Bold ideas often need a launchpad. Princeton University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science is taking a proactive role by awarding over $3 million in grants to support 21 ambitious projects spanning artificial intelligence, bioengineering, materials science, and more. These carefully targeted investments give researchers the freedom to pursue creative, high-risk work that can spark groundbreaking discoveries and attract significant follow-on funding.
Strategic Support Across Disciplines
Princeton’s innovation grants draw from a dynamic blend of endowments and dedicated gifts. Each fund is designed to foster strategic research areas, reflecting the university’s emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaboration. By connecting chemistry, computation, engineering, and biology, these awards enable teams to tackle society’s toughest challenges—whether it’s advancing sustainable construction, combating antibiotic resistance, or reimagining digital technologies.
Spotlight on Key Innovation Funds
Addy Fund for Excellence in Engineering
- Reza Moini: Reinventing concrete’s internal structure to produce materials that are both flexible and strong, supporting more resilient infrastructure.
- Alejandro Rodriguez: Pushing the limits of optical communication for faster data transfer and enhanced information processing.
- Dhruv Shah: Scaling up machine learning models to make robotics smarter and more autonomous.
J. Insley Blair Pyne Fund: Merging Engineering and Neuroscience
- Amir Ali Ahmadi & Pravesh Kothari: Harnessing AI for more robust algebraic proof systems in engineering applications.
- Jonathan Cohen, Tom Griffiths, Margaret Martonosi: Exploring quantum-inspired models to advance understanding in perception, decision-making, and control.
- Kenneth Norman & Peter Ramadge: Using brain imaging to reveal how prior knowledge influences new learning.
Helen Shipley Hunt Fund: Driving Applied Innovation
- Christine Allen-Blanchette & Alison Ferris: Developing data-driven tools to speed up the discovery of sustainable aviation fuels.
- Mark Brynildsen: Turning bacteria’s strengths into weaknesses to treat persistent infections.
- Navroz Dubash & Anu Ramaswami: Making advanced carbon modeling accessible to policymakers for impactful climate action.
- Yasaman Ghasempour: Building efficient digital twins for emerging wireless networks like 6G.
- Rodney D. Priestley: Designing hydrophobic self-hardening hydrogels for tougher, safer infrastructure.
Project X Fund: Encouraging Risk and Creativity
- Joshua Atkinson & Jürgen Hackl: Improving water quality management through biosensor-driven digital twins.
- Luc Deike & Martin Wühr: Enhancing mass spectrometry sensitivity by probing electrospray ionization physics.
- Ning Lin & Michael Oppenheimer: Developing adaptive flood protection for climate resilience.
- Marcella Lusardi, Andrew Rosen, Claire White: Accelerating clean energy material discovery with advanced techniques.
- Aditya Sood: Innovating on-chip photo-switches for ultrafast electrical stimulation in electronics and AI hardware.
Broadening the Research Ecosystem
Beyond these flagship funds, Princeton’s support extends to blockchain security, decentralized food delivery, clean energy materials, plasma-assisted pollution control, and next-generation computational hardware. By nurturing early-stage ideas, the university is helping researchers tackle problems from climate change to digital transformation.
Takeaway: Investing in the Future
Princeton’s innovation funding strategy is more than an investment in research—it’s a launchpad for transformative, interdisciplinary breakthroughs. By empowering scientists and engineers to take creative risks, the university is shaping a future where innovation addresses global challenges head-on.
Source: Princeton University News
Princeton’s Innovation Funds Propel Scientific Breakthroughs