Thank You, NSF!

On May 10, 2025, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will celebrate its 75th anniversary. The seeds of the National Science Foundation were planted in a 1945 report from FDR’s science advisor Vannevar Bush that proposed a new agency to support basic research at the nation’s colleges and universities. In 1950, Congress officially established the NSF to “promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.” 

The NSF supports research in the natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering. In Chemistry, the Centers for Chemical Innovation program supports teams of researchers focused on “major, long-term fundamental chemical research challenges.” Since 2007, the agency has funded 14 NSF Centers for Chemical Innovation focused on myriad “grand challenges.” To celebrate the agency’s 75th anniversary, the CCIs collected thank-you notes from our members that highlight the positive impact of NSF support.

"Research funding through the NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers resulted in two major new efforts in my research group, including the development of polymers to remove "forever chemicals" from water and new methods to recycle polyurethane foam. These new research efforts would not have been possible outside of the CCI structure and are now having real-world impact - in water through commercialized products and in polyurethane by advancing the technology through collaboration with major polyurethane producers."

— Will Dichtel, CSP Faculty

“The NSF has given so much to not just us, but to the entire scientific community over the past 75 years. To celebrate that, C-CAS members have filmed birthday messages for the NSF. Thank you NSF, and happy birthday!“

— C-CAS Members

"The NSF has had a huge impact on the networking and the collaborations I had been a part of. I would not have been able to investigate the chemistry I am trying to cover without my collaborator through the CMCC."

— CMCC Graduate Student

"I want to thank NSF for supporting my research through CSOE, which has enabled us to develop microelectrode arrays as a stable and multiplex platform for biomolecule detection. I also want to extend my thanks to the CSOE committees for their incredible effort and dedication in organizing meaningful outreach activities and annual meetings, which have positively shaped both my research and professional growth."

— Yu-Chia Chang, CSOE Graduate Student

"It's difficult to express how vital the NSF CSP was to the beginning of my independent career in 2020. Both the funding and the community it provided to my young group (at a time when it was almost impossible to build community naturally due to social distancing restrictions) helped us get one of our major polymer projects off the ground faster."

— Jessica Lamb, CSP Faculty

"How do you measure the impact of an investment in curiosity? At CCI MONET, NSF’s support has empowered us to unite researchers across disciplines and institutions to tackle fundamental challenges in polymer science-work that is already leading to more durable, sustainable materials and innovative data tools like BigSMILES.

NSF’s investment has enabled us to train future scientists, broaden participation in STEM, and spark collaborations that reach far beyond our labs. We see the ripple effects of this support every day-in new discoveries, inspired students, and a culture of curiosity.

Thank you, NSF, for 75 years of advancing science and for giving us the freedom to ask bold questions. We’re proud to be part of your legacy."

— With gratitude, MONET Members

"NSF funding through the Center for Mechanical Control of Chemistry has been invaluable to my research and professional growth. It has allowed me to pursue innovative approaches to chemical synthesis and reactivity that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Beyond the research itself, this support has fostered meaningful collaborations, provided access to cutting-edge resources, and created opportunities to mentor and inspire the next generation of scientists. I am incredibly grateful for NSF’s commitment to advancing fundamental chemistry and enabling discoveries that shape the future of our field."

— CMCC Faculty

"Working with C-CAS is the highlight of my professional career. The opportunity to work with a large group of highly talented people across many disciplines to transform how synthetic chemistry is done already had a huge impact in the field—and I am looking forward to much more of that."

— Olaf Wiest, C-CAS Director

"I thank NSF which, through C-GEM, has allowed us to make fundamental discoveries about the "universal translator" in biology, the ribosome. And to enable us to apply these discoveries for high-impact chemistry at the interface of chemistry and biology."

— Jamie H. D. Cate, C-GEM Faculty

"NSF funding through C-CAS has significantly eased my graduate journey, allowing me to focus entirely on my research. Through C-CAS, I have had valuable research collaborations that have greatly shaped my research direction, particularly through DFT calculations. I truly appreciate your support!"

— Ernest Bennin, C-CAS Graduate Student

"Many thanks to NSF and CSP for funding PEPPr (PolyEthylene Property Predictor)---a machine learning model that maps the relationship between polymer molecular weight distributions (MWDs) and the physical properties of HDPE. We hope that PEPPr will lower the overall impact of HDPE on the environment by facilitating the design of next-generation commodity materials and enabling more efficient polymer recycling."

— Robert A. DiStasio Jr., CSP Faculty

"Thank you to the NSF for supporting my research in mechanochemistry, which has led to new insights into how molecular deformation under shear influences chemical reactivity. This funding has advanced my career and allowed me to share my work with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the broader scientific community through national meetings."

— Sourabh Kumar, CMCC Postdoctoral Scholar

"When I was an undergraduate, I had the opportunity to visit CMU for an NSF-funded REU summer program through the Mellon College of Science. This gave me the opportunity to learn how to manage my own project and navigate around dead-ends, eventually leading me to come back to CMU now as a graduate student. I am funded again this year through the NSF under the DARE fellowship with C-CAS."

— Jose Emilio Regio, C-CAS Graduate Student

"I am sincerely grateful for the generous support provided by the National Science Foundation, which has been instrumental in advancing research and fostering communication among scientists from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. It is a privilege to contribute to the Center for Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry and to help push the boundaries of electro-organic synthesis."

— CSOE Postdoctoral Scholar

"Thank you for supporting my students and for advancing knowledge! Thanks to CCI funding, we have been able to go scientifically where no one has gone before, and are attempting to have nanotechnology help feed the world. The students who have been part of this program are now productive citizens, working at small colleges, law firms, university technology transfer offices, the chemical industry, and scientific publishing."

— Catherine J. Murphy, CSN Faculty

"I started doing hydrogen bonding and hydride mediation work with Diane Smith thanks to NSF. Upon her passing and with the CSOE's help I was able to continue my academic career studying under Kevin Moeller investigating electrode surface modifications for selective electrosynthesis. I wouldn't have been able to do such novel research without the NSF and to have the opportunities I have today without their help! I am eternally grateful for their support!"

— Dylan Karr, CSOE Graduate Student

"The NSF's emphasis of broader impacts has produced a more scientifically literate public and a stronger STEM workforce in the US. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to educate our local communities and to lay the foundation for the next generation of scientists to succeed. NSF-funded science betters society, and, in turn, a bettered society advances the scientific enterprise for the future."

— C-GEM Education and Outreach Manager

"Thanks to the NSF CCI program, I have been part of an amazing community of researchers who support each other as researchers and as fellow human beings. We've celebrated each other's paper publications and new babies, supported each other through grant rejections and surgeries, and learned so much about how building community also builds better science."

— Miriam Krause, CSN Staff

"Thank you NSF! Your funding has supported me to discover powerful generalizations in catalysis, potentially transforming our field's future approach to discovery and optimization."

— C-CAS Graduate Student

"As a member of C-GEM, I am grateful for all the opportunities provided by the NSF funding for me to collaborate with colleagues beyond my own field. As an organic chemist, it is certainly exciting to explore how our investigation into reactions can be linked with applications on constructing novel bio-materials, which is enabled by C-GEM and the generous support from NSF!"

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"Thank you, NSF, for your continued support of the CCI program and your valiant efforts to champion innovative research in basic science! This program has given me access to training and intellectual development opportunities beyond my wildest imagination, and it has allowed me to engage with incredible scholars in a variety of disciplines. Through the CCI program, I have been able to develop into a mature and engaged scientist, educator, and citizen-scholar. I am truly grateful for this program!"

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"The NSF CSP has opened so many doors for me. I am incredibly grateful to be connected with such passionate individuals and to learn firsthand about the creative ways they are addressing the global plastic crisis—a challenge that demands a multitude of approaches to make a substantial impact. Additionally, the PELICANS program broadened my horizons by highlighting the role of culture in sustainable practices. Through site visits and symposia in Australia, my peers and I gained a deeper understanding of what it will take to achieve a circular plastic economy."

— Lillian Felsenthal, CSP Graduate Student

"Thank you to the NSF for supporting my research on mechanochemical reactions mechanisms, which has led to new insights into patterns of reactivity in the graphene surface, generation of novel superconductors, and phase transition material generation by diamond anvil cell (DAC). This funding has not only advanced fundamental understanding of force-driven chemical transformations, but has also enabled me to engage in interdisciplinary outreach with researchers world-wide through the Center for Mechanical Control of Chemistry."

— Ting Liu, CMCC Postdoctoral Scholar

"Being involved in NSF C-CAS has impacted my research in many beneficial ways. The experience has allowed me to grow my network immensely, has given me a forum to showcase my work, and has resulted in collaborations that have enhanced my research. The environment in C-CAS is very collaborative and welcoming, and I've enjoyed learning from scientists from different backgrounds and expertise which has challenged me to think about my research in new ways. All of this would not have been possible without the generous funding and support from NSF. Thank you!"

— Ampofo Darko, C-CAS Faculty

"NSF funding has enabled both my education (GRFP) and research (C-GEM). Thank you so much to this important organization!! Being part of the CCI program has greatly enabled resources, collaborations, relationships across the country that wouldn't have otherwise been possible. I appreciate everyone's efforts at NSF to keep these fruitful programs running. Thank you again!"

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"The CSP has allowed me and my students to collaborate with fantastic faculty and students across multiple institutions on important research in sustainable polymers, provided an opportunity for our students to spend time in labs at R1 institutions and see themselves as part of a effective multi-institutional research team. Based on the multiple disciplines represented we have been able to tackle technical challenges and make discoveries that we would not have been able to address with a single PI effort."

— CSP Faculty

"CMCC center funded by NSF offers me the opportunities for working with talented scientists both in and outside of my home university. It shaped me into a critical-thinking researcher with passion about mechanochemistry."

— CMCC Faculty

"NSF support allows me to collaborate with other scientist across different universities. In addition I am able to do community outreach and share about my science with people of all ages."

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"A heartfelt thank you for your support of our computational chemistry work—especially the opportunities it's created for undergraduate students at a PUI. Your funding has opened doors for hands-on research, skills-building in scientific computing, and meaningful mentorship. This kind of impact simply wouldn't be possible without NSF.

— Dalia Biswas, C-CAS Faculty

"I want to thank the NSF's CCI program for supporting my research through C-GEM. NSF's support allowed me to kickstart my research career. The NSF has also allow me to be part of an amazing and highly collaborative community of scientist that are passionate about advancing our current understanding of chemistry and biology. Thank you, NSF, for your enduring support."

— Francisco Aaron Cruz Navarrete, C-GEM Postdoctoral Scholar

"By participating in the NSF CCI for the mechanical control of chemistry (CMCC) and as a result of the NSF funding I have been able to work with groups from across the country and travel to more easily interface with them towards our shared goal of exploring and understanding mechanochemistry. I am greatly appreciative of the NSF for funding this work as it has encouraged many collaborations that I may not otherwise have been able to participate in."

— CMCC Graduate Student

"NSF funding has given me access to a community of scientists and has broadened my training. Through C-GEM, I have had the opportunity to learn from scientists from across a wide range of fields—I’ve taken these perspectives back to my lab, where this interdisciplinary perspective has changed the direction of my other projects. In particular, I’ve been able to use chemical biology tools to tackle problems I’ve faced in my protein biophysics project."

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"C-CAS gives me the great opportunities to collaborate across disciplines. It has been an amazing exprience."

— Wei Wang, C-CAS Faculty

"NSF enabled me to connect with so many talented scientists, share my ideas, receive feedback, and learn from their careers and scientific experience, to better design my own future as a scientist."

— C-CAS Postdoctoral Scholar

"The CCI program is exceptional in every way. It has supported exceptionally high-impact discoveries that were, at the outset, considered almost impossible to achieve. It has trained young, enthusiastic scientists to learn and discover and excel at a multi-disciplinary boundary. It has broadened and deepened the scientific reach of virtually every faculty member lucky enough to be aligned with a CCI. There is literally no other program like it. Thank you, NSF, for your enduring support of ambitious science that can impact our world."

— Alanna Schepartz, C-GEM Director

"NSF funding made it possible to build strong collaborations between experimental and computational chemists to understand how and why engineered nanomaterials transform in different environments. This understanding allows thoughtful design of future materials and is relevant in a large range of potential applications areas, including batteries, therapeutics, and agrochemicals."

— Christy Haynes, CSN Associate Director

"The CCI program has allowed us to bring interdisciplinary teams of chemists, chemical engineers, and materials science together to solve important grand challenges in organic chemistry. These innovations would not have been possible without the opportunity to have a multidisciplinary team."

— CSOE Faculty

"The CSN gave me my first research experience when I was an undergraduate, which inspired me to move into the CSP as a graduate student. I am forever grateful for the NSF funding that make these centers of research and collaboration possible!"

— CSP Graduate Student

"I am a recent member of C-CAS, in this short time C-CAS has spurred two new collaborations with colleagues across the country and potentiated my research outlook. The additional funding through the center has allowed my lab to mentor four additional undergraduate students. Thank you for catalyzing science!"

— Santiago Toledo , C-CAS Faculty

"Without NSF, I would not be a scientist. NSF funded my undergraduate research, provided funding through LSAMP that allowed me to pursue a doctorate, and now (through MONET) allowed me to develop a spin-off company in the business of helping other research scientists broaden the impacts of their research through education, communication innovation, and participation. Thank you, NSF!"

— Vanessa Rosa, MONET Director of Broader Impacts

"On behalf of our team, I want to extend our sincere thanks for support through the NSF CCI program, which has made the CGEM center possible. This program has created an exceptional environment for scientific discovery through open data sharing, deep collaboration, idea exchange, and a shared commitment to advancing knowledge.

The structure of the CCI program is highly impactful, enabling interdisciplinary partnerships that would not be possible through traditional mechanisms. It has produced high-impact discoveries and expanded the scientific vision of all participants—students and researchers alike. Thank you for your continued support of this transformative program."

— Christopher Alabi, C-GEM Faculty

"The CSP provided seed funding that allowed my group to develop equipment for high throughput testing of formulations. This tool and other techniques developed at UMN will allow for sustainable polymers to be readily incorporated in consumer products."

— Lynn Walker, CSP Faculty

"The NSF CSP had a transformative impact on my education and career first by introducing me to polymer chemistry as a summer undergraduate student and then by supporting my graduate research in numerous ways. Because of the CSP, I have greatly expanded my scientific knowledge, established collaborations across disciplines, and been inspired to become a professor to educate the next generation of scientists. Thank you for supporting this center and for helping make me into the chemist I am today!"

— Allison Wong, CSP Graduate Student

"The NSF funded my undergraduate research experience in the CMCC, which ultimately convinced me to pursue a PhD as a continuing part of the center. I’m extremely grateful to the NSF for this opportunity—without it, I likely would have never embarked on my scientific journey."

— Ryan Kwok, CMCC Graduate Student

"Working with C-GEM has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. With NSF support, we introduced dozens of undergraduates to chemical biology research, worked with citizen scientists to redesign the ribosome, and made some incredible scientific discoveries along the way. I can’t wait to see what C-GEM (and its alumni) do next!"

— Sarah Smaga, C-GEM Executive Director

"I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to CSOE committees for their incredible effort and dedication in organizing meaningful outreach activities. Each event has been engaging, well-structured, and has provided valuable opportunities for learning, connection, and growth. And I deeply appreciate how the organization has organized meetings in a collaborative way and create a positive, enriching experience for everyone involved."

— CSOE Graduate Student

"The NSF CCI program enabled amazing research like this rainbow of purified carbon dots (synthesized by CEM Discover microwave synthesizer) shown under 365nm UV illumination. The image was created by CSN graduate student Bo Zhi as part of his research into making and separating out carbon dots to be able to cover the whole visible range of light with their fluorescence, which he wrote about in a blog post called Have you ever seen colorful carbon?"

— CSN Staff

"NSF investment in our research enables discoveries that benefit society, and I am honored to be a part of that process. Thank you once again for your support."

— CSOE Staff

"Through the CSP my research group has discovered a new and commercially viable block copolymer that transforms brittle recycled polyethylene and polypropylene into ductile materials. This work spawned a research grant from the largest company making block copolymers.

Participation in the CSP transformed my research program to one that addresses practical approaches to recycling plastics. This work has resulted in the education of more than a dozen Ph.D. students and postdocs who have entered the work place in service to society. Engagement with a host of US companies led to the development of new industrial activities."

— CSP Faculty

"Working with the NSF's CMCC has allowed me to study fundamental mechanochemical phenomena that help us to better understand the ways in which we think about force-driven chemical reactions. I've been able to collaborate with scientists across the country, as well as present our work at national conferences and local symposia. Beyond all this, our team is able to increase mechanochemistry outreach with local high school students through our annual summer camp program."

— CMCC Graduate Student

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the National Science Foundation for its pivotal support throughout my scientific journey. From funding my graduate research through NSF grants and providing invaluable mentorship opportunities, to now enabling innovative, interdisciplinary work as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for the Mechanical Control of Chemistry, NSF support has played a critical role in shaping my development as a scientist."

— Mennatullah Mokhtar, CMCC Postdoctoral Scholar

"Having been funded through single PI and engaged with several NSF Centers (CCHF, CSOE, & C-CAS) over the years has provided me and my mentees immense opportunities to explore novel data science approaches to chemistry."

— Matt Sigman, C-CAS Faculty

"Happy 75th anniversary, NSF! I am so thankful for the NSF support that I have received over my scientific career through the NSF graduate research fellowship program and now through the CCI program. The agency's support has been so critical for the training of generations of scientists."

— Katie Liu, C-CAS C-CAS Staff

"Thank you to the NSF CMCC Center for providing an exceptional interdisciplinary platform that has enabled me to engage meaningfully and seamlessly with researchers in materials science, physics, and mechanics. This invaluable experience has greatly broadened my perspective and remains a true highlight of my scientific journey."

— CMCC Postdoctoral Scholar

"The NSF funding supporting C-CAS has revolutionized the interface of AI and chemistry, propelling not only new ways of understanding and predicting reactions, but also bringing to fore new foundational AI innovations. This is truly the hallmark of convergence research, and we are grateful to NSF for funding the collective in pursuit of discovery and impact."

— Nitesh Chawla, C-CAS Faculty

"NSF funding has allowed me to be productive in a highly interdisciplinary field. Being in C-GEM, I have access to collaborators that are experts in many of the techniques that I need to learn for my project, which otherwise may be prohibitively difficult. A highlight of graduate school has been attending a week-long GCE4All Directed Evolution workshop at OSU, where I was able to learn aminoacyl tRNA synthetase evolution with hands-on training from experts in the field. At this workshop not only did I learn important techniques, but I forged connections with interdisciplinary scientists from across the world, from graduate students to industry scientists to PIs."

— Izzi, C-GEM Graduate Student

"NSF funding helped me launch my independent career in protein materials years ago. Currently, as a member of C-GEM CCI, my students and I have learned how to incorporate non-amino acids into proteins and have developed valuable collaborations with other C-GEM investigators and students. C-GEM enables us to create protein materials with properties not possible using regular amino acids."

— Julie Champion, C-GEM Faculty

"I was supported by the CCI program through those crucial early years of my independent career. In addition to opening up an entirely new line of research in my lab focused on sustainable polymers, the mentorship I received through the Center has made me a more interdisciplinary researcher, a better mentor, and an improved science communicator."

— Bess Vlaisavljevich, CSP Faculty

"Thank you, NSF—through the CMCC—your support enabled me to tackle interesting challenges in mechanochemistry, which earned me my Ph.D., and currently supports my postdoctoral work in making mechanochemistry scalable. Your investment has not only advanced the frontiers of predictive mechanochemistry but has also allowed me to share these breakthroughs with students, industry partners, and public-engagement audiences, amplifying their impact across science and society."

— Emmanuel Nwoye, CMCC Postdoctoral Scholar

"Thank you to the National Science Foundation for supporting my research, which enabled discoveries in orthogonal ribosomes and helped launch my career through networking and professional development opportunities. Your funding has allowed me to contribute to my field, mentor future scientists, and share science with broader communities through outreach and public engagement."

— Kristina Boyko, C-GEM Graduate Student

"Thank you for the opportunity to collaborate with incredible researchers and learn from their expertise. As someone with a more mathematical and computational background, it has been an incredible experience to learn and grow through this interdisciplinary work."

— Brenda Nogueira, C-CAS Graduate Student

"The funding has enabled research into innovative strategies with the potential to become some of the most efficient approaches for performing post-translational modifications in peptides and proteins. It has also facilitated collaborations between Cornell and UC Berkeley, providing me with the invaluable opportunity to learn from a diverse group of highly accomplished researchers."

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"Through NSF funding, I have becoming affiliated with C-CAS, which has enabled me to forge new collaborations and keep up to date on recent advances in the fast moving space of artificial intelligence research. The exposure to cutting-edge research in C-CAS has been transformative for my undergraduate students who are interested in the possibility of pursuing PhD programs in chemistry."

— C-CAS Faculty

"The support from the NSF has allowed me to develop new machine learning based tools for improved synthesis of biopolymers! So far I've worked to share these results beyond UC Berkeley by working with public school elementary students from across the bay area."

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"Thanks to NSF funding, particularly through support of the Center for Computer-Assisted Synthesis (CCI), our group has made transformative advances in the field of structural chemistry by integrating machine intelligence with microcrystal electron diffraction (microED). This innovation, combined with NSF-supported efforts to apply Bayesian inference methods for multi-crystal data merging, has significantly expanded the practical reach of microED for small molecule characterization. NSF funding has also been foundational for my professional development by fostering collaborations across institutions and disciplines, providing computing resources, and supporting students and postdocs in my lab."

— C-CAS Faculty

"Being part of an NSF CCI has been transformational in my graduate education by introducing me to broad, challenging, and interdisciplinary projects that in turn have provided me with experience in valuable skills and complex topics beyond what I would normally be exposed to at this stage of my degree. It has also helped me broaden my network scientifically by connecting me friends and mentors from around the country, many of whom I would have never met without the opportunities provided by the NSF, and setting me up for a promising career beyond just my time in graduate school."

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"Sending the utmost gratitude to the NSF for funding my graduate career and for supporting the Center I belong to, C-GEM, as we aspire to produce excellent research and contribute holistically to the scientific community. In recognition of the feat that is organizing and distributing research funds, I feel so grateful to benefit from the NSF's resources. These resources have, in turn, allowed me to generate an open-access publication and also to host undergraduate mentees who will form the next generation of researchers. Thank you so much for helping make my graduate degree possible!"

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"NSF support has been a constant through my career, starting with a postdoctoral fellowship in 1989 under Bob Grubbs. Since then, NSF-funded research in the Moore Group has trained a generation of scientists who now lead and innovate across industry, academia, and national labs. That’s the legacy of basic research investment—people."

— Jeff Moore, MONET Faculty

"I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to manage NSF CMCC. This experience has been invaluable, providing me with exposure to some of the brightest minds and leading experts in the field. I am incredibly thankful for the chance to meet and collaborate with great scientists of our times. Furthermore, this role has allowed me to guide and mentor students, which has been a deeply rewarding aspect of the position. I have also gained significant experience in navigating and managing diverse personalities, a skill that will undoubtedly benefit me throughout my career. Thank you again for this transformative opportunity."

— Meera Sidheswaran, CMCC Center Staff

"The support empowered undergraduate students to gain valuable hands-on experience through internships and research in sustainable polymers, while graduate students benefited from the opportunity to attend an international workshop on sustainable polymers in Australia. Thank you for helping foster the next generation of scientists in this critical field."

— Prof. Hillmyer, CSP Director

"Thanks to NSF and the CCI program, I've been able to create new and exciting opportunities for my trainees and allow them to learn from a wealth of knowledge deeper and broader than my own. Through the CMCC, we're able to tackle unique problems in mechanochemistry from a multifaceted approach which elevates the science exponentially."

— Isaiah Speight, CMCC Faculty

"Thanks to the NSF C-GEM program, I've had the opportunity to learn from passionate and supportive mentors who have deepened my curiosity in chemical biology and organic chemistry. Their guidance has not only expanded my chemical toolbox but also helped me discover the kind of scientist I hope to become."

— Nicole Angelisanti, C-GEM Undergraduate

"NSF funding has connected me to a vibrant scientific community, the CMCC, where I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from amazing scientists. Being part of this network has boosted my confidence, as I’ve been given numerous opportunities to share my research and engage with diverse perspectives."

— Deborah Essilfie, CMCC Graduate Student

NSF funding has provided me the financial resources to support multiple undergraduate students in summer research. These students gain valuable experience in the laboratory, which prepares them for their future scientific endeavors. Participation in C-CAS, as well as previously in CCHF, has expanded my network, helped me initiate collaborations, and given me a space to brainstorm and workshop ideas. The Data Chemists Network (part of C-CAS) has been a vital community and resource in my scientific and career advancement. Thank you, NSF, for funding and supporing these collaborative, multi-institution spaces!

— Jessica Kisunzu, C-CAS Faculty

"Working in the CSN offered me the possibility to work synergistically with students and faculty all experts in different domains and techniques.... We uncovered the possibility that nanoparticles could transform themselves by acquiring coronas that were more compatible with bacteria. In turn, this suggested a design role for the initial nanoparticle coating or corona that would minimize such acquisition in downstream entry into the environment.

Another advantage of working in the CSN is that it allowed us the flexibility to pursue new directions. This allowed us to pursue the use of data science methods so as to leverage the data uncovered by the CSN to learn connections between nanoparticle properties and their effects on viability for a large range of viability."

— Rigoberto Hernandez, CSN Faculty

"Being a part of the CSOE has provided me opportunities to interact and collaborate with some of the greatest scientists in chemistry, while also providing a platform to grow as an individual and scientist through community outreach. Ultimately, it has been of the best experiences I've had in graduate school, and none of this would be possible without the NSF! "

— Zach Nguyen, CSOE Graduate Student

"NSF funding facilitated my access to resources, equipment, and knowledge on a national and international scale. Under this funding, I advanced understanding of chemically recyclable alternatives to commodity polymers to address the plastic waste crisis. Additionally, my travel through the PELICANS program under the NSF CSP introduced me to other scientists in my field that have advanced my professional career and research through collaborations."

— CSP Graduate Student

"I would not be the scientist I am today without the funding and opportunities provided by the NSF. The NSF has been part of my scientific journey from day one. I was fortunate to participate in two NSF-funded REUs, which confirmed my passion for discovery and love of research. Today, I serve as the Outreach Coordinator at the CMCC, where I now coordinate our REU program and help give students the same opportunity I had. Thank you, NSF, for creating opportunities at every stage of my career and for your support throughout the years."

— Francesca Antillon, CMCC Outreach Coordinator

"NSF funding has played a pivotal role in allowing me to produce research furthering the automation of chemical research through large language model agents. Their funding has not only allowed me to conduct this research, but attend conferences to engage with fellow researchers in invaluable conversation to further the impact of my research."

— C-CAS Graduate Student

"Thanks for the opportunity of connecting to the C-CAS community, which significantly impacted my career as a computational chemist."

— C-CAS Graduate Student

"Thanks to our NSF funding, I've been able to tackle a high-risk projects that resulted in the discovery of a new chemical reaction applicable to peptide and protein engineering. The collaboration, mentorship, and resources have also allowed me to achieve my professional goals of mentoring new scientists with little opportunity for research, learning more synthetic and molecular biology techniques, and finally becoming faculty at an R1 university starting in the fall."

— Carly Schissel, C-GEM Postdoctoral Scholar

"I am incredibly grateful to the NSF for giving me the opportunity to work with so many talented students. It has been an honor to help our undergraduate students begin their careers in chemistry."

— Carrie Hetzel, C-CAS Education, Outreach, and Oppportunity Manager

"In my short time as a part of C-GEM so far, I have greatly advanced my skills and intuition as a synthetic chemist, enabling me to extend my experience beyond biocatalysis, which my background mainly lied in. Despite being a first year graduate student I am eager to take on an undergraduate mentee in my future, and impart the knowledge that I have accrued through experience and mentorship alike."

— Riaz Mowzoon-Mogharrabi, C-GEM Graduate Student

"The CSP helped me launch an entirely new research program in my group: the synthesis of degradable CO2-derived polyesters. This was a high-risk research idea that had been a passion project of mine for a long time, and with the CSP's support this seed has sprouted into multiple new research avenues, a series of landmark papers and patents, and a start-up company, LoopCO2, that is commercializing our CO2-derived materials."

— Ian Tonks, CSP Faculty

"NSF funding, particularly through the CCI and CMCC program, has given me the opportunity to contribute to a multidisciplinary project combining mechanochemistry, molecular simulation. It has expanded my skills in computational chemistry and simulation methodology, enabled me to collaborate with scientists across institutions, and strengthened my communication and presentation skills through conferences and site visits.

This work has contributed to the emerging field of solution-phase mechanochemistry, offering new insights into how stress state and temperature alter chemical reactivity. By decoupling shear and pressure effects, our research challenges long-held assumptions about how mechanical forces influence chemical reaction pathways and opens new avenues for designing mechanically driven synthetic methods."

— Donglin Yang, CMCC Graduate Student

"There is no question that CCI program has absolutely broadened my scientific horizons, and increased the ambition of everyone I know associated with C-GEM. We began with futuristic thinking about chemical bond formation with a biological apparatus that might not be so welcoming. Yet, with the deep thinking and open minds of so many great students, faculty and industrial partners—across an incredible swath of science—we have advanced the field and added ever more ambitious hopes and dreams. It is really tough to imagine how all this would happen outside of a CCI."

— Scott J. Miller, C-GEM Faculty

"The NSF has supported some of our most ambitious ideas, including the solvent free syntheses of new 2D magnets, which we could not have studied without the collective expertise of the CCI faculty, students, and postdocs."

— Hema Karunadasa, CMCC Faculty

"Collaboration with other members of the CSOE has helped improve the breadth and depth of my lab’s research program in ways I couldn’t have imagined before joining the Center. As organic chemists, we now routinely use spectroscopy, electroanalysis, and computation—often in collaboration with the CSOE team—to guide the discovery and mechanistic understanding of electrosynthetic reactions."

— Song Lin, CSOE Faculty

"NSF funding has enabled me to explore my interests in biochemistry and organic chemistry in a way that I would not have been able to do at my home institution. The skills I learned as a C-CAS SURF student continue promoting my research to this day--both in terms of outreach and for my ability to propose and execute scientific ideas."

— Grace Perna, C-CAS Summer Undergraduate Research Scholar

“Almost four decades ago, NSF took a chance on a young scientist with dreams of making synthetic electrochemistry a useful tool for the larger community. Through the years, every time our group wanted to gamble on a new venture, NSF was there to support us, and to help make that dream a reality. Today, those efforts continue with the support NSF provides the CSOE and the collaborative team that is enabling us to accomplish synthetic transformations that go far beyond anything we ever imagined all those years ago.”

— Kevin D Moeller, CSOE Faculty

"The invaluable support from NSF fosters collaboration and innovation. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such a talented and visionary team dedicated to advancing the field of synthetic organic electrochemistry and improving society."

— CSOE Staff

"The NSF's C-CAS has allowed me to join not one, but two research groups for my postdoctoral work. I feel privileged being a member of two world-renowned institutions carrying out cutting edge research at the boundary of chemistry and machine learning, leveraging the expertise of the wider C-CAS community."

— Simone Gallarati, C-CAS Postdoctoral Scholar

"NSF funding has given me access to collaborations with labs and science that I would have had no connection to otherwise, expanding my experimental toolkit and the way that I think about research problems as a whole. It has uniquely enabled me to take on entirely new research problems that span many different areas and techniques without fear that I will be unsupported or lack people to go to for advice."

— C-GEM Graduate Student

"As a community college student, I had minimal opportunities to engage with research throughout most of my undergraduate career. Thanks to the Center of Genetically Encoded Materials, I have been able to participate in groundbreaking research, learn from brilliant scientists, and work as a post-baccalaureate researcher to gather additional experience before attending graduate school. Thank you, NSF, for creating the CCI program and facilitating the collaboration of amazing researchers whom I have learned so much from."

— Isaac Garcia, C-GEM Post-baccalaureate Scholar

"Thanks to NSF funding, I have been able to connect with a wide net of scientist and expand my knowledge on the rapidly developing field of machine learning in chemistry. The collaborations stemming from these networks are enabling important progress in areas such as computer aided retrosynthesis."

— C-CAS Graduate Student

"I would like to thank NSF for its instrumental support at every stage of my scientific career. From funding my undergraduate research and mentorship experiences, to supporting my graduate studies through a GRFP fellowship, and now enabling innovative and interdisciplinary research as a postdoc at the Center for Genetically Encoded Materials—NSF has played a central role in shaping me into the scientist I am today."

— C-GEM Postdoctoral Scholar

"Throughout my career, funding from the NSF has allowed me to develop tools that can address huge societal problems, from designing better drugs, to detecting toxins in the atmosphere, or creating faster, cheaper chemical reactions, all using the quantum mechanical treatment of nuclear motion. No other institution can take bets on research like this or has the mandate to support such fundamental science, and I would not be a scientist today without NSF support."

— Mark Boyer, CMCC Postdoctoral Scholar

"Being a part of C-GEM has truly been a privilege. The diverse chemical expertise of the member labs has made me a more rigorous, thoughtful, and collaborative scientist. I feel empowered not only to tackle new, challenging scientific questions but to collaborate beyond my field to answer them."

— Noah Hamlish, C-GEM Graduate Student