Professor Jarad Mason and Professor Daniel Nocera's project, “Microporous Liquids: Next-Generation Electrolytes for Catalysis,” has been selected for funding in the 2022 Star-Friedman Challenge for Promising Scientific Research. 

The Star-Friedman Challenge for Promising Scientific Research (formerly known as the Star Family Challenge for Promising Scientific Research) provides seed funding to interdisciplinary high-risk, high-impact projects in the life, physical, and social sciences. This program welcomes applications for both single- and multi-investigator projects from a broad range of fields and perspectives. Early-stage projects that are unlikely to receive funding from traditional grant-making agencies are encouraged.

Established in 2013 by a generous gift to Harvard University at the suggestion of James A. Star, AB (1983), the program expanded in the 2018-19 academic year through a gift from Joshua Friedman, AB (1976), MBA (1980), JD (1982) and Beth Friedman to invite proposal submissions from Harvard Medical School (HMS), Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) in addition to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). The Star-Friedman Challenge was previously supported by immediate-use funding; in 2020, the donors made generous new gifts to permanently endow the Challenge, ensuring that it can continue to support cutting-edge research at Harvard in perpetuity.

Ordinarily, awards will range from $80,000-$150,000. Star-Friedman Challenge winners receive not only a monetary award, but access to resources at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning to support the development of both their visual and oral presentations for the public communication of their research at the annual Challenge event. Approximately five awards will be made annually.

Watch a video about the award here: The Challenge for Promising Scientific Research: a Retrospective