Norcross Announces Nearly $400K for Scientific Research at South Jersey Universities

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Rutgers University–Camden and Rowan University $394,615 for scientific research that will help advance medicine, technology and industrial development.

“The frontiers of scientific advancement and innovation are being explored right here in South Jersey,” said Congressman Donald Norcross, a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. “These grants will help advance impressive work at two of New Jersey’s premiere educational institutions, and I look forward to seeing the next game-changing discovery happen right here in our backyard. As these top-notch programs continue shaping the next generation of students and researchers, our area will make its mark on scientific discovery.”

Rutgers University–Camden will receive:

• $211,851 from the NSF’s Division of Materials Research to look at the manipulation of molecules with precise control, size, spacing and shape.

• $50,000 from the NSF’s Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships to support a next-generation sequencing project that relates to developments in precision medicine and, specifically, to much-needed improvements of finding genome variants.

Rowan University will receive:

• $132,758 from the NSF’s Division of Materials Research to look at the manipulation of molecules with precise control, size, spacing and shape.

“As a world-class research university, Rutgers University–Camden generates original thinking and new ideas that address the issues that challenge our state and our nation,” says Phoebe A. Haddon, chancellor of Rutgers University–Camden.  “We applaud Dr. David Salas-de la Cruz and Dr. Andrey Grigoriev for securing this highly competitive research funding from the National Science Foundation, which will allow them to define new innovations in the biosciences. Rutgers University–Camden’s faculty consistently succeed in securing national funding support from agencies such as the NSF, and we are proud to attract these research dollars to South Jersey.”

“These latest awards reflect the caliber of work conducted at Rowan University and our focus on practical research that has the potential to address real-world problems, in part impacting medicine, environmental science and materials science,” said Dr. Karen Magee-Sauer, dean of the College of Science & Mathematics at Rowan University. “They also highlight the University’s commitment to provide research training and educational opportunities to South Jersey high school and college students, which is critical for the future of science and the economy.”

The NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science and to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare of our country. The organization supports research that drives the U.S. economy, enhances the nation’s security, and advances knowledge to sustain global leadership.

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