A longtime supporter of scientific research conducted at universities in New Jersey and across the nation, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) was awarded for his leadership recentlly by Rutgers University, Princeton University and The Science Coalition. Rutgers University-New Brunswick Chancellor Christopher Molloy joined Pablo Debenedetti, dean for research at Princeton University, to present Pallone with The Science Coalition’s Champion of Science Award at a conference hosted by Rutgers’ Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS).

Molloy praised the congressman, a Rutgers Law school alumnus, for his longstanding support of the university and his commitment to environmental science and medical research. “Representative Pallone’s steadfast commitment to science has been integral to the success of research at Rutgers,” Molloy said. “Our university is the number one recipient in New Jersey of funding from NIH, and Rep. Pallone has been a fierce advocate in ensuring this crucial partnership continues. We could not be more grateful and proud to present him with this award.”

​Throughout his congressional career, Pallone has advocated for doubling the budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As then-ranking member on the Energy and Commerce Committee, he was a key proponent of the 21st Century Cures Act, which added over $2 billion to the NIH budget. Now as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, he has strongly supported various research initiatives to combat the opioid epidemic, increase research into cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as encourage the development and deployment of new technologies to deliver cures to patient populations. ​Please read more here.

Trenton, NJ - Gov. Phil Murphy announced the creation of the New Jersey STEM Strategic Advisory Board that was developed by the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network (NJSPN). This inaugural Board was launched by the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network, an initiative of the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, and will provide leadership and expertise for a statewide STEM (“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math”) vision in education and workforce. It also plans to fund innovative STEM programs with data-driven results. The Board includes business and philanthropic leaders and will seek to continue to grow over the course of the year.

From NJBIZ  Two companies left as winners from TechLaunch BullPen No. 15, held Wednesday evening at Monmouth University. eMedEvents walked away with the investor award – and more than $15,000 in professional services – while Hooke Audio took home the Audience Choice Award. Please read more here.

From New Jersey Business
Named for Dr. Sol J. Barer, Founder and former Chairman and CEO of Celgene Corporation and former BioNJ Chairman, the Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership recognizes outstanding research and business leaders who have made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of the life sciences industry in New Jersey and throughout the world. BioNJ honors Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman of the board and CEO of Merck & Co., Inc., as the 2020 Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership recipient. Please read more here.

The Princeton team used a technique known as scanning tunneling microscopy, which is capable of imaging individual atoms, to study an iron-based superconductor made from lithium, iron and arsenic. They introduced non-magnetic impurities in the form of cobalt atoms into the superconductor to see how it behaved. The researchers measured a large number of samples at extremely low temperatures, about minus 460 degrees Fahrenheit (400 degrees milliKelvin), which is colder than outer space by almost ten degrees Fahrenheit. Under these conditions, the researchers located and identified each cobalt atom in the crystal lattice, and then directly measured the effect it had on the superconductivity at both the atomically local scale and the global superconducting properties of the sample. Please read more here.

From New Jersey Business

Howard Kimmel, professor emeritus in chemical engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), has received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). He is one of 15 awardees nationwide and the only recipient in New Jersey this year. Bestowed by the National Science Foundation in partnership with the White House Office of Science and Technology, the achievement recognizes the strong contributions made by the recipients in expanding, enhancing and retaining science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent through mentorship. More specifically, the award acknowledges “the critical role mentors play outside the traditional classroom setting in the academic and professional development of the future STEM workforce” — supporting learners from kindergarten through college who “are often from traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM.” PAESMEM has paid tribute to both individuals and organizations since 1995. Please read more here.

From NJBIZ
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities awarded a contract funded by a federal grant to Rowan University to conduct a study and create an actionable plan to improve access to clean transportation in under-served communities throughout the state. The two-year, $100,000 grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Program. It will support Rowan conducting a feasibility and market analysis on plug-in Electric Vehicle infrastructure and usage programs specifically focused on low-income populations and multi-family dwellings. Please read more here.

Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden has been awarded a $7.7 million contract by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) focused on the study of nervous system disorders. The five-year award will support the NINDS Human Genetics Resource Center, a collection of biological samples and corresponding demographic, clinical, and genetic data made available to qualified researchers around the world. Please read more here.

A milestone patent for a rapid, automated test for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) and Rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis invented by two Rutgers University researchers received the 2019 Edison Patent Award from the Research & Development Council of New Jersey. The invention receiving the Edison Patent Award in the biotechnology category, “Detection of Drug Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis” (U.S. Patent 9,708,671 B2) consists of a technology that shortens the time it takes to diagnose tuberculosis from around seven weeks to less than two hours. Please read more here.

HINJ President and Chief Executive Officer Dean J. Paranicas issued a statement on Nov. 15 about the new health care proposal from Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.): "Intellectual property is the very lifeblood of American innovation – whether it is created in New Jersey, Silicon Valley, MIT or the Pentagon, or whether it’s in biopharmaceuticals, software, nanotechnology or defense – which is precisely why preserving it has been a core American value since our country’s founding. Sen. Booker’s proposal calls for the federal government to effectively confiscate a life sciences company’s patented intellectual property through compulsory licensing if price negotiations fail – after the company has risked billions of dollars and worked for a decade or more to bring a new treatment or cure to patients." Please read more here.