Google has announced its first serious funding for university research, with $5.7m going to 12 projects led by 31 professors at 10 universities. Only one of these is outside the US: the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory will get some funds for its Computing for the Future of the Planet research, led by Professor Andy Hopper. Cambridge isn't saying how much it will get ("a six figure sum"), but grants range between $100,000 and $1.5m.
Google is supporting four areas that it says "are of key interest to Google as well as the research community". Half the awards are concerned with energy efficiency in computing -- one of Goole's primary interests -- with the other areas being machine learning, the use of mobile phones as data collection devices for public health and environment monitoring, and privacy.
Professor Hopper, whose research comes in the privacy category, says the awards "place no restrictions or constraints on the funded research". However, privacy will be increasingly important to Google as it gets access to ever-larger amounts of personal data.
No doubt there will also be spin-off benefits for Google as it increases its contact with bright students -- potential employees -- and introduces them to Google technologies.
There's a long tradition of technology companies funding university research, particularly in the US, so it's good to see Google joining in.
The Cambridge Computer Lab is based in the William Gates Building, which received "a substantial donation" from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It's next door to Microsoft Research Cambridge.
