Gates Gives Institute $15 Million

The Earth Institute at Columbia received a $15 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-the largest single grant in the institute's history, officials announced Wednesday.

The money, which will be distributed to the institute over five years, will help fund researchers who are developing ways to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight objectives that range from cutting extreme poverty in half to stopping the spread of AIDS.

The grant "provides us with the resources to do the work that we're doing," Executive Director Steven Cohen said. He also said it will allow researchers to "worry less about paychecks and more about alleviating poverty."

Cohen said some of the money will finance researchers working in some of the Millennium Villages in Africa. Earth Institute experts in agriculture, nutrition, and economics assist communities in applying anti-poverty measures.

"Engaging academic researchers across disciplines in this undertaking holds great promise for expanding the global development field and advancing a range of science-based solutions that will benefit millions of people who live in extreme poverty," Sylvia Mathews, president of the Global Development Program at the Gates Foundation, wrote in a statement. "We're pleased to support the Earth Institute at Columbia University's extraordinary faculty and unique, collaborative approach."

Cohen said he hopes the donation is the start of a serious fundraising effort at the institute. He said the organization is looking for money to fund scholarships and research.