Boston University researcher Maria Kamenetska will receive $1.35 million in funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation as a 2026 Experimental Physics Investigator. Kamenetska studies individual molecules at the scale of one-billionth of a meter, a size comparison highlighted by the fact that 100,000 nanometers make up the thickness of a sheet of paper, to advance imaging, sensing and quantum technology.

She is among 21 mid-career researchers recognized by the foundation. Kamenetska says the award is also a recognition of her “amazing graduate and undergraduate students” and what their work has allowed her lab to achieve.

$1.35M Moore Foundation Award Supports Boundary-Pushing Research

The $1.35 million will support a technique that focuses on the interface between molecules, investigating how they interact and the implications for both biological systems and engineered devices. Kamenetska’s approach combines chemistry, physics and materials science to develop new methods for probing this incredibly small realm, where a single nanometer, one-billionth of a meter, represents a significant distance. The funding will support research into the fundamental interaction of light and matter at this scale, a field Kamenetska asserts is important because it teaches us about the interaction of light and matter on the nanoscale.

She explains that these foundational topics underpin modern electronics and emerging technologies, suggesting the work could have broad applications beyond fundamental physics. Kamenetska emphasizes the award’s impact extends beyond the immediate research goals, noting it allows her team to develop new expertise and to think in new creative ways. The experiments themselves are inherently risky, as Kamenetska acknowledges, stating, “These experiments are challenging; they have never been done before, and the outcome is not certain.” Despite the uncertainty, the Moore Foundation’s support allows her team to pursue these novel investigations and cultivate new expertise.

She also views the funding as a validation of the contributions of her students, stating, “I hope that this award draws attention to how critical it is to support fundamental science research and to maintain our fundamental science departments, like physics and chemistry, which form the backbone of many disciplines and draw the wonderful, bright young people to our university, enabling this kind of research.” The award recognizes Kamenetska as part of a “distinguished group of mid-career researchers pushing the boundaries of experimental physics,” a designation that emphasises the significance of her work and its potential to advance the field.

I hope that this award draws attention to how critical it is to support fundamental science research and to maintain our fundamental science departments, like physics and chemistry, which form the backbone of many disciplines and draw the wonderful, bright young people to our university, enabling this kind of research.
Maria (Masha) Kamenetska, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Physics, and Materials Science and Engineering at Boston University

Source: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2026/researcher-wins-moore-foundation-award-experimental-physics/

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