Bold, audacious research ideas that will improve the lives of current and future generations of Nebraskans have been funded through the Grand Challenges Catalyst Competition.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has selected Nebraska’s David B. Berkowitz to serve as assistant director for mathematical and physical sciences. He will start in the role on Sept. 9.

A Nebraska audiologist is leading a study of how hearing and balance are affected by substance use disorders.

Scientists at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have identified a promising approach to help crops cope with drought. By using genome modification to boost a key plant protein, the researchers enabled plants to reduce their water use by up to 30% under drought-mimic conditions.

As the computing field continues to rapidly expand and evolve, many often struggle to keep up with the latest technology — even software engineers. 

A new project at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln aims to help everyone stay up to date by optimizing the processes of software engineering researchers. With a new grant from the National Science Foundation, Robert Dyer, assistant professor in the School of Computing, will lead a new initiative to help software engineering researchers improve testing and verification practices with advanced automated techniques and tools.

The College of Journalism and Mass Communications received a $101,376 grant from the Nebraska Research Initiative to support the establishment of the Social and Traditional Media Analytics and Research Tools Lab (SMART-Lab). This new facility will be a cornerstone for social and traditional media research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and providing resources for academic and industry partners.