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A team of paleontologists recently discovered that an ancient seascape known for its diverse assemblage of exceptionally preserved fossils represents an unexpected oceanic setting, placing the fossils in an environmental context that is dramatically different from other fossil assemblages of the Cambrian age. The team published their findings in the journal, ScienceAdvances.

Credit: Robert R. Gaines, Pomona College

The giant trilobite Redlichida rex in outcrop of the Emu Bay Shale.

The team explored the Emu Bay Shale, exposed across a sea cliff in South Australia, and found its strata — the layers of material settled over time — were deposited in an energetic fan river delta at the edge of a tectonically active rift basin, which forms as two continents move apart from each other. These unique features mean gravel and cobbles were catastrophically deposited into the ocean by debris flows that originated on land.

“It’s not where you would expect to see delicate, soft-bodied creatures preserved,” Robert Gaines, a professor at Pomona College, said. “The shale’s unique setting hosted a diverse ecosystem with extraordinary fossil preservation, and now we know that the environmental setting exerted a strong influence on the structure of this early animal community.”

These findings help to explain why the bottom-dwelling fauna was dominated by endemic species, likely inhabiting niche

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The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced the addition of three new NSF Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps™) Hubs that will scale the NSF-led National Innovation Network (NIN), accelerating the translation of discoveries into new solutions that benefit society and the economy. Each NSF I-Corps Hub may receive up to $3 million per year for five years and comprises a regional alliance of at least eight universities. Combined with the existing 10 NSF I-Corps Hubs, these 13 NSF I-Corps Hubs presently span 48 states. See the interactive NSF I-Corps Hubs map.

NSF I-Corps Hubs provide experiential entrepreneurial training to researchers across all fields of science and engineering. I-Corps Hubs form the operational backbone of the NIN, a network of universities, NSF-funded researchers, established entrepreneurs, local and regional entrepreneurial communities, and other federal agencies, that collectively help researchers learn to investigate the commercial potential of fundamental discoveries in science and engineering. The NSF I-Corps Hubs work collaboratively to build and sustain an innovation ecosystem that engages all Americans throughout the U.S.

“The goal of the I-Corps program is to deploy experiential education to help researchers reduce the time necessary to translate promising ideas from laboratory benches to widespread implementation that in turn impacts economic growth regionally and nationally,” said Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “Each regional NSF I-Corps Hub provides training essential

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U.S. National Science Foundation

Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
     SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities

Full Proposal Target Date(s):     January 23, 2025     January 15, 2026     Third Thursday in January, Annually Thereafter

Important Information And Revision Notes

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the  NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. The NSF PAPPG is regularly revised and it is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets the requirements specified in this solicitation and the applicable version of the PAPPG. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Summary Of Program Requirements General Information

Program Title:

Build and Broaden:

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In-brief analysis

October 30, 2024

U.S. imports of crude oil from Canada reached a record of 4.3 million barrels per day (b/d) in July 2024 following the expansion of Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline. July is the most recent month for which data are available in our Petroleum Supply Monthly (PSM).

The Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) tripled the line’s previous 300,000-b/d capacity when it began commercial operation in May 2024, bringing additional crude oil produced in the landlocked province of Alberta to Canada’s west coast, where it can be exported. Historically, most crude oil exports out of Alberta have made their way either to refiners in the U.S. Midwest via pipeline or to the U.S. Gulf Coast by rail shipments, where they are either consumed by refiners or loaded onto tankers for seaborne re-exports. TMX was added alongside

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