University Research

‘Cloud Computing’ Takes on New Meaning for Scientists

Clouds may be wispy puffs of water vapor drifting through the sky, but they’re heavy lifting computationally for scientists wanting to factor them into climate simulations. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Columbia University have turned to data science to achieve better cumulus calculating results.

Tying Electrons Down with Nanoribbons

Scientists are experimenting with narrow strips of graphene, called nanoribbons, in hopes of making cool new electronic devices, but University of California, Berkeley scientists have discovered another possible role for them: as nanoscale electron traps with potential applications in quantum computers.

University of Richmond Professor Jerry Gilfoyle Awarded $275,000 U.S. Department of Energy Grant for Nuclear Physics Research

This renewal grant supports the University’s electromagnetic nuclear physics program at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator facility (JLab). Located in Newport News, JLab is the newest U.S. national laboratory and recently completed a $340 million upgrade.

Chemist Receives Department of Energy Award

Ming Lee Tang, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of California, Riverside, has received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to continue her work on developing hybrid organic-inorganic materials that have applications in health care and the solar industry.

Microbiologists and Plant Scientists Find Secret to Tackling Cholera

While cholera rages across many regions of the world, a team of microbiologists and plant scientists from Michigan State University and Tufts University, has pinpointed a genetic weakness in the pandemic’s armor, which could lead to future treatments.

Protons Get Zippier in Neutron-rich Nuclei

Researchers at William and Mary were part of a multi-institution study carried out at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, confirming that increasing the number of neutrons as compared to protons in the atom’s nucleus also increases the average momentum of its protons, showing implications for the dynamics of neutron stars.

Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation Funding Renewed

The Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation (CLSF), an Energy Frontiers Research Center (EFRC) established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2009 and led by Penn State scientists, has once again had its funding renewed by the DOE for an additional four years.

Researchers Boost Performance Quality of Perovskites

Scientists at the University of Washington report that a prototype semiconductor thin-film has performed even better than today’s best solar cell materials at emitting light.

Quantum Magnets Attract Department of Energy Funding

Colorado State University physicist Kate Ross studies exotic states in quantum magnets under extreme conditions. Her work in this area was recently funded by an Early Career Research Program grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The award of $750,000 will fund her research in “non-equilibrium effects in quantum magnets” through 2023.