Six researchers affiliated with the University of California are among this year’s 58 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.

The awards, announced today (Nov. 1), are the nation’s highest honor given by the White House to researchers at the outset of their professional scientific careers.

"We take great pride in the University of California scholars who have been recognized by these awards," said UC President Robert C. Dynes. "They are making valuable contributions to scientific discovery in an exciting range of fields, and we look forward with great anticipation to their continued accomplishments."

UC received more awards than any other institution. The UC-affiliated winners are:

UCLA

-- Edward Kohler, assistant professor of computer science

-- Yi Tang, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering

UC Merced

-- Shawn Newsam, assistant professor of engineering

UC San Diego

-- Katerina Akassoglou, assistant professor of pharmacology

-- Brian Keating, assistant professor of physics

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

-- Len Pennacchio, senior staff scientist in the genomics division, genetic analysis program head of Joint Genome Institute

Established in 1996, the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers honors the most promising researchers in the nation within their fields. Nine federal departments and agencies annually nominate scientists and engineers who are at the start of their independent careers and whose work shows exceptional promise for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge. Participating agencies award these talented scientists and engineers with up to five years of funding to further their research in support of critical government missions.

Widely recognized as the best public research university system in the world, the University of California includes more than 214,000 students, 170,000 faculty and staff, and an $18 billion annual budget. UC offers programs in more than 150 disciplines -- many of which are ranked among the top 10 nationally. UC's five medical centers support the clinical teaching programs of the University's medical and health sciences schools and handle more than 3 million patient visits each year. The UC system is also involved in managing three U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories at Berkeley, Livermore and Los Alamos.