Research Weekly Brief: June 24–30, 2025
What a week it’s been in the world of research! We’ve seen some significant policy shifts from the NIH, alongside exciting breakthroughs in AI applications for medicine and materials science. It’s clear that innovation continues to push boundaries, shaping the future of scientific inquiry.
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New NIH Public Access Policy Takes Effect July 1
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is implementing a significant change to its Public Access Policy, which will now take effect on July 1, 2025. This is an acceleration from the originally planned December 2025 start date. This updated policy mandates that any manuscript resulting wholly or partly from NIH funding, and accepted for publication on or after July 1, 2025, must be submitted to PubMed Central without any embargo period. This means that NIH-funded research findings will be publicly available immediately upon publication, rather than after the previous 12-month embargo period allowed under the 2008 policy.
Published: June 24, 2025
New NIH public access policy begins July 1 | University of Michigan Library -
Federal Judge Orders NIH to Restore Terminated Grants
In a notable legal development, a federal judge recently ruled that the National Institutes of Health’s termination of hundreds of grants earlier this year was illegal. The court has since ordered the agency to resume funding for the plaintiffs involved in these lawsuits. This ruling applies broadly, encompassing individual researchers, members of the American Public Health Association, the United Auto Workers union, and public institutions across 22 states that had initiated legal action against the NIH. This decision provides a critical lifeline to numerous affected research projects.
Published: June 23, 2025
Science policy this week: June 23, 2025 - AIP.ORG -
AI System Revolutionizes Lung Tumor Tracking During Radiation
A new artificial intelligence (AI) system named iSeg is significantly impacting radiation oncology by transforming how lung tumors are tracked and outlined. Developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists, iSeg automatically maps lung tumors in three dimensions, even as they shift with a patient’s breathing. This deep-learning tool, which was trained on scans from nine different hospitals, not only matches the accuracy of expert clinicians but can also identify cancerous zones that some human experts might miss, leading to more precise and consistent cancer treatment.
Published: June 30, 2025
This AI tracks lung tumors as you breathe — and it might save lives | ScienceDaily -
Breakthrough: Superconducting Material Stabilized at Everyday Pressure
Researchers funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation have achieved a significant milestone in materials science: stabilizing a composite material in a superconducting state at ambient, or normal, everyday pressure. This development represents a crucial step toward making real-world applications of superconductivity more feasible. While still in the research phase, overcoming the long-standing need for extreme pressures could pave the way for revolutionary advancements across various sectors.
Published: June 25, 2025
Superconducting material stabilized at everyday pressure, another step toward real-world applications | NSF - National Science Foundation -
New Process Efficiently Converts CO2 to Methanol
In a promising development for sustainability and green chemistry, U.S. National Science Foundation-funded researchers have unveiled a new chemical process that more efficiently converts carbon dioxide (CO2) into methanol. Methanol is a versatile alcohol that is crucial for manufacturing a wide array of products, and it also holds significant potential as a cleaner fuel source. This breakthrough offers a more effective pathway to utilize captured CO2, transforming a greenhouse gas into a valuable chemical feedstock and energy carrier.
Published: June 25, 2025
Chemical process more efficiently converts carbon dioxide to methanol, a chemical used in manufacturing and a potential fuel | NSF - National Science Foundation
Tools & Tips
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iSeg AI System for Radiation Oncology:
While featured as a major scientific advancement, the iSeg AI system is also a highly practical tool for medical researchers and clinicians. It automatically outlines lung tumors in 3D as they shift with breathing, significantly enhancing precision in radiation treatment planning. This capability represents a significant advancement for anyone involved in oncology research or clinical practice, offering improved accuracy and consistency in a critical area of patient care.
This AI tracks lung tumors as you breathe — and it might save lives | ScienceDaily -
Microsoft Discovery Platform: Microsoft has introduced “Discovery,” an extensible platform specifically designed to empower researchers by integrating what is termed “agentic AI” into the discovery process. This tool aims to expedite research and development across various fields, offering particular benefits for academic research institutions seeking to enhance their R&D capabilities. The emphasis on “agentic AI” signifies a shift towards AI systems that can perform tasks autonomously, make decisions, and interact with other systems to achieve complex research goals.
June 2025 round-up of interesting AI news and announcements - Artificial intelligence
Fun Fact
Did you know that water can actually boil and freeze at the same time? This isn’t a magic trick, but a real scientific phenomenon known as the ‘triple point’. It occurs when the temperature and pressure conditions are just right for a substance to exist simultaneously in all three phases – solid, liquid, and gas – in thermodynamic equilibrium. It’s a fascinating reminder of how complex and surprising the physical world can be!
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