July 12, 2019

Lawmakers Applaud Over $17 Million in National Science Foundation Grants to Massachusetts Research Institutions

NSF Awards Will Support Research Projects in Science and Engineering

Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with U.S. Representatives James P. McGovern (D-Mass.), William Keating (D-Mass.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) today announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded over $17 million in competitive grant funding to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Education Development Center, Trustees of Boston University, University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Northeastern University for research projects in science and engineering.

"Massachusetts has long been a leader in science and technology, and these critical grants from the National Science Foundation are a testament to the great research work done in the Commonwealth," said Senator Elizabeth Warren. "As someone whose first major research project was supported by the NSF, I'm pleased to continue fighting for funding for the next generation of Massachusetts researchers."

"Massachusetts has a long tradition of innovation, and these federal grants will supercharge our efforts to conduct the research, develop the technologies, and harness the power of science and engineering," said Senator Ed Markey. "I congratulate the recipients, and look forward to continuing our commonwealth's strong relationship with the National Science Foundation."

"The innovation and discovery happening at UMass Medical School in Worcester places our Commonwealth at the cutting edge of research that will literally change our world," said House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern. "Investments such as these drive our economy and help build the tools and technologies that shape our future. I'm proud of our delegation's strong partnership with the National Science Foundation, and I will continue fighting for the federal funding that makes these kinds of research grants possible."

"It is more important than ever to ensure that young minds are prepared for the jobs of the future by improving STEAM education at all levels," said Congressman Bill Keating.  "These grants from the National Science Foundation both support educational programs from our middle schools to our universities and serve to further cutting-edge research. I am proud of our state's leadership in these areas, and I am particularly encouraged that funding for Woods Hole will allow researchers across the globe to better access data related to climate change. It is critical that we act globally to combat the effects of climate change, and this grant helps to support the scientific education and research communities to that end."

"These federal grants will help protect our oceans, invest in our young scientists, and foster the ground-breaking research that Massachusetts is known for," said Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Katherine Clark. "We're a hub for exploration and progress and these resources are going to propel forward our innovation and economy."

"The world renown educational institutions in the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District have made our community one of the leading hubs for innovation, creativity and activism - none of which could be possible without the support of foundations like NSF," said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. "Investments in our local, hardworking researchers is a critical investment in the future of our planet."

Six grants totaling $17,119,970 were awarded to the following institutions, including:

  • $11,580,954 through 2024 to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for its project titled "Accelerating Scientific Discovery through Adaptive Data Management."
  • $1,342,010 to Northeastern University in Boston for its project entitled "Collaborative Research: Scaling Up the Use of Mixed Reality in Civil Engineering Education." The university also received a separate grant of $1,200,000 for its project titled "SaTC: CORE: Medium: Protecting Confidentiality and Integrity of Deep Neural Networks against Side-Channel and Fault Attacks."
  • $1,297,006 through 2022 to the Education Development Center in Waltham for its project titled "Collaborative Research: Streams of Data: Nurturing Data Literacy in Young Science Learners."
  • $900,000 to the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester for their its project titled "The self-conditioning gate - are all nuclear pores equal?"
  • $800,000 to the Trustees of Boston University for its project titled "SaTC: CORE: Medium: Collaborative: Taming Memory Corruption with Security Monitors."

The NSF provides roughly 20 percent of federal support to academic institutions for research and education in science and engineering through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.

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