Research and scientific discoveries at the Indiana University School of Informatics will flourish because of a new programme funded by the Eli Lilly Foundation
A $60,000 gift from the Indianapolis-based foundation establishes the Lilly Fellowship in Informatics.
The money will be used to support two graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees in informatics at the School's Bloomington campus.
The fellowship (awarded one per year) would go to promising students whose research focuses on discovery sciences, such as bioinformatics, chemical informatics and complex systems.
Preference would be given to candidates who combine strong backgrounds in relevant scientific fields with skills in information technology.
"The Lilly fellowship invigorates our new doctoral programme and will attract exceptional researchers," said School of Informatics dean Michael Dunn.
"This generous gift comes at a time when our research and education programmes connected to the life sciences are growing, and the connection with Lilly bolsters the School's stature as a premiere training ground for scientists".
The IU School of Informatics - established in 2000 and the first of its kind in the United States - launched the nation's first doctoral degree programme in the fall of 2005, enrolling 20 students at its Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses.
The school also offers master's programmes in bioinformatics and chemical informatics.
"The Lilly Foundation assists many nonprofit institutions by combining the generosity of employee-giving with corporate resources," said Lilly Foundation president Robert Smith.
"Certainly, there is tremendous value in our supporting the continuing education of professionals who are key in advancing life sciences research now flourishing in Indiana".
Fellowship recipients will be selected by a committee of School of Informatics administrative and program leaders in consultation with John Reynders, information officer of discovery and development informatics at Eli Lilly.
The first Lilly Fellowship in Informatics is expected to be chosen before the fall (autumn) 2006 semester gets under way at IU Bloomington.
