SBU Among Three In New York To Receive Funding For Undergraduate Internship In Stem Cell Research
Center for Science and Mathematics Education and School of Medicine to Run the Program
STONY BROOK, N.Y., November 18, 2009- The Center for Science and Mathematics Education, in conjunction with the School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, are slated to receive a three-year New York State grant that will annually award eight top undergraduate students nationwide a 10-week paid internship in areas of stem cell research beginning in summer 2010. The $229,471 grant is part of New York State’s stem cell research initiative, which this month approved $2.1 million in new funding that will offer college students an opportunity to learn about the science, ethics, legal and societal implications of stem cell research through institutions of higher education.
“The scientific and technological research being conducted in New York State will ensure a brighter future, not only in New York’s economy but for the thousands of New Yorkers who potentially will benefit from stem cell therapies,” stated Governor David A. Paterson, in reference to the November 3 announcement on the new funding. “But the vitality of our biomedical and biotechnology enterprises is only as strong as the foundation that we provide to the next generation.”
“This is an exciting and new opportunity to nurture and attract undergraduate talent on all levels and to create a more vibrant, productive and visible stem cell research community in New York State,” said David Bynum, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator, Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and Director, Center for Science and Mathematics Education.
Stony Brook University, Cornell University, and Columbia University are the only recipients of The Summer Undergraduate Experience in Stem Cell Research Grant. The program will provide students with the opportunity to work with an experienced investigator, develop an independent research project, and learn about career opportunities in the broader context of stem cell research.
Dr. Bynum will collaborate with Wadie F. Bahou, M.D., Co-Principal Investigator, Professor of Medicine/Hematology, and Vice Dean, Office of Scientific Affairs, School of Medicine, to seek out undergraduates interested in conducting stem cell research and possibly pursue a career in a field that incorporates stem cell research.
Approved October 26 by the Funding Committee of the Empire State Stem Cell Board, the state awarded a total of eight grants to higher education institutions for undergraduate study in stem cell research education. In addition to the three internship awards, five institutions received awards for Undergraduate Curricula on Stem Cell Science and Related Ethical, Legal and Societal Implications.
The Center for Science and Mathematics Education at Stony Brook University was established in 2007 with a mission to provide opportunities in science and mathematics from the pre-K to post-doctoral faculty levels.
The Office of Scientific Affairs facilitates the performance and the continued expansion of the biomedical research enterprise of Stony Brook University Medical Center. Through extramural funding and targeted research opportunities, the Office of Scientific Affairs seeks to optimize the success of its faculty in basic, translational, and clinical research, as well as in biotechnology and new technology/drug development.
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