As part of the $65 billion in federal funding allocated to broadband deployment under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Biden administration recently announced it is working to increase access to affordable, high-speed Internet for everyone in the country by 2029. The $45 billion “Internet for All” initiative plans to build up broadband Internet infrastructure, provide digital skills education and training to low-income populations, and supply necessary technologies to communities with limited to no Internet access through three key funding opportunities: the Broadband Equity, A ..read more

Against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the United States and the European Union (EU) recently announced a series of steps to tighten transatlantic cooperation in key areas of technology and trade, including deeper information exchanges on exports of critical U.S. and EU technology, an early warning system to better predict and address potential semiconductor supply chain disruptions, and a new mechanism to enable information sharing on international standards development. The announcements came at the second meeting of the joint Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Par ..read more

Detecting COVID-19 may soon be as easy as pressing a button on your Apple Watch, according to engineers at Johns Hopkins University. New sensor technology developed by these engineers combines the accuracy of PCR tests and the ​​speed of antigen tests. The test uses metal nanostructures to detect radiation waves from virus samples and distinguish between different types of viruses without collecting additional samples. “The key novelty is that this is a label-free technique, which means that no additional chemical modifications like molecular labeling or antibody functionalization are require ..read more

The big names in tech want the government to expand federal investment in artificial intelligence research and development. That is apparent in comments they have submitted in response to a recent request for information issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). More than 50 corporations, nonprofits, and researchers provided comments to a request for information to update the National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan. OSTP published an abridged version of the responses in April. The plan is a legacy of the Obama administration, wh ..read more

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has named six university research programs to pursue cybersecurity technology research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) to help energy delivery systems across the country withstand future cyberattacks. DOE's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) awarded $12 million for the university-led projects to enhance the security of next-generation energy systems by improving anomaly detection software, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and physics-based analytics. These systems will include features that detec ..read more

Fasten your digital seatbelt. Singapore’s smart city innovation is zooming to the West. After joining forces with Abu Dhabi last year to promote smart city innovation, Singapore is expanding its collaboration with the United States on “digital economy and smart cities” under their Partnership for Growth and Innovation (PGI). This announcement came as President Joe Biden hosted Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss the U.S.-ASEAN relationship, encouraging the restoration of democracy in Burma, and the war in Ukraine, among others. Together with Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and I ..read more

President Biden is stepping on the green gas and kicking his decarbonization strategy into high gear. To reinforce what it hopes will be “a path toward U.S. energy independence,” the Biden administration has announced that, among a range of other initiatives, it is working through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to expedite the development of commercial fusion energy—a “zero-carbon” technology using lithium and hydrogen—to provide safe and stable electricity. While partnering with the private sector, DOE will launch an agency-wide initiative to accelerate the technology’s viability. Of th ..read more

Robots and artificial intelligence may soon be coming to aid spinal injury patients, according to a team of researchers at Rutgers University. With funding from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, the researchers have succeeded in stabilizing Chondroitnase ABC (ChABC), a therapeutic protein capable of reversing and regenerating damaged spinal tissues. “This study represents one of the first times artificial intelligence and robotics have been used to formulate highly sensitive therapeutic proteins and extend their activity by such a large amount,” said Adam Gorm ..read more

Newly diagnosed cancer patients under 25 are now eligible to receive a cutting-edge DNA test to provide a precise diagnosis for individualized treatment for their cancer. The tests, known as “tumor molecular characterization,” or biomarker testing, will be available free of charge at affiliated hospitals, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced on March 22. The Molecular Characterization Initiative (MCI) helps to provide a precise diagnosis and determine the most effective treatment for a broader range of patients at more affordable costs than currently available methods of treatment. R ..read more

Time to hang up your spurs, unregulated crypto. There’s a new sheriff in town. After working with 30 countries last year to curb unlawful activity involving cryptocurrency—a market that many, including U.S. regulators, have compared to the Wild West—President Biden is now directing the departments of Treasury and Commerce to protect U.S. consumers, investors, and businesses from financial predators and maintain U.S. technological and economic leadership in the digital asset ecosystem. The president issued an executive order to address the macro- and microeconomic risks associated with the gro ..read more