Science:
A new program will fund revolutionary science by do-it-yourself
scientists and those with startup companies that aren't far
enough along to attract venture capital, writes Jocelyn Kaiser
for
Science. Peter Thiel, a cofounder of PayPal and
investor in Facebook, originated the concept for
Breakout Labs, which is
offering grants to independent researchers working on radical
ideas. The foundation hopes to make 10 to 20 awards in the
first year, ranging from $50 000 to $350 000, and
scientists in any discipline can apply. In return, the grantees
must publish in open-access journals and help support more
projects, either by sharing a portion of future royalties with
Breakout Labs or by assigning intellectual property to the
program. How long Breakout Labs will run depends on the quality
of the proposals it attracts, said program founder and
executive director Lindy Fishburne.
