sessions held weekly for two hours each.
STAR-5 questions will be accepted by email only and must be addressed to the STAR Management Team (Egle Cekanaviciute at NASA Ames and Ursula Koniges at NASA Headquarters) HQ-STAR-Management@mail.nasa.gov using a subject line that states “STAR-5 Application”.
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Partnerships for Innovation's Program Q&A Session Webinar | |
July 9, 2024, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
See additional dates and times on nsf.gov
Please join this Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Q&A webinar to learn about the PFI program. During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the PFI program and what to expect for the submission deadline.
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Sunsetting the NSF-NIST Disaster Resilience Research Grants Opportunity Webinar | |
July 9, 2024, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announce the sunset of the joint NSF-NIST Disaster Resilience Research Grants (DRRG) program. NSF and NIST program officers will offer an informational webinar related to this announcement.
Register here.
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BIO REU Sites Program 2024 Webinar | |
July 9, 2024, 2-3 p.m.
NSF staff will host a webinar for those interested in applying to the BIO REU Sites program (solicitation NSF 23-601). During the webinar, program officers will present the BIO Research Experience for Undergraduates Sites (BIO REU Sites) program and discuss the details of the NSF 23-601 solicitation. The 30-minute presentation will be followed by an open Q&A session with program officers.
Register here.
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Engineering of Biomedical Systems Office Hours | |
July 9, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m.
August 9, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m.
See additional dates and times on nsf.gov
The U.S. National Science Foundation will share information and answer questions about the Engineering of Biomedical Systems program (EBMS). The goal of the EBMS program is to provide opportunities for fundamental and transformative research projects that integrate engineering and life sciences to solve biomedical problems and serve humanity in the long term.
More information can be found here.
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NEH Summer Stipends Program Webinar | |
The National Endowment for the Humanities will hold a Summer Stipends webinar on July 10 at 1 - 2 p.m. CT. This webinar will be important to attend if you are interested in applying to this program because NEH has made several substantial changes to the program including to eligibility, increasing the stipends from $6,000 to $8,000 and reducing the number of nominations an institution can make from two to only one. If you are unable to attend this webinar, NEH typically includes a YouTube video of its annual webinar on its Summer Stipends website. | |
July 15, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m.
August 19, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m.
See additional dates and times on nsf.gov
ExpandAI office hours are provided for your convenience. NSF Program Directors representing different categories of MSIs will be available on the days and times listed to answer your questions about the program.
More information and Zoom links can be found here.
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Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) Virtual Office Hours | |
July 16, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m.
See additional dates and times on nsf.gov.
Representatives from across the division will be available to discuss specific programs and funding opportunities. There will then be an open question and answer period – questions can be on any NSF or DBI topic. Join us remotely and bring your questions!
Register here.
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July 17, 2024, 3-4 p.m.
The U.S. National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) team is excited to announce its next EPSCoR Live! event.
Join us for a deeper dive into exploring the critical role of the required Administrative Core component of the EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement (E-CORE RII) Program. E-CORE RII is designed to connect all aspects of the research ecosystem in EPSCoR jurisdictions, including the EPSCoR state offices, the broader research environment, researchers, stakeholders, and STEM research, education, and workforce development activities.
This virtual session will include a walkthrough of the role and promising models of the E-CORE Administrative Core, which includes jurisdiction-wide functions of supporting, operating, managing, and disseminating research capacity building activities in the jurisdiction. The session will further complement the June 2024 EPSCoR Live! on Exploring EPSCoR Research Ecosystems, which highlighted best practices and innovative solutions developed by the EPSCoR community to optimize connections within the jurisdiction’s current research ecosystem.
Advance registration is required. Click here to register. Please use an institutional email address for registration
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Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Office Hour | |
July 17, 2024, 1-2 p.m.
August 14, 2024, 1-2 p.m.
Please join the Decision Risk Management Sciences Program to discuss questions about the program with the program directors.
Office hours take place over Zoom monthly, generally on Wednesdays. Please see date(s) listed below and note that times listed are in the Eastern time zone.
To join, use the Decision Risk Management Sciences office hour Zoom link
- All meetings during office hours are 1-on-1. Guests are seen in the order they join. You may have to wait if others join before you.
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If you need captions or other accommodations, please contact Claudia Gonzalez-Vallejo or Bob O'Connor in advance.
For more information about the program, visit the Decision Risk Management Sciences program page.
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NIAID Grant Writing Webinar Series | |
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is hosting a virtual grant writing webinar series: Debuting Your Research Career: How to Plan for and Write Your First (or Next) NIH Grant Application. This monthly webinar series is free and open to all to pre- and post-doctoral fellows, clinician-scientists, as well as early-stage and mid-career research investigators.
The series will provide information on the funding opportunities for early career researchers at NIAID, navigating the F, K, DP2 and R38/K38 awards, and understanding the peer review process.
Remaining dates and topics:
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July 18, 2024: Understanding the Peer Review process
Register here.
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CISE CIRC program Webinar | |
July 22, 2024, 2-3 p.m.
The Community Infrastructure for Research in Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CIRC) program drives discovery and learning in the core disciplines of the three participating CISE divisions [Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF), Computer and Network Systems (CNS), and Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS)]
Register and learn more here.
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After Office Hours: Intro to America's Seed Fund | |
July 25, 2024, 6 – 7 p.m.
See additional dates and times on nsf.gov
Join this question-and-answer session to learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by the National Science Foundation. A Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program director will answer questions about how to get started, the basics of eligibility and what they look for when they review project pitches.
Register here.
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2024 NIJ National Research Conference | |
Criminal justice researchers, practitioners, policymakers, advocates, and those interested in promoting safety, equity, and justice for all are encouraged to join us in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 16-18, 2024.
During the three-day research conference, we will cover current and emerging challenges and present strategies for applying research findings into practice, including guidance on equitable and community-engaged research designs.
Plenaries include:
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Ten Years of Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science
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Violence Against Women Act 30-Year Anniversary
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Advancing Justice for the Missing and Unidentified Through Research
Let’s come together to advance justice through science.
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Agency news and trending topics | |
Antibiotic Compound Kills Hard-to-Treat, Infectious Bacteria While Sparing Healthy Bacteria in the Gut
In a new study, an antibiotic compound, lolamicin, targeted infectious, gram-negative bacteria without harming the gut microbiome. NIH Director's Blog
Scientists identify genes linked to brain cell loss in ALS
In a small study, researchers have discovered how a set of genes could cause neurons to die in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The results, published in Nature Aging(link is external), provide insight into the root causes of ALS and may lead to new ways to halt disease progression. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Healt. NIH
First ever rocks from the Moon’s far side have landed on Earth
China’s Chang’e-6 re-entry capsule, containing up to two kilograms of materials scooped and drilled from the Moon’s most ancient basin, touched down in the grasslands of Siziwang Banner in the Chinese northern autonomous region Inner Mongolia at 2.07 p.m. Beijing time on Tuesday, according to the China National Space Administration. nature
Spinal cord ‘atlas’ offers unprecedented insights into injuries
Researchers have developed a four-dimensional model of spinal-cord injury in mice, which shows how nearly half a million cells in the spinal cord respond over time to injuries of varying severity. The model, known as a cell atlas, could help researchers to resolve outstanding questions and develop new treatments for people with spinal-cord injury (SCI). nature
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