And just last week, news of a large grant for our next collaborative study with Imperial College.
He told me that he has recently applied for a large grant for the study of drugs that target aging rather than specific diseases.
His move raised the question: why had senior politicians approved £238m in aid – then the largest grant awarded for a single project – against the advice of civil servants?
Ford had been criticized for years for giving small project grants rather than larger grants for general operating support that would enable an organization to pay its rent and thrive in the long term.
There is also a large increase in spending on new museums and other cultural institutions, including large grants for Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, all of which are undertaking expansion or renovation projects in the next several years.
Recent gifts include $1.2 million for Jazz at Lincoln Center's new home, now being built at the former Coliseum site, and large grants for the Dance Theater of Harlem, New York City Ballet and the New York Public Library.
At the end of 2004, in a remarkable example of affirmative action, the government agreed to give larger grants for girls than for boys.But the biggest improvements have been in higher education.
The rapid expansion of Charles de Gaulle airport at Roissy, 14 miles (23 km) to the north-east of Paris, was also eased through the help of large grants for community facilities and improved transport links.
J&J allegedly provided kickbacks to Omnicare through rebates, millions of dollars in exchange for data the pharmacy never provided and large grants for education.
