Recipient   Brandeis University City   Waltham, MA Description   The goal of this proposal is to elucidate the behavior of active matter at length scales ranging from microscopic to macroscopic, using an interdisciplinary approach involving both physics and biology. The materials unifying all of the experiments are filamentous microtubules and kinesins, which are molecular motors that use ATP hydrolysis to propel themselves along the microtubule tracks and thus drive the assembly toward non-equilibrium active states. The project will specifically develop three model systems of active matter. First, a "bottom up" approach will be used to determine the minimal system, consisting of microtubules, active motors and passive cross-linkers, required to create a self-oscillating active bundle. Second, a complementary "top down" approach will be used to deconstruct a fully functional axoneme and determine the minimal set of structural components required for its active beating. This effort will involve a combination of genetic, ultra-structural and biophysical methods. Third, active nematic liquid crystals will be assembled and characterized both for microscopic dynamics and behavior at continuum length scales. (Amount Awarded: $1,000,000) Seth Fraden Recipient   Columbia University City   New York, NY Description   The Columbia University Keck team proposes to develop a fundamentally new type of energy conversion process, one in which a single absorbed photon creates two or more electronic excitations in a suitable nanostructured material. The physics of this process will be carefully studied and optimized, through control of nanostructure design, by an interdisciplinary team with expertise in chemistry, physics, and engineering. This program will build and electrically characterize individual nanoscale photovoltaic devices based on semiconductor nanocrystals and carbon nanotubes. This project has the potential to dramatically improve both basic understanding of non-traditional energy conversion processes and the practical production of electricity and fuels from sunlight. (Amount Awarded: $750,000) Louis E Brus Recipient   Stanford University City   Stanford, CA Description   This project seeks to advance early theoretical and experimental work on the quantum spin Hall system, a newly discovered type of material inside which the laws of electricity and magnetism are dramatically altered. Discovery of such new states of quantum matter could have profound implications on not only fundamental science but also computing technology. When electrons flow through metals or semiconductors, they dissipate energy as heat, causing devices to draw extra power and limiting computer processor speed. Such power dissipation is already the greatest roadblock to scaling semiconductor devices according to Moore's Law. It is possible to move electrons without dissipation, but known methods have proved impractical, involving extremely low temperatures or large magnetic fields. Recently, a new type of dissipationless transport based on electron spin, rather than charge, has been discovered: the so-called quantum spin Hall (QSH) state in HgTe quantum wells. So far this phenomenon has been limited to cryogenic temperatures. The Stanford team proposes to experimentally test their theoretical prediction that a new class of materials could display the QSH effect at room temperature. Such a breakthrough would deepen understanding of this new state of matter and open the door to new dissipationless computing devices that would manipulate electrons by both charge and spin. (Amount Awarded: $1,000,000) Shoucheng Zhang Recipient   University of California City   Berkeley, CA Description   The next scientific frontier in time-resolved dynamics is the production and utilization of pulses of light in the attosecond time domain (l attosecond = 10-18 seconds). These pulses of light, which can now be generated in the soft X-ray regime of the electromagnetic spectrum, allow scientists to address dynamics on the timescale of electronic motion directly for the first time. The goal of this project is to apply isolated attosecond pulses for the first time to the science of solid-state materials, with particular future applications to solar photovoltaic and related semiconductor materials. The first steps in the formation of charge carriers in photovoltaic devices occur on exceptionally short natural timescales, governed by the rearrangements of electrons in orbitals and electronic bands in materials. By developing a laser laboratory dedicated to the measurement of such solid state electron dynamics, the project will (1) advance the field of short time processes through understanding electron dynamics on an unprecedented level, and (2) unearth mechanisms that will ultimately improve the efficiency of photovoltaic devices. While considerable sources of support are available for short-term exploration of devices and materials, such advances considered here may play a key long-term role in developing newly efficient energy production schemes in the decades to come. (Amount Awarded: $1,000,000) Stephen R. Leone Recipient   University of Chicago City   Chicago, IL Description   One of the grand-challenge questions in the physical and biological sciences is how molecular interactions can enable processing of complex information. The answer requires transcending the advances of the genomics and proteomics revolutions to probe and analyze the function of networks of regulatory interactions in cells directly. While there are various means for detecting the presence of molecules, even in spatially and temporally resolved fashions, there is no reliable, standard way to elucidate the collective molecular dynamics that lead to function. We propose to develop the prototype of just such a robust and systematic method-a “chemical perturbation spectroscopy”-that we envision would become a widely used tool for revealing the underlying design and control structures of molecular networks. If successful, the research would be transformative, introducing a totally new approach for probing regulatory interactions systematically, elucidating design principles for cells, developing a theory for driven complex systems, and even enabling the control of cellular dynamics for a broad range of purposes. (Amount Awarded: $1,000,000) Aaron R Dinner Recipient   Princeton University City   Princeton, NJ Description   The goal of this proposal is to elucidate the behavior of active matter at length scales ranging from microscopic to macroscopic, using an interdisciplinary approach involving both physics and biology. The materials unifying all of the experiments are filamentous microtubules and molecular motors (such as kinesins) that use ATP hydrolysis to propel themselves along the microtubule tracks and thus drive the assembly toward non-equilibrium active states. The project will specifically develop three model systems of active matter. First, a "bottom up" approach will be used to determine the minimal system, consisting of microtubules, active motors and passive cross-linkers, required to create a self-oscillating active bundle. Second, a complementary "top down" approach will be used to deconstruct a fully functional axoneme and determine the minimal set of structural components required for its active beating. This effort will involve a combination of genetic, ultra-structural and biophysical methods. Third, active nematic liquid crystals will be assembled and characterized both for microscopic dynamics and behavior at continuum length scales. (Amount Awarded:$1,000,000) William Bialek Recipient   University of California, Berkeley City   Berkeley, CA Description   Why do embryos form limbs while postnatal humans form scar tissue? This fundamental question remains elusive under existing medical-research paradigms. Current knowledge of amphibian limb regeneration cannot explain the lack of functional tissue re-growth in adult mammals. Although limb regeneration via blastema has been observed in neonatal mice, little is known in cellular or molecular terms. Consequently, controlling and enhancing postnatal organogenesis for therapeutic ends appears to be an intractable challenge. Thus, the researchers seek to transform present understanding of the dramatic decline in regenerative capacity after birth by inventing technology capable of probing cellular and molecular determinants of regeneration in single mammalian cells. Their combined efforts will develop: 1) a novel cell-sorting tool to isolate from tiny tissue clusters the single cells that are pivotal to mammalian tissue regeneration; 2) new tools to study molecular mechanisms orchestrating the regenerative behavior at single cell levels; and 3) 3D ex-vivo systems to recreate the regenerative processes biosynthetically, thereby identifying molecular cues driving tissue regeneration. This single-cell approach may surmount prevailing limitations, thus advancing the frontiers of biomedicine and engineering. (Amount Awarded:$1,000,000) Lydia Sohn Recipient   University of California, San Diego City   La Jolla, CA Description   Demonstrating that there is a fundamental, unifying principle for the operation of biological networks, one that cuts across phylogeny and type of network, could revolutionize the natural sciences. This project will use a research strategy based on the concept of relational networks, in which the coordinated interactions among functional sectors of the network are more critical than the specific identities of any of the interacting components. The program combines experimental network perturbation and global monitoring in genetic and neuronal model systems, followed by theory development, going beyond the standard computational modeling to capture the essential, relational nature of the system at a higher level. Should there prove to be fundamental, universal principles underlying the relations and function of biological networks, they will have substantial implications not only for many areas of biology, including the prospects for synthetic cells and therapeutic developments, but also for the design and implementation of artificial networks in applications as diverse as computing, engineered devices, and communications. (Amount Awarded:$1,000,000) Ralph J. Greenspan Recipient   University of California, San Francisco City   San Francisco, CA Description   Among the greatest achievements of modern medicine is the development of vaccines, but for many important diseases, such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, the production of safe and effective vaccines have been elusive. This is especially true for malaria, a disease that disproportionally affects children. An important first step in developing a rationally designed synthetic vaccine is the identification of antigens and their epitopes that are the actual determinants of immunological protection. The investigators propose to develop a new platform for the production of programmable proteome-scale peptide arrays on beads using a novel approach, whereby millions of peptides can be made deterministically and inexpensively on spectrally encoded microbeads. They will then conduct immunoassays on these beads to map epitopes across the entire proteome, using rodent malaria as a model system. The overall goal is to correlate mapped epitopes with actual protection from disease to inform the vaccine design process. This proposal embodies several major technological and conceptual innovations, and beyond vaccine design, this approach has the potential for broad impact on many fields of biomedical research, including cancer diagnostics, autoimmunity, and allergy. (Amount Awarded:$1,000,000) Joseph DeRisi Grants awarded prior to new criteria and geographic restrictions as of August 2008. Recipient   California Polytechnic State University City   San Luis Obispo, CA Description   The project will develop an integrated, multidisciplinary, undergraduate curriculum in molecular forensics to promote an undergraduate research community and prepare students for careers and graduate study. Initially focused on producing a working database of E. coli sequences, this curriculum will be delivered to over 1,000 students each year in lab-based courses in the Colleges of Science and Mathematics, Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, and Engineering. Combining analytical procedures from microbiology, molecular biology and bioinformatics, the program will engage undergraduates in applied, cutting-edge research with broad potential in the areas of food and water safety. The requested pyrosequencing equipment, capable of rapid, sequence-based analysis of microbes, is key to the project aims: integrating explicit pedagogic, research and product development goals into the curriculum from introductory to advanced courses and senior capstone projects. The equipment fosters an experimental mindset and provides a platform for student involvement in developing a microbial forensics database to sub-type strains from a variety of sources. The proposed instrumentation will transform the way students experience the application of technology in scientific discovery and will contribute to the development of other applied research directions across campus. (Amount Awarded: $249,504) Raul Cano Recipient   Lewis & Clark City   Portland, OR Description   As it seeks to shape the future of its programs in the mathematical and natural sciences, Lewis & Clark College will take advantage of the inherent flexibility of the liberal arts setting to make significant changes in its science curriculum and its research environment. Within the next three years, Lewis & Clark will develop the academic discipline of nanoscience through enhanced curriculum, the hire of postdoctoral researchers/teachers, acquisition of a new scanning electron microscope, and support of new and established faculty research projects in this area. Lewis & Clark's proposed nanoscience program development is unique among regional liberal arts institutions as the aim of program is to advance undergraduate liberal arts education in which students have access to hands-on research opportunities in nanoscience at a level far beyond average offerings. Lewis & Clark will benefit from this project for decades after the proposed grant period expires, as this project lays the foundation for faculty research programs sure to succeed, courses that will allow students to understand the technology and science of the future, and access to cutting-edge equipment by generations of students. (Amount Awarded: $250,000) Julio de Paula Undergraduate Education - Liberal Arts Recipient   Mount St. Mary’s College City   Los Angeles, CA Description   Mount St. Mary's College seeks to increase the use of film as a campus-wide pedagogical tool while expanding its program in film and social justice, a unique undergraduate major that uses the power of filmmaking to promote active learning across academic disciplines, engages students in the local community, and, ultimately, develops strong-voiced leaders who will contribute to positive social change. The program has demonstrated its ability to give students the skills both to make powerful films that address important social justice issues and to gain entry into the entertainment industry - where, as women from diverse ethnic backgrounds, they are vastly underrepresented. With a fully developed curriculum, established internship relationships and newly constructed production and editing studios, the film and social justice program is poised to expand. The requested funds will primarily support: a) expansion of two part-time faculty positions to full-time over the three-year grant period; b) reassigned time for the program director; and c) acquisition of film production equipment. The goals are to build enrollment in the program, further integrate the program into other departments, develop a strong online presence, and expand the program's impact beyond the College through partnerships with high schools and community-based organizations, and - ultimately - to increase diversity in the film industry. (Amount Awarded: $250,000) Pam Haldeman Recipient   University of Redlands City   Redlands, CA Description   LEarNing Spatially (LENS) is a campus-wide initiative promoting spatial literacy as a foundational component within an undergraduate liberal arts curriculum. LENS harnesses the integrative power of geography with technologies to help faculty and students visualize knowledge, solve problems, and understand relationships through a spatial lens. We create opportunities for faculty and students from diverse liberal arts disciplines to use maps, mapping and spatial perspectives in order to develop new understanding and insights for their teaching and research. Our approach targets faculty development through fellowships and workshops, student opportunities through internships and collaborative research, and enhancements to existing technical support and infrastructure. We emphasize graphicacy skills among students, adding “critical viewing” expertise to the other competencies in writing, reading, speaking and thinking that are cultivated during higher education. LENS moves beyond teaching simply a tool or suite of technologies; it represents a global first for how 21st century geospatial technologies can be linked to the greater pedagogic objectives of critical thinking and problem-based learning. (Amount Awarded: $250,000) Diana Sinton Recipient   Whittier College City   Whittier, CA Description   Whittier College seeks support for the establishment of two Centers: for Science, Health, and Policy; and for Interdisciplinary Collaborations with the Arts. These Centers will maximize student learning by advancing the College's deep commitment to interdisciplinary curricula, collaborative teaching, undergraduate research and internships, and the integration of student learning experiences within local, national and international communities. A centerpiece of the project will be the Keck Undergraduate Fellows Program which will give financial and mentoring support to 21 of the College's best students, providing funds for internships and research assistantships in the summer following their junior year and for continuing scholarly activity during their senior year. Requested funds also will support the development of eight new interdisciplinary courses tied to the two Centers; travel to external communities; visits from field leaders to campus; interdisciplinary symposiums; and course release time for the Centers' faculty Directors as they lead faculty in the execution of new Center activities. The primary goal, building upon Whittier's curricular strengths, is to establish the Centers as interdisciplinary and community-oriented focal points of intellectual activity and high student achievement on campus. (Amount Awarded: $250,000) Charlotte Borst Civic and Community Recipient   American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles City   Los Angeles, CA Description   The United States Geological Survey is predicting that a 7.8 magnitude earthquake will strike Southern California sometime in the next 30 years. As the result of a 2007 comprehensive planning and simulation exercise conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it is expected that a collapse in the infrastructure may delay the arrival of outside assistance including government resources and the national American Red Cross. Consequently, the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles recognized the need to establish response capabilities within the community to respond independently of outside assistance. Resulting analysis projected the need for the Los Angeles Chapter to shelter 250,000 evacuees and serve two million meals per day for up to five days. This grant will help the Red Cross continue to build its catastrophic response capacity over the next two years. (Amount Awarded: $250,000) Recipient   Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor City   San Pedro, CA Description   The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor's (BGCLAH) College Bound Program Expansion Project will establish College Bound Programs at the organization's Port of Los Angeles Club and Wilmington Teen Center that mirror what is currently offered at the San Pedro Teen Center. Since College Bound was implemented at the San Pedro Teen Center in 2002, the high school graduation rate of Club Members increased from less than 50% to 88% today, with 95% of the graduates going on to a 2-year college or 4-year university in the fall. The Project will provide youth in Wilmington and the neighborhoods surrounding the Port of Los Angeles with the guidance, support and resources they need to reach their academic and personal goals - resources that are not readily available or even accessible to the majority of youth in these communities. The goal of this three-year expansion project that began in 2008 is to increase the high school graduation and college acceptance rates in the San Pedro and Wilmington communities. By June 2011, College Bound will serve 1,000 youth annually. (Amount Awarded: $150,000) Recipient   Children's Institute, Inc. City   Los Angeles, CA Description   Children's Institute, Inc. (CII), a 103-year-old children's service agency, is constructing a new campus located near the comer of Temple and Alvarado Streets just west of downtown Los Angeles. The new Otis Booth Campus will be comprised of three buildings that collectively provide more than 48,000 square feet of space and includes CII's new headquarters. The new facility will enable CII to bring life-changing services to 5,000 additional children and families whose lives have been affected by violence, including child abuse, domestic violence, and gang and community violence. Scheduled for completion in the fall of 2010, the Otis Booth Campus will enable CII to fully realize its comprehensive, community-based services model; expand its capacity to develop and disseminate new programs; increase its impact on the larger field of children's services through its training and research activities; and realize its strategic goal of doubling the number of children and families served from 10,000 to 20,000 by 2011. (Amount Awarded: $350,000) Recipient   Meet Each Need With Dignity City   Pacoima, CA Description   MEND – Meet Each Need with Dignity’s emergency food pantry, clothing center and client intake program form the core of its operations, providing food and clothing to 30,000 clients each month who have few, if any, other options. MEND’s professional staff is able to maintain a high level of service and meet the growing needs of impoverished families in the San Fernando Valley by utilizing the skills of 2,900 volunteers who fill roles in all facets of the organization. Despite the recent economic downturn, MEND remains committed to growing its programs by approximately 10% each year by continuing to focus on volunteer labor and positive interactions between the volunteers and clients. As a result of its recent capital expansion, which was also supported by the W. M. Keck Foundation, MEND has the necessary space and other resources for growth. This challenge grant will support the core programs and leverage MEND’s large volunteer base, excellent facilities and good name in the community to serve an increasing number of individuals and families that society has forced to the margins. (Amount Awarded: $100,000 ) Recipient   P. F. Bresee Foundation City   Los Angeles, CA Description   Through its Education and Career Development programs, P. F. Bresee Foundation enriches and improves the lives of at-risk youth in central Los Angeles. Building on over 20 years of youth development experience, Bresee’s educational and experiential activities include mentoring by staff and volunteers to help young people achieve academically and socially, avoid gang involvement and delinquent behavior, and encourage their growth and development as successful, productive members of society. Education assistance includes homework help, one-on-one tutoring in reading and math, college preparation, scholarships, technology and multimedia training, leadership development, workplace readiness and paid internships. Bresee places a strong emphasis on mentoring by staff and volunteers, but also on peer mentoring as high school leadership students mentor the middle school students. This encourages a sense of responsibility and a habit of community service among participants. Other youth services offered include sports, leagues, summer camps, trips, parenting classes and a health clinic. Through all of its programs and services, Bresee will assist 1,500 youth, ages 11-18, to set and achieve positive goals as students and for their long-term success in life. The grant will support the education and career development programs over two years. (Amount Awarded: $150,000) Early Learning Recipient   Child Development Institute City   Woodland Hills, CA Description   The Child Development Institute (CDI) will renovate the former Canoga Park Library to create an Early Learning Center. Founded on extensive research regarding the most effective early childhood programs, the new Center will provide inclusive services for young children of all abilities under age 5. It will house a broad array of play and learning opportunities and services designed to reach all children in the community, helping to ensure their optimal growth and development and mitigating the risks for developmental challenges. As approximately 1,000 young children and their families explore their world at the Center annually - in the Children's Discovery Zone, Head Start program, state-of-the-art playgrounds and more – they will be supported by CDI's staff and team of developmental specialists in a non-stigmatizing, culturally congruent environment. In addition to supporting children's learning, staff will identify risk factors, conduct developmental assessments, counsel and educate parents, and provide intensive intervention as needed, to ensure the best of life outcomes for local children. (Amount Awarded: $250,000 ) Precollegiate Education Recipient   Alliance for College Ready Public Schools City   Los Angeles, CA Description   The Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools is creating a charter school campus for 875 middle and high school students in South Los Angeles. This campus will provide a quality neighborhood school alternative to families in and around the Angeles Mesa community, where existing public schools are seriously overcrowded and underperforming. The goal of the middle school and high school that share this campus is to ensure that every child graduates from high school prepared to enter and succeed in college. This is being accomplished through five core values including: high expectations for all students, small personalized schools/classrooms, increased instructional time, highly qualified teachers, and working with parents as partners. Also key to this goal is providing a safe, personalized learning environment in which students can grow and thrive. (Amount Awarded: $300,000) Recipient   California Charter Schools Association City   Los Angeles, CA Description   ZOOM! Data Source is a comprehensive student achievement data management program designed to help member schools increase student achievement through data-driven decision making while at the same time providing the Association with access to student-level data for research and analysis of charter school performance. The program meets the unique data management needs of charter schools by providing access to an intuitive on-line data management system, DataDirector™, which allows schools to upload and analyze state-level summative data alongside school and classroom-level formative assessment and student demographic data. Access to this tool is coupled with custom in-person and web-based technical support, training, and professional development to build strong data cultures in participating charter schools. The project will serve 125 charter schools in Los Angeles County in 2009-10 and 150 charters schools in 2010-11. (Amount Awarded: $250,000) Arts and Culture Recipient   Gabriella Axelrad Education Foundation City   Los Angeles, CA Description   Everybody dance! provides free or low-cost dance instruction to underserved, inner-city children in Los Angeles. Since 2000, when everybody dance! opened its doors in a low-income housing project just west of downtown, the rigorous program has grown from 12 weekly classes and 35 students to 105 courses serving over 1,300 youth. Classes are offered in school to students at Gabriella Charter School and Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and after school to youth at studios in Pico-Union. Everybody dance! has an 18-member faculty of professional instructors. This two-year project will expand the after-school program by adding 19 courses and engaging 400 more young people. (Amount Awarded: $150,000) Health Care Recipient   Children’s Dental Health Clinic City   Long Beach, CA Description   The project will provide oral health treatment and education for low-income children up to eight years of age and special needs patients to age 18. To address increased demand for pediatric dental services, another dental team will be deployed one day per week to provide treatment for an additional 1,500 patients over two years. Pediatric Dentists are specifically trained (two-year residency after Dental School) to administer oral conscious sedation and nitrous oxide analgesia to provide a safe and comfortable treatment environment. In addition, Pediatric Dentists have advanced training in pediatric life support, patient management, and treating patients in a hospital setting. All patients treated in the Pediatric Dental Treatment Program will receive oral health instruction through demonstration of proper oral health techniques and video presentations to prevent the recurrence of dental disease. They will also be provided oral health kits consisting of a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, timer, and an educational brochure in the appropriate language. (Amount Awarded: $150,000 ) Recipient   JWCH Institute, Inc. City   Los Angeles, CA Description   JWCH recently opened the Center for Community Health - Downtown Los Angeles in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health, Public Health, and Health Services. In this newly renovated 20,000-square-foot clinic, homeless patients receive health and mental health care with a highly integrated, patient-centered approach. The Center also creates the opportunity for interdisciplinary case conferencing so that mental health care is highly coordinated with primary care and other services. The two-year project covers the start-up phase, and the grant will augment the services of the existing personnel from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health by supporting a licensed clinical social worker and a master’s level social worker. (Amount Awarded: $225,000) 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004