Efficient storage of hydrogen at scale is needed to facilitate the widespread adoption of this alternative fuel type. The U.S. Department of Energy is funding a multiyear study to determine the viability, safety, and reliability of storing pure hydrogen or hydrogen–natural gas blends in different types of underground environments.
Read MoreInvestment in offshore wind projects is increasing, but rising manufacturing and supply chain costs are hindering the translation of this investment into tangible products. The success of future projects will depend on governments and wind energy firms recalibrating the cost of the planned energy transition.
Read MoreYears of slashed infrastructure spending by the U.K.’s Conservative-led government has culminated in a crumbling concrete crisis as buildings constructed out of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete begin to fail after being pushed beyond their intended lifespan.
Read MoreThe National Science Foundation officially established the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships in March 2022, but the mission and scope of the directorate remained unclear until the Chips and Science Act of 2022 was signed into law this August. Learn about the priorities and programs of NSF’s newest directorate.
Read MoreOn July 28, 2022, the United States House of Representatives approved the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden for his signature. This act, colloquially called CHIPS+, contains bipartisan semiconductor funding and innovation policy measures that have been in the works since the Trump administration.
Read MoreOn March 16, 2022, the National Science Foundation announced the establishment of a Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, its first new directorate in more than 30 years. Learn how this directorate came to be and what still needs to be decided concerning its operations.
Read MoreOn March 10, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $36 million for 11 projects seeking to increase deployment and use of nuclear power and limit the amount of waste produced from advanced nuclear reactors. Learn more about these projects and some of the arguments for and against increasing reliance on nuclear power.
Read MoreDespite extensive support, the vast majority of projects that seek to commercialize carbon capture and storage technologies have ended in failure. Researchers led by the University of California, San Diego investigated the factors important to determining failure or success.
Read MoreDespite being well over a year-deep into the COVID-19 pandemic, there still is plenty of room for improvement in terms of everyday consumer face masks. With that in mind, U.S. government agencies have partnered to host an open innovation challenge to build a better face mask—and they are backing winning ideas with $500,000 in prize money.
Read MoreEndless Frontier Act: Will applied research become a main focus for the National Science Foundation?
The National Science Foundation is one of the main federal funding sources for basic science research—but China’s significantly increased investments in scientific research has led some U.S. senators to propose a bill that would reorganize NSF to support more applied research. Learn more about this proposal in today’s CTT.
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