Charles E Kaufman Foundation

TO SUPPORT THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION.

THE CHARLES E. KAUFMAN FOUNDATION PROMOTES AND SUPPORTS FUNDAMENTAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, AND PHYSICS AT PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. WITH THE AID OF A SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD, THE FOUNDATION AWARDS INTEGRATED RESEARCH-EDUCATION GRANTS, NEW INVESTIGATOR AND NEW INITIATIVE RESEARCH GRANTS. IN 2021, GRANTS WERE AWARDED FOR THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES GOING TO INNOVATIVE AND INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AT PENNSYLVANIA UNIVERSITIES.INTEGRATED RESEARCH-EDUCATION GRANTS PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH THAT FOCUSES ON DIRECT ENGAGEMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ALONG SIDE INNOVATIVE SCIENTISTS IN BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL, HANDS-ON RESEARCH THAT COULD LEAD TO NEW DISCOVERIES AND PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS. INTEGRATED RESEARCH EDUCATION GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO EXAMINE OTHER POSSIBLE CAUSES OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES; HOW TO BETTER FACILITATE THE FLUORINATION OF A MULTITUDE OF MOLECULES UNDER CONDITIONS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY IMPOSSIBLE; AND HOW INTERACTIONS AMONG BACTERIA AND THEIR HOSTS EVADE VIRAL INFECTIONS AND INFLUENCE THE PHYSIOLOGY OF BOTH THE BACTERIA AND PHYTOPLANKTON AND INFLUENCE OCEAN BIOGEOCHEMISTRY.NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANTS PROVIDE RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR INNOVATIVE BASIC SCIENTISTS AS THEY TRANSITION INTO AN ACADEMIC POSITION AS A NEW INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR. THE FOUNDATION AWARDED NEW INVESTIGATOR GRANTS THAT ADDRESS CORE PRINCIPLES IN BIOLOGY, PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY. GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO ENABLE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO EXPLORE HOW INTERNAL SYSTEMS IN FRUIT FLIES WORK TOGETHER TO GENERATE A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF COHESIVE MOTOR COMMANDS DURING FLIGHT; THE MECHANICS OF WHY METABOLISH IS DIFFERENT IN MALES AND FEMALES; A NEWER CLASS OF INTRACELLULAR COMPARTMENTS CALLED BIOMOLECULAR CONDENSATES; STUDY MECHANISMS OF INTERBACTERIAL COMPETITION IN LEGIONELLA PNEUMOPHILA; AND A PHENOMENON CALLED SUPERCURRENTS.NEW INITIATIVE RESEARCH GRANTS STIMULATE EXISTING INVESTIGATORS WITH STRONG RECORDS OF RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO ESTABLISH COLLABORATIONS THAT FACILITATE INNOVATIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TOWARD A COMMON RESEARCH QUESTION AND THAT REQUIRE EXPERTISE BEYOND THAT OF ANY SINGLE RESEARCHER. NEW INITIATIVE GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO ENCOURAGE INVESTIGATORS WITH STRONG RESEARCH RECORDS TO ESTABLISH INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS TO EXPLORE: BEHAVIOR AS A MEANS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THE BRAIN WORKS; THE ELABORATE LANGUAGE OF SIGNALS USED BY HUMAN EMBRYOS; AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW INHIBITORY NEURONS IN THE MAMMALIAN BRAIN RECONFIGURE WITHIN THE BRAIN'S CORTICAL CIRCUITRY TO RESPOND TO SENSORY LEARNING.