Research Funding By Invitation Only: The Packard Foundation Fellowships

Officials at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation are keenly aware that without strong university-based research—and without bright, university-educated scientists and engineers—companies like Hewlett-Packard Co., the Palo Alto, Calif.-based computer giant; would not be where they are today; That was the idea behind the 25-year-old foundation’s launching last year of the University Research Fellowships program. The program supports young science and engineering faculty just beginning their careers at universities in the United States. The foundation, named for the cofounder of Hewlett-Packard and his late wife, is located in Los Altos, Calif., near the company’s headquarters. Profits from the finn’s diverse inventory of computers and analytical instruments support the foundation, which, in turn, funds arts, education, and science organizations that depend on contributions from private sources. Annedore Kushner, fellowships program coordinator for the Packard Foundation, says David Packard instituted the program because “the science and technology area is very dear to him.” To ensure that there will be enough excellent teachers available to conduct research and educate future scientists and engineers, the main goal of the program, as summed up in its promotional brochure, is to “make a university career more attractive by providing substantial unrestricted funds, which can be used with maximum effectiveness by the recipients.” And the funds are substantial indeed. Each year, the foundation plans to name 20 fellows, who will be awarded $100,000 per year for five years. This $100,000 is given to the fellow’s university; $10,000 of it is earmarked for unrestricted use by the institution, and the other $90,000 supports the fellow’s research. Fellows can use the money for equipment, supplies, technicians, graduate students, travel, summer salary, or secretarial help. Award recipients from the first two years of the program represent a wide-range of scientific disciplines, from astronomy to mechanical engineering. But not all types of research are funded by the foundation. “David Packard decided on the fields to fund,” says Kushner. The disciplines Packard chose include physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, astronomy, computer science, earth science, ocean science, and all branches of engineering. But the specific research programs earmarked by the Packard foundation are those that generally receive little—or no—federal funding; as opposed to fields like high-energy physics, space, and medical research, which normally receive the lion’s share of government moneys. What sounds like an ideal source of funding does have one major catch: The application process is by invitation only—that is, only those universities selected to nominate fellows may do so. The presidents of the invited universities may nominate two faculty members who have been teaching for fewer than three years and who have shown considerable promise and creativity in their research. Researchers whose institutions are not on the list of invited universities are not eligible, no matter how promising and creative they may be, says Kushner. So how did the Packard Foundation select the universities? “We started out with a list the NSF [National Science Foundation] puts out,” explains Kushner. “It ranked research colleges and universities by the amount of federal money they received. We took 50 off the top of the list.” The rationale behind inviting the participation of universities such as Harvard, Cornell, Wisconsin, and the University of California, Berkeley—schools that are already well-funded— stems, says Kushner, from the observation that well-funded schools are geared heavily toward research, and are therefore the type of institution that would attract bright, young faculty members. Of the 20 fellowships awarded in 1988, 16 were given to researchers in science, with the geosciences (earth and ocean sciences), chemistry, and biochemistry each receiving 15% of the Packard pie. Researchers in engineering programs, including electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering, received the other four fellowships, for a total of 20% (see accompanying chart). For the 1989 fellowships, the advisory committee added two more universities to the list—Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y, and Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.—because, according to Kushner, the board believed the program was “a little thin on the engineering side.” In 1989, however, only one engineer received a fellowship (5% of the funds); whereas researchers in biology, chemistry, and physics each enjoyed 20% of the funds. When asked about the significant differences in the distribution of funds between 1988 and 1989, Kushner says,”That’s just the way it works.” She notes that the foundation doesn’t set quotas, and that the funding pattern simply reflects the qualifications of the nominees. The reason for restricting the number of yearly applicants to 104, says Kushner, is to keep the fellowship program manageable: “It’s a pretty involved process as it is now.” To further keep the program under control, she says, the application process has been pared down to what the advisory committee says it needs to make a recommendation. Each nominee must submit a two-page letter that explains the importance and future goals of his or her research, and curriculum vitae. The rest of the application packet must contain a nomination document (from the university president) and four letters of recommendation (one from the researcher’s department head, and three from individuals outside the university who are familiar with the ‘nominee’s work). Even after a nominee has received a fellowship, the paper work is kept to a minimum, says Kushner. Each year, the fellow must submit only a two-page progress report on his or her research, as well as a summary of expenditures. As for the future of the program, Kushner doesn’t anticipate that things will change dramatically. “I expect to keep it going as it is,” she says. “The same amount of money every year; same number of recipients.” Those graduate students and postdoctoral fellows planning on careers in academia might do well to keep a list of the 52 invited universities in mind. For more information about the fellowship program, contact: Annedore Kushner, Program Coordinator; The David and Lucile Packard Foundation; Fellowships in Science and Engineering; 300 Second St., Suite 200; LosAltos, Calif. 94022; (415) 948-7658.

Research Funding By Invitation Only: The Packard Foundation Fellowships

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