Margaret Stock is an immigration attorney from Anchorage, Alaska, who created a program that enlists the help of volunteer attorneys around the country to help military families in need of legal assistance. Angela Duckworth is a research psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania whose research is shedding light on the roles that self-control and grit play in educational achievement. And Sheila Nirenberg, a New York City neuroscientist is studying the nervous system and creating new prosthetic devices and robots.
What do all these women have in common? They all received MacArthur Foundation Genius Grants. A total of 24 women and men were nominated to receive no-strings-attached stipends of $625,000 each to help them continue their work. These annual awards recognize very talented people whose extraordinary works are helping to improve lives.
In addition to the Genius Grants, The MacArthur Foundation also awards grants to projects that focus on the following areas: arts and culture, community and economic development, international peach and security, human rights, conservation and sustainable development, population and reproductive health, and strengthening American democracy.
The MacArthur Foundation was created in 1970 and named for philanthropists John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur. The Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $5 billion in the United States and more than 60 countries around the world.
For more information, visit www.macfound.org/info-grantseekers/