NSF News -- Social/Behavioral Sciences

Scientists Discover Oldest Evidence of Split Between Old World Monkeys and Apes

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:17:00 EDT

Two fossil discoveries from the East African Rift reveal new information about the evolution of primates, according to a paper published this week in the journal Nature.

Findings by scientists at Ohio University's (OU) Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and colleagues document the oldest fossils of two major groups of primates: the group that today includes apes and humans (hominoids) and the group that includes Old World monkeys such as baboons and ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

Human Disease Leptospirosis Identified in New Species, the Banded Mongoose, in Africa

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:00 EDT

The newest public health threat in Africa, scientists have found, is coming from a previously unknown source: the banded mongoose.

Leptospirosis, the disease is called. And the banded mongoose carries it.

Leptospirosis is the world's most common illness transmitted to humans by animals. It's a two-phase disease that begins with flu-like symptoms. If untreated, it can cause meningitis, liver damage, pulmonary hemorrhage, renal failure and death.

"The ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

Helping People through the Decision-Making Process Using a Web-Based Application

Tue, 07 May 2013 03:31:00 EDT

Not everyone likes to make decisions alone. People sometimes need feedback. Now they have a social media site that can give it to them.

"Think of it as 'Facebook for Decision-Making,'" says Ali Abbas, associate professor in the department of industrial and enterprise systems engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who designed the new system. "The idea was to build a decision support site online through a social network."

...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

Report Traces Baccalaureate Origins of Science and Engineering Doctoral Recipients

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:23:00 EDT

The National Science Foundation recently released a report detailing the large role played by U.S. research universities in the baccalaureate education of U.S.-trained science and engineering (S&E) doctorate recipients.

In 2011, the year the latest information is available, 35 percent of individuals earning S&E doctorates from U.S. universities held bachelor's degrees from foreign institutions, and ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

National Science Foundation-Funded Social Science Research Directly Benefits Americans

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:47:00 EDT

The National Science Foundation (NSF) released a summary brochure today that shows how important human-focused research is to critical national needs.

Titled "Bringing People Into Focus: How Social, Behavioral and Economic Research Addresses National Challenges," the brochure provides examples of the ways in which NSF-funded, basic, social and behavioral science research bears on national security and economic interests.

"As our population becomes ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

National Science Foundation Participates in White House Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:48:00 EDT

President Obama today announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) will participate in a White House initiative called Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN), which is designed to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain. NSF Acting Director Cora Marrett took part in the announcement at the White House, which also included the National Institutes of Health and the Defense Advanced Research ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

Federally-funded Research and Development Centers Spend $17.8 Billion in Fiscal Year 2011

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:33:00 EDT

The nation's 40 federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) spent $17.8 billion on research and development (R&D) in fiscal year (FY) 2011, according to a recent report from the National Science Foundation. More than $850 million of the total was supplied by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

FFRDCs are privately operated R&D organizations financed by the ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

National Science Foundation Data Demonstrate Modest Research and Development Growth in Fiscal Year 2010

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:20:00 EDT

Federal obligations for research and development (R&D) and R&D plant, which represents facilities and fixed equipment, increased 1.5 percent to $147 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2010, according to a new report from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The growth was driven by a $3 billion, or 81.3 percent, increase in R&D plant obligations in FY 2010.

Of this $3 billion, $1.1 billion was ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

Report Highlights Latest Data on Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:12:00 EST

Women, persons with disabilities and three racial and ethnic groups--African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians--continue to be underrepresented in science and engineering (S&E) according to a new report released by the National Science Foundation.

The report, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2013, highlights the most recent data on S&E education and ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

NSF Survey: 20 Percent of U.S. Businesses Performing or Funding R&D Applied for U.S. Patents in 2008

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:43:00 EST

Data from the 2008 Business R&D and Innovation Survey reveals that one out of five U.S. companies with research and development (R&D) applied for a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2008. The data is the most recent year information is available.

U.S. companies applied for more than 130,000 U.S. patents in 2008. The USPTO issued more than 65,000 patents to companies with R&D that year. Patents are a legal means used by inventors to ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

Ten International Research Funders Announce Round Three of 'Digging into Data' Challenge

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:21:00 EST

Ten international research funders announced today their joint participation in round three of the "Digging into Data Challenge (DiD)," a grant competition designed to spur computationally intensive research in the social sciences and humanities.

This third round of the challenge aims to address how "Big Data" changes the research landscape for the humanities and social sciences by asking what "Big Data" means for researchers in these ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

Academic Institutions Added More Science and Engineering Research Space in Last Several Years

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:26:00 EST

Science and Engineering research space at the nation's research-performing colleges and universities increased 3.5 percent from fiscal year (FY) 2009 to FY 2011, growing to 202.9 million net assignable square feet (NASF), according to recent data from the National Science Foundation's Survey of Science and Engineering Research Facilities.

The biological and biomedical sciences (54.3 million NASF in FY 2011) ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

Federal Budget Authority for R&D Declined in Fiscal Years 2011-12

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:25:00 EST

Federal budget authority for research and development (R&D) and R&D Plant (R&D facilities and fixed equipment), declined in fiscal years 2011 and 2012, mostly due to a drop in defense-related R&D, according to a recent report from the National Science Foundation.

Under the fiscal year 2013 budget authority for R&D activities proposed by the president last year, total investment in this ...

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This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

The Connection Between Memory and Sleep

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 EST

Researchers found information can be better retained with reinforcing stimuli delivered during sleep

Full story at http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/sleepmemory.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_65

This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.

Baby Smiles Provide Clues to Healthy Development

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:00:00 EST

Analyzing babies' expressions could help children at risk for developmental disorders

Full story at http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/babyface.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_65

This is an NSF News - Social/Behavioral Sciences item.