The National Science Foundation recently granted awards to advance several optical sciences projects. Scientists at San Francisco State University, for example, will explore light propagation in two-dimensional optically induced photonic lattices. Through this work, undergraduates will be trained in topics ranging from photonic crystals to solid-state physics.Other institutions receiving awards include the University of California, Santa Barbara, for the study of quantum superposition states of a mirror and Kansas State University in Manhattan and Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, for the investigation of forms of harmonic generation.Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, will investigate the effect of optical feedback on vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, and both Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif., and the University of Texas at Austin will study wavelength-scale particles. Georgia Tech Research Corp. at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta will explore quantum networking with atomic ensembles, and the University of Oregon in Eugene will study nonradiative quantum coherences in semiconductors and quantum communication and entanglement with atomic and optical systems.The foundation promotes scientific progress in the US by awarding grants and cooperative agreements for research and education in several areas, including atomic, molecular and optical physics. Guidelines for the preparation and submission of proposals can be found on its Web site.