Rutgers University has received a $1.5 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to support 37 postdoctoral researchers across 12 scientific disciplines.
The funding strengthens research in the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, advancing discovery in areas such as astrophysics, quantum and condensed matter physics, materials science, molecular and cellular biology, and microbiology.
The Postdoctoral Fellowship Commitment supports scholars across 13 departments and 12 scientific fields at Rutgers-New Brunswick, providing one- and two-year appointments tailored to school and department priorities.
Rutgers-New Brunswick is one of 30 research universities in the United States selected to receive support through the foundation, which is investing $55 million nationally in natural science research.
“As competition intensifies across the nation’s scientific workforce, this investment from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation comes at a pivotal moment,” said Sheila Borges Rajguru, executive director of research development and strategy in the Office for Research at Rutgers-New Brunswick and principal investigator of the grant. She will oversee and administer the award.
“When we support postdoctoral scholars, we strengthen the laboratories, students and research programs that depend on them. Their work drives innovation and moves discoveries from the bench toward real-world impact.”
The grant supplements faculty-supported postdoctoral positions and creates opportunities for strategic hires. In a shifting funding landscape that has made consistent support for highly trained researchers more challenging, the award provides stability for early-career scientists, Borges Rajguru said.
In the School of Arts and Sciences, postdoctoral researchers are exploring how the brain forms memories; how genes are regulated inside cells; and how distant cosmic events such as supernovas enable scientists to measure the expansion rate of the universe.
In the School of Engineering, fellows will advance the field of condensed matter physics by exploring the applications of quantum materials, soft matter and polymers. This research aims to develop materials with tunable properties, enabling the creation of more adaptable and resilient mechanical components for next-generation flexible electronics, robotic systems and other critical industries.
At the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, researchers are investigating volcanic carbon emissions, tracing the chemical history of Earth’s mantle and studying how ecosystems respond to environmental stress.
