Join us for a unique opportunity to meet Eric D. Isaacs, president and CEO of the
Research Corporation for Science Advancement, to learn more about his
organization’s funding programs that support innovative basic research in the
physical sciences.
Research Corporation for Science Advancement Information Session
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 | 3:30–4:30 p.m.
Walter Library, Room 101 | In-person only
The Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) is a leading philanthropic foundation that provides funding for innovative scientific research and the development of academic scientists. They provide catalytic funding for early stage, high-potential, basic scientific research and conduct RCSA-sponsored conferences that promote creative thinking and collaboration on problems of national and global importance. RCSA’s two core programs, Cottrell Scholars and Scialog, support innovative basic research in the physical sciences.
Cottrell Scholars
The Cottrell Scholars program champions the very best early career teacher-scholars in chemistry, physics, and astronomy by providing significant discretionary awards for research and activities that support teacher-scholars with gaining the skills and relationships necessary to become leaders in their respective research communities. Cottrell Scholars is open to early‑career, tenure‑track faculty in chemistry, physics, or astronomy.
Scialog
The Scialog program includes multi-year initiatives that support research, intensive dialogue, and community building to address scientific challenges of global significance. Scialog Fellows participate in annual convenings that foster new collaborations across multiple disciplines to spark innovative ideas, stimulate significant advances on chosen topics, and attract higher levels of funding. Scialog is open to early-career faculty in disciplines specified within each initiative.
Advance registration is appreciated. Walk-ins welcome!
Presenter
Eric Isaacs became president of Research Corporation for Science Advancement on July 1, 2025. Isaacs is a physicist and research leader whose career spans major scientific institutions, including the Carnegie Institution for Science—where he served as president and led a significant interdisciplinary reorganization—and the University of Chicago, where he oversaw more than $1.5 billion in sponsored research and directed Argonne National Laboratory. He also was essential in advancing the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) project. Eric is also president-elect of the American Association of the Advancement of Science.
Isaacs received his BA in physics from Beloit College, his PhD in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Bell Laboratories. His scientific interests are broad ranging, from astrophysics and materials physics to evolutionary biology and energy technologies. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the American Physical Society.Contact the Research and Innovation Office at [email protected] with any questions about the event.