MSU awarded $25M grant to establish new science center
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A $25 million cutting-edge science and technology center is coming to MSU, university officials announced Wednesday.
MSU beat hundreds of universities across the U.S. for the funding from the National Science Foundation, or NSF. The grant will create the Bio/computational Evolution in Action Consortium, or BEACON.
NSF will begin funding BEACON on June 1.
BEACON will allow researchers to study the relationship between evolution in digital as well as biological realms. Researchers at the center will be able to study evolutionary principles through the use of computer programs that compete with one another for resources to be able to multiply.
Researchers said they will be able to look for comparisons between evolution in the computer programs and in organisms such as bacteria.
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said the grant is the result of years of hard work and collaboration between university researchers.
“This was a very difficult competition,” Simon said. “When you’re in a very competitive space, you’re never quite sure of your chances, and we’re just absolutely delighted that this work has been recognized.”
The $25 million will stretch across five years, with a renewal ability for an additional five years, said Richard Lenski, a co-principal investigator.
MSU will lead research at BEACON among four partner universities — North Carolina A&T State University, the University of Idaho, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Washington.
MSU was one of five institutions across the U.S. to receive an award under NSF’s Science and Technology Centers program.
An NSF spokesperson could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Erik Goodman, BEACON’s principal investigator, said funding under the NSF program is highly sought after.
“It’s the most prestigious program at NSF,” Goodman said. “It only comes along about every five years. Everybody wants one of these centers.”
The possibility of making BEACON a reality at MSU arose several years ago, Lenski said. He said NSF put out a call for preproposals for funding under the program.
“We began to collaborate … about possible unifications of ideas in computer science and engineering and ideas in biology, and what a fruitful opportunity for the future that collaboration would represent,” Lenski said.
Goodman said the university invested money in making space for BEACON months before the announcement.
“The university said ‘We are going to go ahead and make this space available. If you fund BEACON, we’ll be able to start,’” Goodman said. “It shows that the university is willing to invest in this, and is confident that we’re going to make progress in this area regardless.”
BEACON will be located in the space formerly occupied by the Biomedical and Physical Sciences Branch Library. That space is being renovated to make room for BEACON and the Institute for Cyber-enabled Research, or iCER.
The renovations are expected to be completed by May 15, Goodman said.
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Yessssss
(02/18/10 3:11am)Report
Congrats to Dr. Lenski! I’m not so upset they closed the BPS library now. Still a little bit… but not as much. This is a very good use for the space.
Also, in before the MFing backasswards christianbots come to terrorize this article’s comments with pronouncements of hellfire on us all. Idiots.
Tezcatlipoca
(02/18/10 10:29am)Report
It’s the end of the world! The evil darwinists are joining forces with skynet!!! Doom! Gloom!
Sorry for the lackluster attempt at a Poe. ;)
Hooray! Lenski’s work yields research money for MSU.
a
(02/18/10 10:56am)Report
Congrats Dr. Goodman!
Anon
(02/18/10 11:16am)Report
Awesome grant score. I really hope they don’t use that POS EVEDA-ED program for evo simulations.
Townsend
(02/18/10 12:04pm)Report
This is a coup for Simon, definitely another feather in MSU’s cap…
However, I too am disappointed with all the satellite library closures, esp BPS, as sciences, esp the hard sciences, have become the elite unit of MSU. Plus, MSU’s campus is so spread out, it’s a real headache to have to go to Main Library for all the books… I don’t know how much per year it is to run a satellite library, but some costs are necessary even in a budget crunch.
KJ Green
(02/18/10 12:38pm)Report
Congratulations MSU!
The message inherent in this NSF award is that talents residing at MSU are world-class. Knowing many of the participants, I concur. Lenski and Ofria’s work is leading edge, and Goodman is a truly talented leader — the kind of prof I wish I had when I was going to school. The team also includes numerous other top notch professors and researchers.
This is great news, especially in light of the challenges the University is facing. Hopefully the center will spawn numerous opportunities for students to participate in its research activities.
meg
(02/18/10 6:24pm)Report
Townsend: It sucked you lost your library, but there are a bunch of disciplines that don’t have satellite libraries, we can hang out and have coffee in the main library.
Way to go MSU EVO-heads!
student
(02/18/10 8:20pm)Report
MSU has always been a scientific institution.
But, if there is one thing that would make MSU perfect would be increase support for our social science and liberal arts programs.
I am very proud of all the accomplishments of our faculty and students, but MSU would really, really, be a special place if we had social science and liberal arts programs as supported as the scientific programs. By this I mean support from all areas inside and outside the University.
Specifically, most of the social science programs at MSU are very good, but some of them and most of the liberal arts programs need a lot of help in order to climb and have sustained growth across the board.
I have knowledge that, at least since the Capital Campaign, Simon as Provost and know as President has been pushing for increased development in the arts and liberal arts. Unfortunately, with tight budgets and preferences the University has had to settle with the money we receive and with whatever purpose.
Its not time to discriminate against funding but more support for these programs would certainly make MSU a more special University.
Aaaahaha
(02/19/10 2:16am)Report
“MSU would really, really, be a special place if we had social science and liberal arts programs as supported as the scientific programs.”
HA! Special indeed. MSU would be crap, then. Suck it, useless handwaving liberal arts people! Science and engineering are, have always been, and will always be more important. Don’t get in the way of progress.
meg
(02/19/10 6:48am)Report
god help you in navigating the international world-market with that attitude.
ralph
(02/19/10 8:27am)Report
which msu there are about 10