NSF News

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan


This week, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan highlighted NSF’s commitment to innovation and STEM advancements through several key events.

The Director joined Senator Shaheen in a conversation on Capitol Hill with New Hampshire business leaders to discuss the Granite State’s impressive spirit of innovation and the importance of NSF’s investments in keeping the U.S. at the vanguard of discovery and innovation.

At the White House AI Aspirations Conference, Director Panchanathan joined government officials, Members of Congress, industry representatives, and AI researchers to discuss AI's role in advancing public missions. He emphasized NSF’s investments in AI and the importance of a collaborative approach for reliable and equitable AI, showcasing the potential of AI in various sectors through NSF’s AI Institutes.

The director met with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Council of Presidents, underscoring the importance of academia-government partnerships in advancing scientific research and innovation.

The director also met with Australia's chief scientist, Cathy Foley, to discuss collaborative opportunities and the advancement of science and technology between the two countries. NSF currently partners with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation on several initiatives, including NSF Global Centers and the NSF Convergence Accelerator, and has formed a strategic partnership to advance responsible and equitable AI. The two science leaders identified several other areas of interest for collaboration that will be considered further.

image left: Director Panch stands with microphone in hand on stage with blue curtain background and American flag to his right. Image right: Director panch stands the a woman in between their country flags.h
Credit: U.S. National Science Foundation
Image left: At the end of a busy week, the Director celebrated the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the U.S. Image right: NSF Director Panchanathan and Australia's chief scientist, Cathy Foley, pose in front of their countries' flags after a collaborative discussion about opportunities and advancement in science and technology.

Later, at the US-India Partnership Summit hosted by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies USA (FIIDS), he discussed the importance of U.S.-India collaboration in trade, technology, and security, highlighting NSF’s role in advancing critical technologies and fostering global partnerships.

In the evening, at the Indiaspora Impact Report launch, he celebrated the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the U.S., emphasizing NSF’s mission to foster a collaborative ecosystem and promote community engagement in science and engineering.

Through these engagements, Director Panchanathan demonstrated NSF’s dedication to advancing STEM innovation, fostering global collaborations, and ensuring scientific advancements benefit every community.