National Science Foundation - Where Discoveries Begin

Artist's illustration of two merging neutron stars.

Aerial view of the LIGO detector in Hanford, Washington.

Lead PI Branko Kerkez and his research team install stormwater sensors and control valves.

Video type: Brightcove Video Cloud

Paleontologists discover ancient bobcat-sized carnivore!

A closer look at the bobcat-like fossil animal uncovered in Tanzania.

The East African Rift Valley, where the scientists conducted their field research.

Paleontologists at work in Tanzania on research that led to the find of the new carnivore species.

Richard H. Thaler received the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics. NSF has funded Thaler's work.

Back from the field: Studies of the new carnivore in a laboratory setting.

The ancient bobcat faced many of the same ecosystem challenges as today's African carnivores.

The MRSEC program creates hubs of broad collaboration across diverse research interests.

LIGO's detector site in Livingston, Louisiana.

In the wake of Harvey, NSF has awarded more than 50 grants to study hurricane effects.

Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson

Hurricane Harvey's torrential rains led to tremendous floods in Texas.

Bearing down on the U.S.: Harvey in the days before it made landfall.

First responders from across the U.S. came to the rescue during floods from Harvey's rains.

Irma's gales swept across South Florida in this image taken near Naples, Florida.

Shortly after Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma headed for the U.S., here over the Virgin Islands.

Marine researchers sample devil weed (S. horneri) off Santa Catalina Island, California.

The invasive seaweed called devil weed dominates large swaths of reef off Santa Catalina Island.

Sargassum horneri being removed by hand and collected in bags for disposal on land.

Sargassum horneri is fed into the hose of a vacuum device and transported to the surface.

At the surface, algae is inspected for by-catch before being placed in trash bags for disposal.

A research plot after the removal of devil weed using a vacuum device.