Agencies

SBA Loans Are a Meaningful Option for Texas Storm Survivors

Published: 13 June 2025
Categories: FEMA News

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

AUSTIN – Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are available to Texas residents, businesses of all sizes and nonprofit organizations that are recovering from the severe storms and flooding that occurred March 26-28, 2025. 

Residents and businesses in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties may now apply if they had damage in the March storms. 

FEMA partners with other agencies to help meet the needs of disaster survivors. Disaster loans are the largest source of federal recovery funds for storm survivors. They help private property owners pay for disaster losses not covered by insurance, local or state programs. SBA loans also cover deductibles and increased cost of compliance after a disaster. Survivors should not wait for an insurance settlement before submitting an SBA loan application.

Interest rates on disaster loans can be as low as 2.75% for homeowners and renters, 3.62% for private nonprofit organizations and 4% for businesses, with terms up to 30 years for physical damage to real estate, inventory, supplies, machinery and equipment. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Survivors are not required to begin repaying the loan and the interest does not begin to accumulate for 12 months from the date the first disaster loan disbursement is awarded.

Homeowners may be eligible for a disaster loan of up to $500,000

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Predictive AI model could help forecast neurodegenerative diseases

Published: 5 June 2025
Categories: National Science Foundation

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s are a growing concern in the U.S., with over 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease today. By 2060, that number is expected to grow, affecting nearly 13 million people. These diseases are not only hard on individuals and families, but are costly, with more than $230 billion spent in the U.S. each year in caregiving alone. As the population ages, the need for new ways to detect and address the silent emergence of these diseases has never been more urgent. 

New artificial intelligence predictive models used in brain research may provide a way to better predict how a person’s brain ages over time, helping doctors recognize warning signs long before clinical symptoms surface. 

Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, a team of researchers led by Paul Bogdan, an associate professor in the University of Southern California Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has developed a cutting-edge AI system capable of generating a future MRI of a person’s brain from just a single scan. This technology opens the door to identifying subtle changes that may signal the earliest stages of neurodegenerative diseases — potentially years before traditional diagnostic methods could detect them.

To build the tool, the team combined two advanced AI techniques: a 3D diffusion model and a ControlNet, which allow the system to “control” or guide image generation

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NSF announces new NextG wireless funding opportunity

Published: 3 June 2025
Categories: National Science Foundation

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced a new funding opportunity to support research and technology development that will improve the next generation of wireless communication systems known as NextG.     In collaboration with industry, other government agencies, and international partners, the NSF Verticals-enabling Intelligent NEtwork  Systems (NSF VINES) program will invest up to $100 million to accelerate performance and capabilities of next-generation (NextG) advanced intelligent network systems  spanning the user-edge-core-cloud continuum. 

“NSF VINES will enhance U.S. competitiveness in advanced telecommunications technologies, including NextG wireless telecommunications and emerging potential NextG vertical industries, and prepare the American workforce for jobs available now and in the future,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF Director.

“This important investment from NSF, in collaboration with industry and other government agencies, will help strengthen U.S. leadership and ensure the American people reap the benefits in areas such as self-driving cars, advanced manufacturing, energy infrastructure, and beyond,” said Dr. Lynne Parker, Principal Deputy Director of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. 

NSF VINES is in partnership with several major industry organizations and U.S. federal agencies, including Ericsson, Intel, Qualcomm, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering, and U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as international partners from

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NSF advanced computing accelerates preeclampsia research and potential treatments

Published: 30 May 2025
Categories: National Science Foundation

RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

Each year, preeclampsia—a life-threatening pregnancy complication—affects nearly 1 in 25 expectant mothers in the United States. Emerging suddenly after 20 weeks of pregnancy, it can lead to dangerously high blood pressure, premature birth, and long-term health issues for both mother and baby. Despite its severity, the root causes of preeclampsia remain poorly understood, and treatment options are limited.

Currently, the only effective treatment for preeclampsia is early delivery of the placenta, which often leads to premature birth and associated health risks for the baby. While researchers know the placenta plays a central role in the disease, the exact causes of its dysfunction remain unclear. This lack of understanding makes preeclampsia difficult to predict, prevent, or treat effectively.

Researchers at UC San Diego are tackling these challenges with help from NSF-supported computational resources. The team leveraged advanced computing systems like the San Diego Supercomputer Center’s Expanse to conduct large-scale RNA sequencing analysis to compare placental tissue from healthy and preeclamptic pregnancies—processing terabytes of next-generation sequencing data to identify genes that behave differently in the disease.

Expanse also enabled the team to develop a model system of preeclampsia using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which allows scientists to recreate the disease in the lab and observe how stress conditions like low oxygen affect placental development. By replicating these abnormal conditions, the team identified biological pathways—like inflammation and

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