This Veterans Day, learn about Marine Corps veteran Yessenia Buckley and the USF students that invented a life-changing, custom-designed medical device for her:

Beginning with students entering in fall 2026, Tufts University will be tuition-free for students whose families earn $150,000 or less. Read more about how Tufts is making higher education affordable:

Sign up for the free Leading Research Universities Report: www.aau.edu/newsroom/new...

University research transforms public funding into lasting economic, health, and security benefits. While no other nation does this as well as or at the scale of the U.S., China is now rapidly emerging as a peer competitor. Read more: www.csis.org/analysis/us-... 

Researchers from Penn State University are pioneering the use of GLP-1 drugs, like those in Ozempic & Wegovy, for opioid addiction treatment. Thanks to an NIH grant, early trials show a promising 40% reduction in cravings.

Have you ever wondered how your smartphone's camera got so good at taking photos? Thanks to research performed at @columbiauniversity.bsky.social, smartphone cameras capture the world better than traditional cameras, or even our eyes.

The United States was the top destination for Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, and medicine since 2000. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Beginning fall 2026, Emory University will be tuition-free for students whose families earn $200,000 or less. Read more about how Emory is making higher education more accessible:

Congratulations to University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod, who has been elected as chair of the AAU Board of Directors, and to Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels, who has been elected vice chair.

The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign professionals, helping them fill gaps in their workforce and drive innovation and economic growth.

AAU has joined a suit, originally filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, contesting the $100,000 H-1B visa petition fee. Read AAU President Barbara R. Snyder's statement:

"The longer the shutdown goes, the more impact it may have on actually being able to fund the research," said AAU's @scipolguy.bsky.social.

AAU President Barbara R. Snyder and Sr. VP for Government Relations and Public Policy @scipolguy.bsky.social spoke to Issues in Science and Technology about the creation of the Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) model. Read more:

A spray could protect cows — and people — from bird flu. @univofmaryland.bsky.social researchers will adapt nasal spray technology to fight the avian flu virus in cows. It could even be used for humans, researchers say.

Beginning next fall, the University of Utah will cover tuition for eligible first-time, first-year students from families earning less than $100,000. Read more about this scholarship will make higher education more accessible:

Did you know drugs like Ozempic, Keytruda, and Lyrica were all developed from federally-funded research at universities? Learn more about how federal support for university research is necessary for the health of all Americans:

An update on the legal action by AAU, ACE, and APLU contesting DOD cuts to F&A rates:

This year's scientific Nobel Prizes all built off basic science, or curiosity-driven, fundamental research. Continued U.S. federal funding for this kind of science will support the next generation of Nobel winners.

Read AAU President Barbara R. Snyder's statement on the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education": www.aau.edu/newsroom/pre...

As the government shutdown continues, America's higher education and research enterprise—and the American people—feel the consequences:

A new study shows that NIH-funded research was behind more than 99% of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration between 2010-19—a powerful reminder of the importance of NIH funding for Americans' health. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

An update on the legal action by AAU, ACE, and APLU contesting NSF cuts to F&A rates:

Sign up for the free Leading Research Universities Report: www.aau.edu/newsroom/new...

Did you know that firefighters have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer than the general population? UCLA researchers are testing if firefighters' jackets are a source of toxicity as dirt and debris build up.

A government shutdown would disrupt critical research and higher education funding. Read AAU President Barbara R. Snyder's statement calling on Congress and the president to find a responsible way to keep the government running:

With FDA-approved tech, @stonybrooku.bsky.social is helping stroke survivors regain arm and hand function, even years after a stroke. This innovation improves quality of life and expands access to long-term recovery options.

A new report finds that the U.S. economy is facing a "skills shortage crisis in critical occupations" and will need a additional 5.25 million workers with postsecondary education through 2032. cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/...

The Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) model is a new approach to supporting research and ensuring American leadership in science and innovation. The associations behind the approach are asking Congress to codify it in law.

A coalition of business leaders and entrepreneurs are urging Congress to reject proposed funding cuts to the National Science Foundation, as it is a "cornerstone of U.S. competitiveness," @politico.com reports. subscriber.politicopro.com/f/?id=000001...

More than 6.5 million Americans live with Alzheimer's. On World Alzheimer's Day, we recognize Dr. Abby Cullen at the University of Oregon. She researches how zinc deficiency, which becomes prominent with age, impacts the development of Alzheimer's.

"It is critical that the merit review process remains competitive and free of political bias and interference" so that only the best and highest-impact scientific research projects are awarded.

1/8 The 2025 Golden Goose Award ceremony was celebrated on Tuesday, September 16th. This year's award ceremony honored four scientists, whose research led to advancements in cancer treatment and disease diagnostics. 📷: Linnea Farnsworth Photography

On October 10th at 9 a.m. ET, join AAU, in coordination with the Congressional Research and Development Caucus, for a briefing to discuss the path ahead for discovery science enabled by artificial intelligence. More information:

"[The Golden Goose awardees’] stories are great examples of how federal funding for fundamental research pays off," said AAU President Barbara R. Snyder:

Did you know that some 40% of Americans are diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime? Cancer research has saved millions of lives in the past few decades, but this research is now under threat with proposed cuts to NIH funding:

On September 15th, Business for Federal Research Funding, a coalition of chambers of commerce representing employers in 35 states, expressed their support for robust R&D funding for FY26. Read the letter:

Tonight's Golden Goose Award will honor the federally-funded research that led to cisplatin, a life-saving cancer drug, and discoveries in cell biology, which paved the way for better disease diagnostics.

FXTAS is a serious brain disorder mainly affecting older adults. Backed by the NIH, KU is leading first-of-its-kind research to understand who develops it, why, and how to intervene earlier.

Read the statement from AAU President Barbara R. Snyder on the U.S. Department of Education’s September 10 announcement that it is terminating funding for grant programs already allocated by Congress for Minority-Serving Institutions:

NASA announced yesterday that its Perseverance rover found a potential biosignature on Mars. This incredible discovery underscores the critical value of the partnership between NASA and America's leading research universities such as Stony Brook University, which led this research effort.

Often, scientific research that doesn't have obvious practical benefits leads to life-saving innovations. Learn more about how the Golden Goose Award recognizes these breakthroughs, like how studying E. coli resulted in a cancer treatment:

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that even a 10% reduction in NIH funding for external preclinical research “would ultimately decrease the number of new drugs coming to market by roughly 4.5 percent." www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

International students across the country "conduct research that can lead to commercial applications, have skills employers need and start a surprising number of their own companies in the United States."

Researchers at @bostonu.bsky.social are co-leading an NIH-funded national project to see if addressing common risk factors like alcohol use, social isolation, and depression can help prevent Alzheimer’s and related dementias, reducing long-term care costs.

Every day, tons of plastic waste piles up in landfills. Researchers at @yale.edu are tackling this problem by developing a way to convert this waste into fuel.

As federal research funding has been delayed or frozen, scientists worry about the loss of medical breakthroughs that are made possible by these investments, and the harm to patients who need them most.

AAU's Board of Directors has endorsed the new Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) model proposed by the Joint Associations Group. Read the full statement:

University-led research "can improve health outcomes, extend lives, and enhance safety across Florida and the nation," write leaders from Florida's public research universities.

How do you know if a baby is in pain if it's too weak to cry? USF researchers are answering that question. Using AI, they have created a way to monitor infants in real-time and alert NICU nurses when a baby's pain spikes.

With uncertainties around funding and visas under the current administration, many of the world's best and brightest are looking to pursue their studies elsewhere — threatening the U.S.'s longstanding dominance in science and innovation.