11/12/2014
NIH, AMGEN FOUNDATION AND THE FOUNDATION FOR THE NIH ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION TO SUPPORT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES Summer research program provides hands-on laboratory experience
Undergraduate students will learn lab work and science leadership skills with mentors from the National Institutes of Health as one of 17 facilities taking part in the Amgen Scholars Program to prepare students for careers in science. Beginning in 2015, NIH will participate as a host institution, appointing candidates who meet both the NIH and Amgen Scholars requirements. This is the first year that NIH will participate in the program in which scholars will spend the summer at NIH's main campus in Bethesda, Maryland, working with leading scientists. The program is made possible by an $850,000 grant to the Foundation for the NIH from the Amgen Foundation, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
"An important aspect of this opportunity is that it will provide real-world experience to undergraduate students from low-resource settings who lack opportunities to perform independent research during the school year," said Sharon L. Milgram, Ph.D., Director of the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education. "We know that getting this type of hands-on experience makes a difference in retaining students in the sciences."
During their internships at NIH, the scholars will focus on projects to bridge the gap between foundational and applied science. Scholars will be matched with research mentors in the NIH Intramural Research Program and will participate in a customized curriculum that will teach leadership skills and prepare them for research-oriented careers. More about the Amgen Scholars Program at NIH can be found here:. Online applications begin November 15, 2014.
The Amgen Foundation's total commitment to the Amgen Scholars Program now reaches more than $50 million, bringing the Amgen Foundation's total commitment to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to over $100 million globally.
"Amgen has seen the positive influence of the Amgen Scholars Program over the past eight years as alumni have gone on to earn Ph.D.'s, be accepted as Rhodes Scholars and to work as scientists at leading institutions," said Eduardo Cetlin, president, Amgen Foundation. "We are proud to extend our network of world-class educational institutions and offer even more undergraduates this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to broaden their career perspectives and deepen their love of science."
Financial support for students is also a critical component of the program, which seeks to ensure that eligible students, regardless of their financial status, are able to participate. Financial support details vary by institution.
One program, many people, infinite possibilities. A premier environment where creative scientists conduct fundamental biomedical research for the betterment of human health - we are the IRP.