This week with NSF Director Panchanathan
Partnerships advancing American innovation, collaborations with foreign delegations, celebrations of legacy — this week, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan focused on how collaboration can lead to transformation.
The director, São Paolo Research Foundation (FAPESP) President Marco Antonio Zago and other delegates from Brazil explored opportunities to expand partnerships. Together, they shared and learned from one another about the innovative initiatives they are a part of: NSF shared about the importance of the "CHIPS and Science Act," and in turn learned from FAPESP about Amazon+10 — an initiative engaging multiple Brazilian science agencies to support collaborative research projects in the Amazon region.
Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra visited NSF headquarters to discuss the NSF-Micron $10M cross-sector partnership supporting research, education, infrastructure capacity building, and workforce development for semiconductor design and manufacturing. A nationwide shortage in semiconductors, complicated by the global pandemic, has made it difficult for the chip industry to meet the increasing demand for chip-based products — the project positions the nation to accelerate its competitiveness in a global market.
Director Panchanathan also had the privilege of hosting Caroline Kennedy, ambassador to the U.S. embassy to Australia. Through a steadfast focus and a strong history of collaboration, the NSF-Australia partnership continues to advance the frontiers of research, tackle climate change, and build an inclusive and diverse STEM workforce.
The week rounded out in celebration: The portrait of France Córdova, the 14th director of NSF, was unveiled and put on display in a newly dedicated area — the NSF Director's Portrait Gallery. The space, lined with the portraits of all the directors who have previously served NSF, symbolizes the extraordinary and lasting contributions made to science and the nation. The portraits on the walls each mark the milestones met in the advancement of science and technology, each serving as a chapter in the nation's story.
