In a coup for a university without a medical or engineering school, four Boston College faculty members have received prestigious 2012 Sloan Research Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which announced the awards today.

Assistant Professor of Biology Michelle Meyer, Assistant Professor of Physics Ying Ran, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dunwei Wang and Assistant Professor of Psychology Liane Young were among the 126 researchers recognized by the foundation with the two-year, $50,000 awards, which are given annually to early-career scientists and scholars identified as the next generation of leading researchers.

"It is unprecedented for a university of our size, without a medical or engineering school, to receive four Sloan Research Fellowships in one year," said Provost and Dean of Faculties Cutberto Garza. "This recognition is a testament to the caliber of researchers Boston College has hired in recent years."

With four awards, BC led Massachusetts’s colleges and universities, which were awarded a total of 14 Sloan Research Fellowships, followed by Boston University (3), Harvard (3), MIT (3) and UMass Amherst (1).

“Today’s Sloan Research Fellows are tomorrow’s Nobel Prize winners,” said Dr. Paul L. Joskow, President of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “These outstanding men and women are responsible for some of the most exciting science being done today. The Foundation is proud to support them during this pivotal stage of their careers.”

The two-year, $50,000 fellowships were awarded to 126 researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field. Drawn from 51 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada, the 2012 Sloan Research Fellows represent a variety of research interests.