Scientists hope that this property will lead to a new kind of electronics, known as "Spintronics," which could utilize both the charge and spin of electrons for faster information transmission that requires less current.
Madhavan said she hopes that her research will further the understanding of magnetism in semiconductors at atomic scales, and this may bring scientists one step closer to achieving Spintronics.
Madhavan also plans to devote part of her grant to setting up education and outreach programs for science teachers as well as school children.
"In the long term, I hope I will be able to find a way to increase the number of students interested in physics or physics education," Madhavan said in an e-mail.
Like Madhavan, Bruner's research will also involve the microscopic, but at the molecular level. Bruner was awarded $575,000 for his work in chemistry, and he will use the grant to study how therapeutic drugs are naturally produced by plants and microorganisms.
Using a combination of chemical and biological approaches, he will study the protein machines responsible for the biosynthesis of natural products. These natural products can be found in traditional medicines and are utilized in a majority of clinically-used pharmaceuticals, Bruner's research could potentially revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry.
"An understanding of the mechanism of natural production will be used to develop novel and more efficient ways of producing useful therapeutics through environmentally friendly approaches,"Bruner said in an e-mail.
Snyder was granted around $430,000 for his work in geology and geophysics for the purpose of investigating the history and physical processes of several rivers in northern Maine. These rivers are the habitat of the last remaining populations of the endangered wild Atlantic salmon.
Snyder's project intends to increase understanding about how ongoing and future changes, such as reforestation, stream restoration, fish reintroduction, and dam removal, will affect channel shape and habitat.
Spring Break
