August 03, 2009

Professor Autumn receives NSF grant

Biology professor Kellar Autumn has received a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The three-year award was made under NSF’s Research in Undergraduate Institutions  program.  The grant will allow Autumn and his research team to advance understanding of the micromechanics of gecko setae under a range of biologically relevant environmental conditions, enabling transformative advances in adhesion technology and tribology.

Autumn’s research has crisscrossed the globe, appearing on five continents in hundreds of newspapers, journals, books, television programs, and Internet articles. Autumn’s research has been used as a stepping stone in the invention of a strong and sticky adhesive similar to a gecko’s feet, discovered by researchers at U.C. Berkeley. Explore this interactive map of some major media placements from recent years to discover the international impact of Autumn’s work.