Microsoft Research
Recognising the advancement of science through computational methods
Total pledged: £693,000 over three years.
Microsoft Research sponsors the Microsoft European Science Award which is designed to recognise and reward scientists working in Europe who have made a major contribution to the advancement of science through the use of computational methods.
The award comprises a trophy and a monetary amount of â,¬250,000.
The winner of the 2006 Royal Society and Académie des Sciences Microsoft
European Science Award was Dr Dennis Bray from University of Cambrige,
for his research using innovative computer simulations of biological
systems. His work focuses on the molecular systems that enable bacteria
to detect and respond to chemical changes in their surroundings. Dr
Bray intends to use the award to set up a computational facility for
the new
Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University
of Cambridge.
Jean-Philippe Courtois, president of Microsoft International on the award "Some of the most innovative uses for software are developing at the intersection
of computing and the natural sciences. Private industry investment in
scientific partnerships helps Europe stay competitive. Through this award
and other programmes as part of the Microsoft European Science Initiative,
we are helping to support the work of leading European scientists, such
as Dr Bray, to push the boundaries of science and computingT
