Expansion, Curriculum Evolution, and Enhancement of Biotechnician Training

迫切需要一支训练有素、多样化的生命科学研究队伍，以支持迅速发展的美国生物技术产业。为了满足这一需求，该奖项将使Wistar研究所能够完全重新设计现有的动手，指导技术人员培训计划，并将其扩展到其他社区学院。该项目将为学生提供作为生物医学研究技术人员就业所需的研究经验。学生将参加一个加速的带薪暑期课程，其中包括学徒前培训，在Wistar的实践方向，以及两个全职指导实验室的经验。计划毕业生将准备立即就业为实验室技术人员或通过Wistar的生物医学研究技术员学徒计划进行高级培训。该项目旨在让多样化和代表性不足的学生群体参与生命科学研究，同时提供一条直接就业途径，成为实验室技术人员。该项目将满足社区大学生的迫切需要，他们受到COVID-19大流行的不成比例的影响，以便在熟练的生物技术劳动力中就业。该项目也可以作为其他社区学院和科研合作伙伴的模式。该项目有三个主要目标：1）扩大招收更多的学生，包括来自新社区学院合作伙伴的学生，同时制定衔接协议，使项目成为一个学分承担的经验; 2）开发一个新的基于项目的课程，更有效地吸引学生，特别是那些来自代表性不足的群体，在生物技术研究技能培训;和3）重新设计现有的两个夏季计划作为一个夏季的经验，包括在学术和行业实验室的全职实习。该项目将使用Wistar的交互式实习生网站来维护数据，衡量学生的成果，跟踪职业发展，并提供网络机会。该项目还将比较学生在Wistar现有的两个夏季计划与新的一个夏季选择的参与和成果。 该项目计划绘制具体技能和能力标准，并传播培训模式和材料。预计该项目可以提供一个蓝图，将生物技术员学徒前培训纳入社区学院的生物技术和科学课程，同时作为区域方案扩展的模式。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An urgent need exists for a highly trained, diverse life sciences research workforce to support the rapidly expanding U.S. biotechnology industry. To address this need, this award will enable Wistar Institute to entirely re-design an existing hands-on, mentored technician training program and expand it to additional community colleges. The project will provide students with research experiences required for employment as technicians in biomedical research. Students will participate in an accelerated, paid summer program that includes pre-apprenticeship training, a hands-on Orientation at Wistar, and two full-time mentored laboratory experiences. Program graduates will be prepared for immediate employment as laboratory technicians or for advanced training through Wistar’s Biomedical Research Technician Apprenticeship program. The project aims to engage a diverse and underrepresented student population in life sciences research, while offering a direct path to employment as a laboratory technician. The project will address the compelling need to prepare community college students who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for employment in the skilled biotechnology workforce. This program can also serve as a model for other community colleges and scientific research partners.The project has three primary goals: 1) Expand to recruit more students, including those from new community college partners, while developing articulation agreements that make the project a credit-bearing experience; 2) Develop a novel project-based curriculum that more effectively engages students, especially those from underrepresented groups, in biotechnology research skills training; and 3) Redesign the existing two-summer program as a one-summer experience that includes full-time internships in both academic and industry labs. The project will use Wistar’s interactive trainee website to maintain data, measure student outcomes, track career development, and provide networking opportunities. The project will also compare participation and outcomes of students in Wistar’s existing two-summer program with those in the new one-summer option. The project plans to map specific skills and competency standards, as well as disseminate training models and materials. It is anticipated that the project can provide a blueprint for incorporating biotechnician pre-apprenticeship training into biotechnology and science curricula at community colleges, while serving as a model for regional program expansion. 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.