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Office of Science and Technology Policy Blog

  • Two American Scientists Win Nobel Prize in Chemistry

    Posted by Becky Fried on October 10, 2012 at 5:27 PM EDT

    Today two American chemists, Robert J. Lefkowitz of Duke University and Brian K. Kobilka of Stanford University, were awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Chemistry. OSTP is pleased to congratulate these exceptional scientists and celebrate their high achievement. OSTP Director John P. Holdren called both winners today to convey those good wishes.

    The Nobel Prize Committee cited the two winners "for studies of G-protein–coupled receptors,” tiny sensors that allow cells to “read” their surrounding environment.

    Scientists have long understood that cells in the body are able to sense and respond to various substances and stimuli, including environmental chemicals, hormones produced by other cells, and in some cases physical phenomena such as light. Taken together, these cells and their sensors provide the foundation of all the body’s major senses, while also facilitating a level of cross-talk among cells needed to ensure proper physiological and metabolic balance.

    Yet until a few decades ago, the form and function of this crucial communications network remained elusive to scientists, even as it became clear that it held the key to critical mysteries in pharmacology and medicine. Understanding exactly how cells are able to sense and respond to their surroundings became a great challenge of chemistry.

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  • Equal Futures: Opening Doors to High-Quality Education and Career Opportunities for Women and Girls in STEM

    Posted by John P. Holdren on October 10, 2012 at 11:23 AM EDT

    Last week, at an event in New York City, 17-year-old Brittany Wenger joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and 12 other international leaders for the official launch of the Equal Futures Partnership, a new multilateral initiative to break down barriers to women's political participation and economic opportunity. Brittany, Grand Prize winner of the Google Science Fair, was an honored guest at the launch of Equal Futures, which seeks to ensure that more young women like her have the chance to excel worldwide.

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  • U.S. Scientist Wins 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

    Posted by Becky Fried on October 9, 2012 at 6:13 PM EDT

    OSTP proudly congratulates American physicist David J. Wineland, of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the U.S. Department of Commerce, who today earned one of the scientific community’s highest honors—the Nobel Prize in Physics.

    Wineland shares the award with French scientist Serge Haroche of the Collège de France and Ecole Normale Supérieure. The two were cited for their “ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems." OSTP Director John P. Holdren called Wineland at his office in Boulder, Colo., to offer his congratulations on behalf of the White House.

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  • Fueling American Entrepreneurship With Open Data

    Posted by Aman Bhandari and Raphael Majma on October 3, 2012 at 1:13 PM EDT

    For decades, entrepreneurs have used government data from Global Positioning Systems, weather monitoring stations, and other sources to power their products and services. This synergy between freely available Federal data and entrepreneurial innovation has benefited both the American economy and American citizens.

    This summer, the Obama Administration took a big step to strengthen this synergy by kicking off the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, which pairs top innovators from inside and outside government for intensive, six-month stints to help solve major challenges. Among other activities, the Program is advancing a number of Open Data Initiatives to liberate unprecedented volumes of government data related to energy, education, international development, public safety, and other key areas. The goal of these efforts is to connect the next generation of entrepreneurs and service providers to freely available government data, while rigorously protecting privacy.

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  • Energy Datapalooza: Unleashing the Power of Open Data to Advance our Energy Future

    Posted by Secretary Steven Chu, Todd Park, and Nancy Sutley on October 1, 2012 at 8:03 AM EDT

    Imagine it is a scorching hot summer day, and your smart phone beeps, asking if you’d like it to raise your home thermostat a degree or two to save money.  Or, envision an easy-to-use software package that lets a building owner perform virtual energy audits at a fraction of the cost of in-person audits, so real savings are calculated instantly, building upgrades launched sooner, and construction jobs created faster.

    These are the kinds of advances that are on display today at the White House as more than 150 of America’s entrepreneurs, software developers, energy experts, and policy makers come together for an Energy Datapalooza. The gathering is a chance to celebrate new products, services, and apps that are advancing a secure, clean energy future—all built with freely available data from the government and other sources. 

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  • Scientist Behind the Scenes: Equal Futures Partnership Launch

    Posted by Brittany Wenger on September 28, 2012 at 5:54 PM EDT

    Attending the Equal Futures Partnership Launch was so exciting! I still cannot believe I was invited to an event that had leaders of such an international importance.

    Representatives encompassed all regions of the globe.  Featuring the United States, Bangladesh, the European Union, Peru, Jordan, Benin, and seven other founding members, the Equal Futures Partnership Launch put passionate advocates of women’s rights together to pledge action. In their speeches, leaders recognized that countries need active women in order to prosper, and addressed the removal of key barriers that hinder females.

    I left the conference with enthusiasm. As a female in the STEM fields, specifically computer science, I have always been told at some point in my life, I will have to confront gender discrimination. However, after attending the Equal Futures Partnership Launch, I do not believe this statement to be true. I remain excited to watch us, as an international community, define what equal futures really means.

    Brittany Wenger, 17, is the Google Science Fair 2012 Grand Prize Winner. She created a Global Neural Network Cloud Service for Breast Cancer detection.

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