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 STATE OF NEW YORK
NEW YORK STATE FOUNDATION FOR
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
EDWARD REINFURT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Press Contact
Jannette Rondo, Director of Public Information
518-292-5700
jrondo@nystar.state.ny.us
www.nystar.state.ny.us

FOR RELEASE:
IMMEDIATE, Thursday
January 24, 2008

NYSTAR ANNOUNCES WATSON INVESTIGATOR AWARDS
Targeted Funding Will Help Attract and Retain New Young Scientists

Edward Reinfurt, Executive Director of the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), proudly announced $600,000 in awards designed to recognize and support outstanding young scientists and engineers who, early in their careers, show potential for leadership and scientific discovery in the field of biotechnology.

“These awards reflect the State’s commitment to increasing our intellectual capital for advancing the innovation economy. The Watson awards encourage early career scientists to stay and conduct their critically important science research here in New York State.” said Edward Reinfurt.

NYSTAR’s Watson Investigator program assists New York State's leading research institutions in recognizing, retaining and professionally developing early career scientists who demonstrate leadership potential at the frontier of knowledge in the life sciences and conduct research that is anticipated to enhance economic development in the State.

The following researchers and institutions were awarded 2007 Watson Investigator Program grants:

  • Abraham D. Stroock of Cornell University was awarded $200,000 to design and build three-dimensional scaffolding complete with micro-vasculature structure for the growth of cells.

  • Elizabeth Marshall Boon of Stony Brook University was awarded $200,000 to modify the protein H-NOX for use as a gas detector an in vivo gas delivery system.

  • Mark Andrew Borden of Columbia University was awarded $200,000 to design and test microbubbles for medical applications.

    Researchers who receive a grant from this program must have been awarded a doctoral degree and have less than five years experience since being awarded their doctoral degree. Only one award could be made per institution. The applicants funded were chosen based on the best science and the best likelihood of economic success. An independent peer review panel comprised of life science and enabling sciences experts reviewed the applications.

    NYSTAR is a public benefit corporation that helps grow New York’s innovation economy with its support of high technology development and commercialization through academic and business partnerships.