The agreement enables collaborative research on the country’s most urgent national security and energy priorities, from water security, critical minerals and advanced manufacturing to AI-driven science and high-performance computing. University of Utah President Taylor Randall and NLR Director Jud Virden signed the MOU on  May 4 at the NLR facility in Golden, Colorado. The following day, DOE’s Assistant Secretary for Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation Audrey Robertson celebrated the agreement during the laboratory’s annual partner forum, a flagship gathering of energy leaders focused on critical minerals.

Brain Health, a new peer-reviewed journal from Genomic Press, launches today with an inaugural issue anchored by an interview with neuroscientist Luísa Pinto of the University of Minho, whose two-decade pursuit of newborn astrocytes has reshaped how the field understands recovery from depression. The journal, edited by Ma-Li Wong, is designed to convene the fields of cognitive reserve, longevity, sleep science, aging biology, nutritional psychiatry, behavioral intervention, neuroimaging, normative data, and the social sciences and humanities around a shared question: how do human brains remain resilient, recover when injured, and stay functional across the longest possible arc of a life?

A nationwide survey of more than 2,000 nurses and nursing students reveals a workforce driven by purpose – but under growing strain since 2022. While 83% enter nursing to make a difference (up from 66%), burnout has surged from 39% to 67%, pay and benefits concerns from 24% to 53%, and those feeling undervalued from 26% to 49%. Short staffing also rose from 53% to 61%. Even so, 62% prioritize flexibility and 52% job security, underscoring urgent calls for better support.