The award will fund four interdisciplinary initiatives that seek to advance global innovation in clean energy, protein design, big data science and neuroengineering.

The funding will be used to hire new faculty, attract competitive postdoctoral researchers and enhance facilities and infrastructure. The goal is to boost the UW’s contribution in these high-need research areas and encourage spinout companies among involved researchers.

“This is a watershed moment for the university and Washington Research Foundation,” said 91探花President Michael K. Young.聽“To see investors in Washington supporting their flagship research university makes a strong statement about how important such local investment is. The four grant recipient groups include some of our most productive and creative faculty, and we are deeply grateful to the foundation for its vote of confidence in their work.”

The award, given to four projects over six years, represents the largest gift by the foundation to the UW. The funding is unusually flexible, allowing each project team to name specific resources it needs to meet its stated goals, said , 91探花vice provost for research and a professor of chemical engineering and microbiology.

“The projects impact a large number of departments in multiple schools and colleges, resulting in a broad and sustained impact for the university as a whole,” Lidstrom said. “This investment will also have long-lasting economic impact to the larger community, creating jobs and revenue in high-tech areas for many years to come.”

The projects were chosen based on the researchers who lead them and their competitive positions in their respective fields, as well as the possibility the 91探花research will set a global standard and create the clear potential for spinout companies. University leaders worked with the foundation to identify an initial group of six projects, and after reviewing proposals and visiting with each group the foundation selected four to fund.

“We’re very pleased to continue and solidify our long-term relationship with the 91探花,” said Ronald Howell, president and CEO of Washington Research Foundation. “And聽our strategic investment will help the 91探花recruit and retain the very best people who can advance scientific discovery. Hopefully, this will pave the way for greater innovation in data analysis,聽neuroengineering, protein design and clean energy as we move into the future.”

The foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports cutting-edge research and early stage entrepreneurs in the areas of life sciences, information technology and physical sciences. It also seeks to help grow Washington’s technology economy.

The four 91探花projects funded by Washington Research Foundation are:

Institute for Protein Design Innovation Fellows
$8 million over six years

The will recruit and hire about 12 scientists to be based at Seattle-area labs that collaborate with the 91探花institute and specialize in the fields of health, medicine, computer science, materials science and engineering.

The scientists, or innovation fellows, will work at various collaborating organizations, but will be trained in protein design at the UW. They will apply the methods they learn to help solve current research challenges while at their host organizations. The goal is to recruit top-notch scientists who have the potential to become tenure-track professors.

The Institute for Protein Design formed in 2012 with the mission to design new synthetic proteins that address current challenges in medicine, energy and technology. Gov. Jay Inslee and the state Legislature provided $1 million in funding in the 2014 supplemental budget to support the institute.

from the Institute for Protein Design.

Institute for Neuroengineering
$7.19 million over six years

A number of 91探花schools, colleges and departments will use the award to establish an Institute for Neuroengineering, which will foster collaborative research across many disciplines to address current challenges in neural disorders and functions, and provide new technologies for people affected by neural disorders.

The team plans to hire two junior-level faculty members in the areas of sensory information processing and computational neuroscience.

The funding will also support nine postdoctoral researchers, nine graduate students, nine undergraduate students and nine high school student interns. In addition, it will support building renovations in the Department of Biology to house new research. Research will take place jointly with the at the UW.

Global Leadership in Data-Intensive Discovery
$9.27 million over six years

Rapid advances in technology are transforming nearly every field from “data-poor” to “data-rich” 鈥� not only in the sciences, engineering, and medicine, but also in the social sciences and increasingly in the humanities. The ability to extract knowledge from this abundance of data is important for breakthroughs in research.

This team, which includes 13 faculty members spanning nine departments and four schools and colleges, is working to ensure that the 91探花is a leader both in advancing the methodologies of data science and in putting these advances to work in many different fields.

Operating under the umbrella of the UW’s , the team will hire six new faculty members specializing in methods and applications of big data, establish three chairs and three professorships and recruit 13 postdoctoral researchers.

Funding will also support the remodel of space on campus to house the UW’s new “data science studio,” an area where data scientists and researchers across fields can work collaboratively on projects.

Excellence in Clean Energy Innovation
$6.74 million over six years

The UW’s will hire nine new faculty members who will focus on lowering the cost and increasing the performance of solar energy production, storage and delivery. Research will include the discovery of advanced materials for solar cells and batteries, manufacturing methods that are lower cost, and the development of new software and hardware strategies for integrating clean energy with systems and the grid.

The funding will also support six new postdoctoral researchers and the creation of a new experimental manufacturing facility on campus that will help move discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace.

The Legislature and Inslee established the institute in 2013 to be a research center for advancing solar energy and electrical energy storage capabilities.

from the Clean Energy Institute.

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For more information:
91探花: Mary Lidstrom: lidstrom@uw.edu or 206-685-7641.
Washington Research Foundation: Steven Gottlieb: s.gottlieb@greenc3.com or 206-427-9591.

Project contacts:

Institute for Protein Design Innovation Fellows
, senior director of strategy:聽ljs5@uw.edu聽or 206-616-7542.

Institute for Neuroengineering
, professor of biology:聽danielt@uw.edu聽or 206-543-1659.
, associate professor of physiology and biophysics:聽fairhall@uw.edu聽or 206-427-1557.

Global Leadership in Data-Intensive Discovery
, professor of computer science and engineering:聽lazowska@cs.washington.edu聽or 206-543-4755.

Excellence in Clean Energy Innovation
, professor of chemical engineering: uwcei@uw.edu or 206-685-6833.

“It sends a strong message that an education should be available to absolutely everyone,” he said. “For years, our state has invested in these students’ success in our K-12 classrooms and in our communities. All students who work hard in school deserve an opportunity to go to college and have access to the financial resources to make it possible. Our Legislature has passed a bill that will have a transformative effect on our students, their families and their communities for many years to come.”

The formed when Washington’s governor and state legislators last summer allocated $6 million to create a research center at the university that will advance solar energy and electrical energy storage capacities. The institute will better connect and boost existing energy research at the 91探花as well as attract new partnerships and talent, including new faculty members.

“Our goal is to create record-breaking solar energy efficiencies, low-cost processing and the integrated systems that will make solar power the cornerstone of a new clean energy economy,” said , director of the institute and chair and professor of chemical engineering. “The Clean Energy Institute is enabling us to dive into the science and engineering that will lead to solar and energy storage technologies the world needs and wants.”

The funding will support the institute’s first two years. It came as part of a package last summer that also allocated $1.8 million to at the UW.

Solar panels dot many rooftops and power highway signs across the country, but the technology still hasn’t reached the lower cost and reliability needed for widespread adoption, Schwartz said. And even the best solar cells still need better energy storage capabilities to integrate seamlessly into the electrical grid.

The institute’s funding will help hire four new faculty members in the fields of advanced materials and energy systems. It will also provide fellowships to recruit six new graduate students and support about 20 graduate students pursuing out-of-the-box research in solar energy, batteries and smart grids. About half of the funding in the first year will go toward developing lab space and new instrumentation in the UW’s recently completed .

“The institute will really accelerate the pace of both scientific discovery and technology transfer at 91探花while educating the next generation of clean energy leaders,” said , the institute’s associate director and a chemistry professor. “Discovery is very important to innovation, and the state funding will allow us to take risks to find real breakthroughs.”

Engineers and scientists at the 91探花are currently making new materials that efficiently harvest energy from the sun and can be manufactured at a low cost. For example, one team is creating solar “inks” to coat surfaces as a way to make low-cost solar cells, while other researchers are creating plastic solar cells they hope can be mass produced. Key to this technology is designing materials at the molecular level and understanding how changes can impact the performance of a solar cell, Ginger said.

The institute also will support engineering research on how solar energy production, battery storage and smart-grid technology can work together to accelerate the scale-up of clean energy. As the state aims to meet ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals over the next decades, Schwartz said, Washington can’t expect its reliable hydroelectric power sources to grow with the economy.

“Solar energy is the one resource that can truly scale up going forward, but we need to be smart about the whole energy system to help it happen,” Schwartz said.

The institute will be an interdisciplinary hub for solar and battery research, drawing several dozen 91探花faculty from across campus as well as university, federal and state partners, including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the UW’s Center for Commercialization and the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute.

Inslee and Young joined speakers including Bullitt Foundation President Denis Hayes and Technology Alliance Executive Director Susannah Malarkey, as well as and faculty, staff and industry partners to inaugurate the institute and emphasize the need for energy innovation. Faculty and graduate students presented their research and invited guests toured the lab facilities.

鈥淚 am very pleased that this institute can help germinate and see the fruition of intellectual talent and put that to work right here at the 91探花,” Inslee said. “This is the culmination of a multi-decadal dream I鈥檝e had, and to see it come to pass it just a huge delight.鈥�

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For more information, contact Schwartz at ceidir@uw.edu聽or 206-685-6833.

marked its 100^th birthday in grand style today (June 10) with the announcement of a glass sculpture from a 91探花alumnus who is also among the biggest names in art: .

“Deep Purple and Azure Centennial Seaform Set,” is a clamshell-like glass piece about 30 inches wide that now resides on the top floor of the 91探花Tower. The piece cradles smaller trumpets, globes and other shapes.

The piece, from his Seaform series, is the third by Chihuly currently at the UW. The other two are “Six Starbursts,” an anemone wall in the Meany Hall West Lobby and “Chinook Red Chandelier” at the 91探花Tacoma Library Tower.

91探花President Michael Young and the artist were both present Monday at a small ceremony at the 91探花Tower noting the long-term loan of the piece to the university. In appreciation, Young presented Chihuly with a bottle of wine made by the Woodinville winery Matthews Estate, which is operated by 91探花alumni.

鈥淒ale is a celebrated alumnus and a great friend to the 91探花. He has been named one of the university鈥檚 Top 100 Alumni. He has inspired exciting new avenues of art and education through his innovative work and the Dale Chihuly Endowed Chair in the College of Arts and Sciences,” Young said. 鈥淗is support and a growing collection of his visionary pieces are a cornerstone of the UW’s legacy in the arts. It鈥檚 a tremendous honor and privilege to showcase his extraordinary work.”

David Szatmary, vice provost for 91探花Educational Outreach, which includes Professional and Continuing Education, noted that the department increases access to the 91探花for nearly 47,000 additional students every year, plus thousands more served through open online courses.

鈥淧roviding ongoing education for students of diverse ages, stages and walks of life has been a key part of the 91探花mission for 100 years,” Szatmary said, adding that the artwork “is a fitting tribute to the thousands of students, faculty members, instructors, dedicated staff and campus and community partners who exemplify the very best in lifelong learning.”

Chihuly earned his undergraduate degree in art from the 91探花in 1965. Other 91探花awards have followed: He received the 91探花Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award in 1993 and the 91探花College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1996. He was also among the recipients of the College of Arts and Sciences Timeless Awards during the 150^th year celebrations in 2012.

“Few people can match Sally鈥檚 deep passion for the conservation issues facing our nation. At the same time, she has a profound understanding of the importance of the land and its use for the people of America. Her strong leadership and management skills, combined with her unwavering commitment to future generations, make her exceptionally well suited for the challenges of the position.

“An alumna of our College of Engineering, Sally has served on the 91探花 board of regents for over a decade. We have been a very grateful beneficiary of her tremendous talents and we are so proud that she has this opportunity to put those talents to work on the national stage.”