The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has announced seventeen faculty members as recipients of the 2010 Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering. Each fellow will receive an unrestricted five-year grant of $875,000.

Established in 1988, the fellowship program is designed to strengthen research groups that are the heart of university-based science and engineering programs. By supporting unusually creative professors early in their careers, the foundation aims to develop scientific leaders, further the work of promising scientists and engineers, and support efforts to attract talented graduate students into university research in the United States.

In the program's twenty-two years, the foundation has awarded 457 fellowships totaling $288 million to faculty members at 52 universities. The program funds research in a broad range of disciplines, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, astronomy, computer science, earth science, ocean science, and all branches of engineering.

"Each year, we are inspired by the early career science and engineering faculty we are able to support through these fellowships," said Lynn Orr, chair of the Packard Fellowship Advisory Panel. "These professors are tackling some of the critical research questions of our time, and we know they will have a big impact not just on their fields but also on the students who are fortunate enough to work with them."

For a complete list of the 2010 fellows, visit the Packard Foundation Web site.