Preparing Economically Challenged Students for Careers in Biotechnology

生物学或生物信息学专业的一年级新生将获得为期四年的奖学金。这些学生来自弗吉尼亚州贫困率超过20%的地区。这些地区包括弗吉尼亚州西南部的阿巴拉契亚乡村和里士满城市。种族人口统计有所不同；里士满有超过60%的少数民族，主要是非裔美国人，而农村县有超过97%的白人。每年大约有15个奖学金，金额从5000美元到10000美元不等，平均奖学金金额为7100美元。奖学金金额由就读费用和预期家庭贡献决定。这些学者参加共同的课程，并参加每周一次的研讨会，致力于学术和职业准备，研究技能，道德和多样性。这些努力使这些学者不仅准备成为生物技术领域的科学领袖，而且准备增加该学科内的多样性和合作。

Four-year scholarships are being awarded to a cohort of academically talented financially needy freshmen majoring in biology or bioinformatics. Students are being recruited from areas of Virginia where the poverty rate is above twenty percent. These areas include the rural Appalachian counties of southwestern Virginia and urban Richmond City. The racial demographics differ; Richmond is more than sixty percent minority, predominantly African American, whereas the rural counties are over 97 % Caucasian. Approximately fifteen scholarships are being awarded ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 annually with an average scholarship amount of $7100. Scholarship amounts are determined by the Cost of Attendance and the Expected Family Contribution.The scholars take common classes and participate in a weekly seminar dedicated to the academic and career preparation, research skills, ethics and diversity. These efforts are preparing the scholars not only to be scientific leaders in biotechnology, but also to increase diversity and collaboration within the discipline.