In a new Q&A with the Penn Stater magazine, Andrew Read, Penn State senior vice president for research, underscores the link between publicly funded basic research and long-term innovation, economic growth and societal benefit — and the very real risks if the pipeline falters.

Highlights from the article include:

“The Envy of the World” appears in the Penn Stater's November/December 2025 issue and is available online now at pennstatermag.com/read.

The Simons Foundation’s Life Sciences division invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships to support candidates who intend to pursue a career in basic research on fundamental problems in plant biology.

The major goal of this program is to assist in the development of the careers of early career investigators committed to pursuing careers in the field of aging research and ger-omics, –omics research focused on aging and/or age-related disease research in particular.

The program supports research projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging rather than disease-specific research.

The Alkermes Pathways Research Awards program provides opportunities for early-career investigators focused on research relating to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, including sleep and circadian disturbances associated with these conditions.

The New Innovator Award seeks to promote career advancement of highly creative and promising new scientists who intend to make a long-term career commitment to research in food and agriculture and bring innovative, ground-breaking research initiatives and thinking to bear on problems facing food and agriculture.

The foundation’s grants program seeks to support basic science, ideally with potential translational applications. Immunology, microbiome, genomics, structural biology, cellular physiology, neuroscience, etc., are some noteworthy examples of current research support.

Penn State’s Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) Seed Grant Program is intended to foster basic and applied research on strategic interdisciplinary topics that leverage faculty expertise across the University.

The program supports research projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging as well as projects that have direct relevance to human aging if they show the potential to lead to clinically relevant strategies that address human aging and healthspan.

The research should have relevance for understanding the mechanisms underlying neurological and behavioral disorders, that may lead to improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders.

This Award was created to support research projects with strong potential to develop pioneering discoveries for understanding the underlying biological mechanisms that govern normal human aging and its related physiological decline.

The Center for Mathematical Biology presents a packed day full of internal and external speakers, flash talks, panel discussions, and funding opportunities around digital twins in Alzheimer's disease. Registration is required.

The Penn State Postdoc Research Symposium is back for its 18th year to showcase postdoctoral research across all disciplines! Hosted by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, this exciting event offers:

Can you highlight the impact and importance of your research for a general audience in 3 minutes? Give it a shot in Penn State's Three Minute Thesis competition, hosted by Fox Graduate School and open to Penn State graduate students from any college or campus. Participate to hone your research communication skills and compete for cash prizes! Register by submitting your three-minute video by Dec. 5.