Technology Investor Gives $30-Million for Calif. Science Studies

Silicon Valley venture capitalist Michael Moritz has donated $30-million to support basic scientific research by doctoral students at the University of California, San Francisco, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

The gift from Mr. Moritz and his wife, Harriet Heyman, is the largest ever dedicated to Ph.D. students at the University of California. The San Francisco campus will match the contribution with $25-million of its own funds and $5-million raised from other donors.

Mr. Moritz, a native of Wales, whose philanthropy was a factor in his being knighted earlier this year, is a partner at Sequoia Capital in Menlo Park, Calif., and a former Google board member. His gift will support work in cell biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, and other basic science programs aimed at addressing cancer, diabetes, and other diseases.