Dean of Science Robert J. Birgeneau has announced the finalists for six Edgerly Science Partnership Fund Awards. Sponsored by William S. Edgerly, the fund is designed to stimulate interdisciplinary research in the Schools of Science and Engineering at MIT, and beginning this year, the Harvard Medical School (HMS).
A total of $425,000 in awards were granted to:
- ������Frank Gertler (biology) and David Van Vactor (HMS) for "Drosophila Genetics and Vertebrate Cell Biology: Mechanisms Underlying Directed Migration of Neuronal Growth Cones"
- ������Peter Sorger (biology), L. Mahadevan (mechanical engineering) and Timothy Mitchson (HMS) for "Biomolecular Mechanics: Polymerization/Depolymerization Driven Force Generation in Biological Systems"
- Peter Seeberger (chemistry), Ram Sasisekharan (bioengineering and environmental health) and Mary Hartnet (HMS) for "A Novel Approach Targeting Ocular Neovascularization Based on Combinatorial Chemistry"
- William Green (chemical engineering) and Robert Field (chemistry) for "New Spectroscopic Probes of Free Radical Kinetics"
- Martin Polz (civil and environmental engineering) and Kenneth Czerwinski (nuclear engineering) for "Isolation and Characterization of Uranium Bacteria"
- Alan Edelman (mathematics) and Gary Zientara (HMS) for "Mathematics Meets Medicine: Non-Traditional Interdisciplinary Approaches."
"I wish to thank Bill Edgerly for his vision in establishing this creative program," Dean Birgeneau said. "Our experience has shown that these funds lead to exciting joint developments that otherwise would not have happened. A number of new collaborations have been stimulated, especially with the Harvard Medical School this year. The number and outstanding quality of the proposals surpassed our expectations. We are delighted to have support for these faculty in such novel, interdisciplinary research."
Dean of Engineering Thomas L. Magnanti said, "Generating funds for emerging fields of inquiry is always a difficult task, particularly for research that cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries. In providing exactly this type of funding, the Edgerly Awards are precious. By stimulating and supporting innovative collaboration, they help the MIT Schools of Science and Engineering and the Harvard Medical School to remain at the forefront of interdisciplinary research."
Mr. Edgerly is chairman emeritus of State Street Corp. and chairman of the Foundation for Partnerships.
A version of this article appeared in the March 31, 1999 issue of MIT Tech Talk (Volume 43, Number 24).
