MacArthur 'genius grants' given to 25 creatives

CHICAGO - A lobsterman aiding the recovery of Maine fishing grounds, a physicist developing lasers, and a violin-maker were among 25 scientists, artists and activists awarded $500,000 (277,100 pounds) no-strings-attached grants, the MacArthur Foundation announced on Tuesday.

The recipients of the MacArthur grants -- often referred to as "genius grants" -- did not have advance knowledge they were even being considered by 100 anonymous nominators and the foundation's 12-member selection committee.

"The call can be life-changing, coming as it does out of the blue and offering highly creative women and men the gift of time and the unfettered opportunity to explore, create, and contribute," said Jonathan Fanton, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which has $5 billion in assets built from insurance businesses.

The prizes have been awarded to 707 people since 1981 and "recognise the critical role played in society by highly creative people working across a wide spectrum of activity," Fanton said in a statement.

"As individuals, each (fellow) is highly focussed, tenacious, and creative," program director Daniel Socolow said.

Among the winners who ranged in age from 33 to 66, were 24 Americans and a Swiss photographer. They included:

- Lobsterman and biochemist Ted Ames, 66, of Stonington, Maine, has used anecdotal accounts from fishermen and other methods to create a picture of fish populations and identify strategies to help depleted fishing grounds recover.

- Physicist Claire Gmachl, 38, of Princeton University has developed new types of lasers useful in environmental monitoring, medical diagnoses, and chemicals processing.

- Violin-maker Joseph Curtin, 52, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, fashions instruments from contemporary materials into new ergonomic designs.

- Documentary filmmaker Edet Belzberg of New York won her grant for her expose of homeless Romanian children living in the Bucharest train station ("Children Underground") and her just-completed chronicle ("Gymnast") of three top American female gymnasts and their entourages.

- Another New Yorker, Majora Carter, 38, won for her work with poor South Bronx residents.

- New York novelist Jonathan Lethem, 41, was praised for his works that combine noir mysteries, westerns, science fiction and comic books -- and explore the relationship between high art and popular culture.

- Zurich-based photographer Fazal Sheikh, 40, was given a grant for his portraits of the world's displaced peoples.

- Conductor Marin Alsop, 48, who conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in England, was awarded for her innovative interpretations of classical music.
- Independent engineer Michael Walsh, 62, of Arlington, Virginia, was awarded for his authoritative work on reducing vehicle emissions since the 1980s.

- Pennsylvania pharmacist Michael Cohen, 61, was credited with reducing mistakes in administering drugs.


- REUTERS