UNC-Wilmington involved in project receiving $50 million grant
DATELINE: PHOENIX
A collaborative project that involves the University of North Carolina at Wilmington is receiving a $50 million grant over five years to create a new computer-based center for plant science research.
The grant from the National Science Foundation will be used to try to answer so-called "grand challenge" questions about the future of plant life on Earth.
The University of Arizona is leading the project, and officials there said they will receive nearly 80 percent of the funding. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York will get most of the rest.
Other participating institutions include Arizona State University and Purdue University.
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that the announcement is proof that the state's investment in higher education is paying off.