Projects Approved by the Bio-1 Executive Committee from Round 2 RFP

The Bio-1 Executive Committee recently added the following projects to its portfolio of projects bringing the total of allocated funds to over $2 million.  The following programs were approved after a competitive Request for Proposal Process held in September:

Excite Young People about the Biosciences, focusing on underrepresented populations:

Middlesex County College 2+2 Articulation Agreements – Middlesex County College will take the lead to develop articulation agreements between the Bio-1 community colleges and Rutgers University to facilitate smooth transfer for biotechnology students and augment the role of community colleges as feeder schools to Rutgers.  This curriculum and articulation agreement will encourage the collaboration between community colleges and serve as a model for other community colleges in the state.

Middlesex County College Bioscience Student Forum for Building and Transforming the Biosciences Pipeline – a Forum for 100 students from Central New Jersey High Schools to strengthen the region’s skilled future biosciences workforce, focusing on traditionally underrepresented minority students from Central New Jersey.

UMDNJ/Rutgers RISE Program – RISE is a competitive residential summer research program for 25 underrepresented minority college students which will enhance the pool of underrepresented minority students entering the New Jersey biopharma workforce.

Transform Graduate Education:

UMDNJ MS in Molecular Pathology and Immunology – this program, a collaboration between UMDNJ and Medical Diagnostics Laboratories (MDL) and Humigen, is designed to prepare students for careers in diagnostic, immunology, molecular biology and pathology laboratories.  This is a formal collaborative effort between academia and the private sector, with both parties sharing joint responsibility for students’ academic experience, training and evaluation.  This program will enable a steady stream of qualified personnel to staff the expanding laboratory efforts of New Jersey companies.

Facilitate Globally Competitive Bio-Business:

Entrepreneurial Science as a Secondary Education Paradigm – This project enhances the scope of education and workforce development in Central New Jersey while advancing true global education.  Based on the Bergen Academy High School’s current program of integrating entrepreneurial thinking into the biotechnology setting, high school students will be exposed to another career opportunity and gain understanding of the concept of commercialization of research through classroom and practical experiences.  It is hoped that this model will be transferred to the Bio-1 region’s appropriate career academy and comprehensive high schools.

Targeted RFP's will continue into 2009 to complete the Bio-1 transformational portfolio of projects.  Stay Tuned!