Cerritos Community College District will use a $349,641 project grant from the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program to establish the Cerritos College Biotechnology Initiative. The initiative aims to provide an accessible academic pathway to high-wage, high-growth jobs in biotechnology through new certificate and degree programs, enrichment activities to increase career awareness, and strengthened partnerships with regional employers in Southern California's leading...
The National Science Foundation awarded a $349k Project Grant to Santa Monica Community College District under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to develop a credentialed biotechnology program focusing on cell science and immunological testing. The three-year award will recruit and train 30 students from diverse and traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, including those impacted by the justice system, providing 30 industry internships and up to 60 stackable certificates in a career...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant awarded under the STEM Education (CFDA 47.076) program aims to promote awareness and hands-on experience in biotechnology and biomanufacturing career pathways for diverse, underrepresented community college and high school students. The $649,986 award to MiraCosta Community College District will fund the BIOSCOPE (Bioscience Supply Chain Operations Projects for Education) model, which provides students with project-based activities to learn...
The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded a $299,999 Project Grant to Compton College to support the program "CREATING EQUITABLE PATHWAYS TO CAREERS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY" from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024. The grant supports Compton College's efforts to develop equitable pathways for underrepresented and disadvantaged students to pursue careers in biotechnology. As part of the NSF's STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), the funding will enable...
This Project Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, totaling $750,000, supports the development of educational outreach tools and experiences to introduce youth to careers in agricultural biotechnology through 2025. The University of Connecticut leads efforts to provide transformative STEM experiences for high school students in Connecticut and the surrounding...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Cooperative Agreement award, funded under the NSF STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), provides $267,009 to MiraCosta Community College District to strengthen STEM education and workforce development pathways for underrepresented community college students in California's biotechnology and biomanufacturing industries. The project will offer internships, pre-apprenticeships, and apprenticeships in emerging biotechnologies, as well as mentoring and...
The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), awarded a $988,731 Project Grant to St. Charles Community College. The grant will fund the establishment of a new Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program in Biotechnology with industry-aligned, stackable certificates. The objectives are to prepare students for industry-recognized certifications, create a work-based experiential program, and implement a recruitment program targeting high school...
This federal Project Grant award, totaling $1,000,000.00 and awarded on September 15, 2023, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) through the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program (CFDA 10.223). The grant aims to develop and implement a program at three Hispanic-Serving Institutions in California - California State University, Los Angeles; San Diego State University; and California State University,...
The Cooperative Agreement awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the STEM Education (CFDA 47.076) program provides $254,452 to the Hudsonalpha Institute for Biotechnology. The project, titled "BEGINNINGS: Experiential Learning for Emerging Biotechnology Careers," aims to grow and diversify the biotechnology workforce by engaging community college students in immersive, industry-aligned training and internship opportunities. The project establishes a partnership...
This $365,195 federal Project Grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) under the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program (CFDA 10.223) aims to train 32 undergraduate students in biotechnology solutions for challenges in food and agriculture over a four-year period. The multidisciplinary project team will use hands-on learning activities to teach four biotechnology modules, shifting from...
BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN PLANT/AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY THROUGH STACKABLE CREDENTIALS LEADING TO AN ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREE -IN RESPONSE TO CHANGING AGRICULTURE PRIORITIES, THE PLANT/AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IS GROWING IN THE CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST REGION. INDIVIDUALS FROM HISPANIC COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO BE UNDERREPRESENTED IN BIOTECHNOLOGY. THIS PROJECT IS LED BY ALAN HANCOCK COLLEGE, A RURAL, FEDERALLY DESIGNATED HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF INDIVIDUALS FROM HISPANIC COMMUNITIES IN PLANT/AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY. TO DO SO, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL DEVELOP STACKABLE CREDENTIALS THAT PREPARE STUDENTS TO ENTER THE REGION?S PLANT/AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE AND CAN LEAD TO AN NEW ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN PLANT/AGRICULTURE BIOTECHNOLOGY. THIS DEGREE PROGRAM WILL BE DESIGNED IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN K- 14 EDUCATION. THE PROJECT WILL TRAIN LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY SKILLS ALIGNED WITH THE NEW CURRICULUM, THUS CREATING A PATHWAY FROM HIGH SCHOOL INTO PLANT/AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY. THE PROJECT EXPECTS THIS APPROACH WILL INCREASE THE INTEREST AND SUCCESS IN THE SKILLED BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE FOR SECOND-GENERATION HISPANIC YOUTH. AS A RESULT, THE PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HELP DIVERSIFY THE STEM TECHNICAL WORKFORCE AND ENSURE THAT STUDENTS OF COLOR BECOME MEMBERS OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS. IN DOING SO, THE PROJECT CAN HELP TO MITIGATE THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE COMMUNITIES IT WILL SERVE. USING EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES IDENTIFIED FOR HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTIONS, THE PROJECT WILL: 1) DEVELOP TWO STACKABLE CERTIFICATES, BASED ON COURSES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, PLANT TISSUE CULTURE, AND GENETICS, THAT LEAD TO AN ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN PLANT/AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOY; 2) PROVIDE HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CREATE A PIPELINE OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS INTO THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAM BY INCREASING AWARENESS AND PROVIDING HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN BIOTECHNOLOGY; 3) OFFER INSTITUTIONAL, STUDENT-CENTRIC SUPPORT AND ENGAGE STUDENTS IN WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN PLANT/AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY; 4) EXPAND COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL AGRICULTURE BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES THAT CAN PREPARE HISPANIC STUDENTS FOR EMERGING TECHNICAL JOBS, INCLUDING THOSE IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURAL BIODIAGNOSTICS. THIS TRAINING WILL ENABLE HISPANIC STUDENTS TO DEVELOP SKILLS THAT ARE TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER SECTORS AND HELP TO ALLEVIATE THE SHORTAGE OF SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKERS IN THE STATE. IN ADDITION, THIS FUNDING CAN GENERATE REVENUE NEEDED TO SUSTAIN THE DEGREE PROGRAM, HELPING TO ALLEVIATE COVID-19-RELATED IMPACTS ON THE COLLEGE ITSELF. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON THE EDUCATION OF TECHNICIANS FOR THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FIELDS THAT DRIVE THE NATION'S ECONOMY. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.