Women in STEM. Oregon State University has received a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to improve conditions for women in the academic science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. As the first Oregon institution to receive a five-year ADVANCE grant, OSU will recruit, retain and promote more women in STEM and the social and behavioral sciences. “The goal of the grant is to transform the institutional climate for women in the STEM fields,” said Susan Shaw, principal investigator for the grant.
Disaster Resilience. In September, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development launched a $1 billion National Disaster Resilience Competition to help communities that have been struck by national disasters in recent years. Representatives from eligible communities will have the opportunity to attend Resilience Academies, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, to strengthen their funding proposals. “The competition is going to help communities that have been devastated by natural disasters build back stronger and better prepared for the future,” said HUD secretary Julian Castro.
NSF Toolkit. The National Science Foundation has released a robust toolkit that includes new videos, infographics, fact sheets and brochures that describe NSF investments in fundamental research and how they contribute to the nation’s science and engineering enterprise. “We encourage the NSF community and the general public to explore the materials we’re releasing today to learn more about how the agency helps our nation remain at the competitive forefront of discovery and innovation,” said Judith Gan of NSF.