Cornell has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, a philanthropic organization that funds scientific research, to support 10 two-year postdoctoral appointments according to the Cornell Chronicle.
The grant comes amid several national and University challenges to continue federal funding including an $11 million cut to the College of Arts and Sciences’ budget announced on Sept. 17 and concerns surrounding financial austerity. Several staff cuts and hiring restrictions were announced in Summer 2025 to help preserve the University’s finances following federal funding cuts in April 2025.
This year, the grant will fund 10 two-year postdoctoral appointments — or temporary, research-focused positions to assist recent Ph.D. graduates for their future careers — across four of the University’s colleges. CAS’ appointments include three in astronomy, chemistry and physics. Four appointments will be in biology, genetics, microbiology and computational biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Two appointments were awarded in microbiology and immunology and molecular biology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and one focused on artificial intelligence and quantum systems in Cornell Engineering.
“This grant is a significant investment in the next generation of scientific leaders,” Vice Provost for Research Gary Koretzky ’78 told the Cornell Chronicle. “We are grateful to the Moore foundation for allowing us to support exceptional postdocs across diverse fields at Cornell.”
Current postdoctoral associate Nathan Sitaraman Ph.D. ’22 wrote in a statement to The Sun that the grant will help recover a small “but significant fraction” of postdoctoral positions lost since 2024.
“Considering the ongoing uncertainty around federal funding, and the reality that federal funding has been used as a point of leverage to infringe upon the academic freedom of some universities, it is both welcoming to see private foundations contribute to research funding, and essential for Cornell to continue to diversify its sources of research funding,” Sitaraman wrote.
The Moore Foundation’s grant receipts will also receive career development and leadership training, which includes access to Careers Beyond Academia, a program designed to assist graduate and postdoctoral research explore career options post graduation. The foundation has previously worked with other universities, including the California Institute of Technology, University of California at Los Angeles and Stanford University.
“Postdoctoral researchers are an essential part of academic science and the knowledge Cornell brings into the world,” Koretzky told the Chronicle. “They often mentor students and lead projects, helping advance discoveries in areas like quantum materials, genomics and biomedicine – work that will fundamentally transform technologies, medicine and public health.”
Zeinab Faraj is a member of the class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is the features editor on the 143rd Editorial Board and was the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. You can reach her at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
