Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

🚨 New Resource for International Students & Scholars 🚨 Today, we’re launching the International Student Resource Center, the first-of-its-kind national organization dedicated to providing you with reliable, timely, and comprehensive immigration information. Every day, international students like you enrich our campuses, classrooms, labs, and communities. Yet we know how challenging it can be to navigate the U.S. immigration system with shifting policies, new regulations, and sudden changes. We created the International Student Resource Center to support you, every step of the way. Our mission is to complement the critical work of international offices and Designated School Officials (DSOs) by giving you the clarity and confidence you deserve to make informed decisions with confidence at every stage of your journey. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 ✔️ Comprehensive guides and short videos covering topics like F-1 and J-1 visas, OPT/STEM OPT, international travel, post-graduation options and much more ✔️ Timely policy updates and analysis explaining changes in immigration policy and regulation and how they impact you ✔️ A curated newsletter tracking the developments that matter most ✔️ An expert help desk staffed by specialists in international student issues ✔️ A referral list of trusted immigration attorneys for individualized legal support Learn more and sign up for our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gakYGyi9

RCSA, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation & The Kavli Foundation have made awards to eight cross-disciplinary teams of early career researchers in the second year of #Scialog: Sustainable Minerals, Metals, and Materials. wp.me/pgj04D-avj 

One of the most powerful moments at the Southern Regional Education Board Institute on Teaching and Mentoring was when Ansley Abraham was honored with the Frank Abbott Award, the Institute’s highest honor. Dr. Abraham was the founding director of the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program and the Institute, and he retired from SREB this summer after over three decades of championing access and opportunity in doctoral education. For over thirty years, Dr. Abraham has been the heart and soul of SREB-DSP, transforming it into a national model for how to support and empower doctoral students. In his role at DSP, he supported thousands of students — including over 2,000 Sloan Scholars — and enabled them to participate in the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, where they have found the mentorship, resources, and community they need to thrive. Throughout his accomplished career, Dr. Abraham has not simply created opportunities for countless students. He has created belonging — for the thousands of students who earned their doctorates with his guidance and support; for the faculty, scientists, and leaders who have gone on to shape their fields and mentor the next generation of scholars; and for the institutions that are stronger and more equitable because of his influence. The Sloan Foundation congratulates Dr. Abraham on a truly remarkable career, and we thank him for all he has done to open doors for future generations!

At the Southern Regional Education Board Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, the Sloan Foundation awarded the inaugural Ansley Abraham Outstanding Sloan Scholar Graduate Award to Natalia López Figueroa, Ph.D. for her excellence in research and her tireless commitment to mentorship! Dr. López-Figueroa, a marine scientist, earned her Ph.D. in 2025 from the University of South Florida, and is now a Gulf Science Policy Fellow supported by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and assigned to GCOOS. In addition to her research accomplishments, Dr. López-Figueroa was commended for her teaching and mentorship. Her nominators remarked that she has used the Sloan Scholarship program not only as an opportunity to develop her own personal and professional skills, but to provide active mentorship and support to other students and early-career researchers. As one of her nominators wrote, “Natalia embodies how Sloan Scholars transform support into achievement, and achievement into meaningful contributions to others.” Congratulations, Dr. López-Figueroa! 📸: Charles West

At the Southern Regional Education Board Institute on Teaching and Mentoring last week, we were proud to honor Catherine Berdanier with the Sloan Mentor of the Year Award for her tireless efforts to champion the professional development of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, both at Penn State University and beyond. Dr. Berdanier, who was nominated by three current and former Sloan Scholars, was recognized for “continuously lifting students up, building [their] confidence, and pushing [them] towards excellence.” Each of the nominators noted that Dr. Berdanier has made a significant impact on their professional and personal development, acting with compassion to grow their skills and confidence as scientists and individuals. One scholar wrote that “What truly distinguishes Catherine’s mentorship is her ability to create an environment where excellence is expected yet achievable.” Another nominator shared that “Even in times when I wavered in my self-confidence, Catherine never did. She saw my abilities and found tailored-to-me ways to help me shine…she has a way of making everyone she interacts with feel seen and heard.” Congratulations on the well-deserved recognition, Dr. Berdanier, and thank you for your steadfast commitment to mentorship! 📸: Charles West

We're back from the uplifting Southern Regional Education Board Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, where we celebrated the achievements and progress of the next generation of scientists and recognized their faculty mentors! It was deeply inspiring to hear the impactful conversations taking place and to witness the professional growth of the scholars during the four-day conference! Since partnering with the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program in 1999, over 2,000 Sloan Scholars have attended the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, which has provided them with opportunities for professional development, lifelong connections, and, above all, a safe and celebratory space for community building. The Institute equips scholars with the skills necessary for them to succeed in their graduate studies and prepares them with strategies for building careers in and beyond higher education. We also extend a warm congratulations to recent graduates of the Sloan Scholarship program, who we were proud to honor at a special banquet and graduation ceremony: • Cierra Chandler, Penn State University • Breanna Green, Ph.D., Cornell University • Ke'La Kimble, UC San Diego • Sayde King, PhD, University of South Florida • Natalia López Figueroa, Ph.D., University of South Florida • Omololu Makinde, University of South Florida • Raphia Moluh Ngoutane, Ph.D, M.S, Penn State University • Anaira Román Santiago, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign • Margie Ruffin, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign • Howard Weatherspoon, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign • Kerisha Williams, Georgia Institute of Technology 📸: Charles West

In partnership with the UK Metascience Unit and SSHRC-CRSH, the Sloan Foundation is supporting a cohort of 29 early-career scholars to investigate the implications of AI for the science and research ecosystem. The US-based fellows supported by the Sloan Foundation are: 🔹Mel Andrews of Princeton University Evaluating the Epistemic Credentials of AI in Science Evaluation 🔹Kati Kish Bar On, PhD of Boston University The Shape of Intelligence: AI and the Changing Culture of Mathematical Knowledge 🔹Gabrielle Benabdallah of University of Washington Technologies of Reading: From Print Culture to AI-Augmented Science 🔹Benjamin Genta of New York University AI, Similarity, and the Future of Systemic Reviews 🔹Moh Hosseinioun of Northwestern University Funding the Future: AI Changes What Is Science, Who Does It, and How 🔹Siyu Yao of University of Cincinnati Understanding the AI Revolution in Science: An Integrated History, Philosophy, and Metascience Approach For more information, visit the Foundation's website: https://lnkd.in/eGXZ8S4v For the list of all 29 supported fellows, visit: https://lnkd.in/en2y3Q-Q ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

We are thrilled to welcome Stacie Bloom, PhD as the next President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, effective January 2026! Bloom will join the Foundation from New York University, where she is currently the Chief Research Officer, Vice Provost, and Vice Chancellor for Global Research and Innovation. Bloom brings considerable expertise and leadership in research planning, strategy, and operations across disciplines. During her tenure at NYU, the university has become the fastest growing research university in the United States. “Stacie has a decades-long record of proven success working to empower scientists, unleash scientific imagination and creativity, and build environments where researchers from all disciplines can do their best work,” said Sue Tierney, Chair of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Board of Trustees and head of its Executive Search Committee. “Her deep understanding of how to help universities support great science makes her ideally suited to lead the Sloan Foundation and advance its mission.” Read more about Dr. Bloom: https://lnkd.in/eXehn7kH

In conversation with officials from Central Florida, Barry University - Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law will host the Just Energy Transitions and Place Workshop tomorrow (10/3) to present findings from a three-year collaborative research initiative on placed-based energy transitions. The initiative — funded by the Sloan Foundation and led by Nadia B. Ahmad and Elise H. — examined energy transitions across Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. The research focused on how approaches to the energy transition can consider local conditions and community-defined priorities, including distributed energy generation and storm-resilient infrastructure. In addition to policymakers and officials, the full-day workshop will center community voices who will share their perspectives on how the energy transition intersects with the lived experiences of community members and vulnerable populations. Registration: https://lnkd.in/e_Eq4tGF

This is such brilliant news to read! The work of Rosalind Franklin, and other brilliant #WomeninSTEM (especially those overlooked by history), is one of the reasons Tamara Krinsky and I started our science in entertainment team, Scirens. Seeing this inspiring story move from the stage to the screen (and during this challenging time for science) gives me so much joy. Thank you Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and doron weber for the work you do in supporting science in entertainment.