The Gordon
and Betty Moore Foundation has announced the 2023 competition for the Moore Inventor
Fellows. Their 2022-23
selection process seeks
to identify outstanding early-stage inventors who harness science and
technology solutions to enhance scientific research, strengthen
environmental conservation, or improve the experience and outcomes of
patient care. Moore seeks creative individuals from programs that
include, but are not limited to, environmental science and conversation,
oceanography, biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, neuroscience,
public health, and gerontology. Candidates must be no more than 10
years past receiving the terminal advanced degree in their field. Previous candidates may apply.
Fellows
will receive funding for three years at a level of $200,000 per year from
the Moore Foundation. In addition to funds for the fellow, the foundation
will provide $25,000 each year to UCR to cover costs associated with
administering the grant award, for a total three-year award of $675,000.
The nominating institution needs to
commit to ensuring that nominees have at least 25 percent of their time to
devote to their invention, and $50,000 per year in direct support of the
inventor's work. This could include
support for undergraduate or graduate students, equipment, supplies and other
needs that will enable the fellow to make progress on their work. Release
time from teaching or other duties also qualifies. Funds that were
designated for a fellow’s use before the fellow was awarded a Moore
Inventor Fellowship (such as start-up funds) do not qualify. The two UCR applicants chosen as
nominees through the internal Limited Submission process should be prepared to confirm with their
department chairs and deans that the 25 percent time commitment would be
approved if the candidate becomes a fellow, and that the institutional
support for their project is defined.
In-kind support such as release time should be explored first, with
the institutional F/A distribution model used for the remainder. This obligation will need to be
confirmed more concretely only if the Moore Foundation moves the
applicant’s application to the “finalist” stage.
To review a
list of funded projects, Moore’s list of 2022 Fellows may be found here.
Interested
faculty should complete an internal pre-application through UCR’s Limited Submission process by Friday, November 4th. The only item needed by 11/4 for internal
UCR review is a two-page Statement of Invention closely following the format outlined on page 3 of Moore’s
guidelines.
UCR may
submit two names to the Moore Foundation for this award by November 14th. The two nominees will then have until
December 13th, 2022 to complete their full applications. Questions can
be addressed to Bryan Carlson, Executive Director of Foundation
Development, at bryan.carlson@ucr.edu.
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