SAN LEANDRO, California and BLOOMINGTON, Indiana—October 10, 2001—MDL Information Systems, Inc. (MDL), the recognized leader in discovery informatics for the life sciences and chemistry in industry and academia, is sponsoring a scholarship program supporting graduate studies at Indiana University's (IU's) recently established School of Informatics. The "MDL Excellence in Informatics Fellowship" will provide the sum of $15,000 to deserving incoming or second-year graduate students pursuing a Master of Science degree in bioinformatics or chemical informatics (the first such degree program to be offered in the United States).

Chemical informatics and bioinformatics are the studies of Information Technology applied to research in the chemical, agrochemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology domains. As one of only three graduate schools in the world offering an advanced chemical informatics degree, Indiana University's vision is to lead the nation in developing innovative and successful informatics programs that combine a solid grounding in chemistry and the biosciences with formal training in state-of-the-art information technology. This interdisciplinary approach aligns perfectly with MDL's position as the market leader in bringing cutting-edge, integrated research informatics technology to the life sciences and chemistry in industry and academia. Thousands of researchers are currently using MDL's wide range of software applications, databases, technology, and services at over 1,000 sites worldwide representing the chemical and biotechnology industries, educational institutions, government, hospitals, and utility companies.

Pat Rougeau, MDL's president and CEO, said: "MDL's chemical informatics and bioinformatics tools bring information and researchers together to enhance decision-making processes and enable breakthrough discovery research. This is why we're so excited that Indiana University has established a School of Informatics offering advanced degrees in chemical informatics and bioinformatics. The MDL Excellence in Informatics Scholarship is meant to acknowledge the important work IU has undertaken and MDL's support of its efforts."

The MDL-IU partnership reflects a key element of the School of Informatics' mission—to develop synergistic relationships with industry that can help develop and advance research in information technology and its applications. This synergy is receiving an additional boost this fall, with MDL's Dr. Guenter Grethe teaching a module in the School's Chemical Information Technology program. Dr. Grethe is the 2001 recipient of the Herman Skolnik Award for achievements in chemical information science (presented by the Division of Chemical Information of the American Chemical Society).

"Indiana University offers a chemical and bioinformatics curriculum that is second to none in the world," said Dr. Michael Dunn, Dean of the University's School of Informatics. "By providing much-needed financial assistance to students, the MDL Excellence in Informatics Scholarship is helping build a strong, interdisciplinary Informatics program that will make Indiana University an international center of excellence in Informatics research and teaching."

Indiana University is one of the oldest state universities in the Midwest and also one of the largest universities in the United States, with more than 110,000 students, faculty, and staff on eight campuses. IU has a growing national and international reputation in the areas of information technology and advanced networking. IU was named by Time Magazine as 2001 College of the Year among research institutions.

The School of Informatics is Indiana University's first entirely new school in more than 25 years. With programs at IU's Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses, the School's mission is to educate students in state of the art information science and technology with an emphasis on its human applications and interdisciplinary skills.

MDL Information Systems ("MDL") is the recognized leader in discovery informatics for the life sciences and chemistry in industry and academia. MDL software, content, and services provide the enterprise-wide discovery informatics framework for comprehensive and successful discovery research. We are an international business headquartered in San Leandro, CA with offices worldwide. MDL Information Systems, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Elsevier Science, Inc. For more information about MDL, visit www.mdli.com.