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News

Federal Government Shutdown Updates

A federal government shutdown began on October 1, 2025. Federally funded projects may experience delays in communication, funding actions, and approvals. Please refer to the Sponsored Programs Administrion office for guidance. learn more
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Social Media Bridges Connection Gaps for Students with Disabilities

New research from the Michigan State University College of Education shows how social media provides connection and community for college students, particularly those with disabilities. The study examines the nature of students’ social media use and its relationship to social capital and psychological well-being.

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New Research Finds That Certain Packaging Materials Can Show 70% Lower Emissions Than Alternatives

A comprehensive assessment by researchers, including Rafael Auras from Michigan State University, sought to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of replacing polyethylene, or PE, packaging like bags, films and containers with alternative materials, including paper, glass, aluminum and steel.
Photograph of Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building with Text Above Titled "Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences"

Pancreatic Cancer: Shifting the Outlook from Bleak to Bright

Henry Ford + MSU pancreatic cancer researchers are focused on genetic indicators that play a crucial role in the ways cells communicate through the exchange of chemical signals.
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Liquid Foam Innovation Designed To Protect the Brain Now Tested on Internal Organs

Researchers at Michigan State University have refined an innovation that has the potential to improve safety, reduce severe injury and increase survival rates in situations ranging from car accidents, sports, law enforcement operations and more.
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How Race, Socioeconomic Status Contribute to Math Education Inequalities 

There is a long-documented problem of inequalities in mathematics education across the United States and in other countries around the world. Previous research suggests socioeconomic status, or SES, and race play a role — but to what extent and how? Research from Michigan State University scholars answers these questions.
Solar Flare

Astronomer's Breakthrough Model Sheds Light on Solar Storms and Space Weather

Thomas Do, an astronomy graduate student at Michigan State University, published a paper predicting how particles accelerate under a wider net of circumstances than previous models. His model could be applied to solar storms that impact technology in space.
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MSU Connects Change in DNA to Cleft Palate Phenomenon

Cleft lip and cleft palate are some of the most common birth defects in people, affecting roughly one in every 700 babies in the world. Researchers have identified a likely culprit: a change in DNA variant near a specific gene.
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Highlighting the Negative Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Special Education Students in Michigan

Researchers at Michigan State University’s College of Education published a new study exploring learning gaps for students with disabilities and especially for those who are Black, Asian, and economically disadvantaged students — with the 2019-21 school years showing staggering declines in identifying students who could benefit from special education.
Announcements
Applications Open for the BioInnovation Institute and Science Prize for Innovation
Through the BioInnovation Institute & Science Prize for Innovation, the editors of Science seek to recognize bold researchers who are asking fundamental questions at the intersection of the life sciences and entrepreneurship. We seek scientists who can show that they have reached across field boundaries with an enthusiasm that combines outstanding basic science with an eye toward application in the marketplace.
MSU Unveils First-Ever Strategy for Shared Research Resources
MSU has unveiled a groundbreaking blueprint to strategically coordinate its shared research resources across campus. Led by the Office of Research & Innovation and shaped by 140+ community members, this is the university’s first unified plan to enhance access, visibility, and efficiency of its many research resources, everything from labs and tech, to field stations and high-performance computing.
Sustaining Spartan Research: The Jenison Fund Impact
The Jenison Fund, a strategic endowment established to support disruptions in research funding, is accepting applications for its second round of funding through November 17, 2025.
Williams Receives NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine researcher Michael R. Williams, has received the National Institutes of Health Director’s Transformative Research Award.
Pollanen and Singh Awarded Moore Foundation Grants to Advance Quantum Science, Fundamental Physics
Michigan State University physicists work every day to advance quantum computing and help unravel the mysteries of the universe. Now, two are receiving private $1.3 million five-year grants that will further launch their research and give them more opportunities to collaborate.
The Future of Health Forum Highlights AI's Impact on Precision Medicine
Interdisciplinary leaders gathered in Grand Rapids to discuss the future of AI in healthcare.