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行业。为了满足这一需求，该奖项将使Wistar Institute能够完全重新设计现有的实践指导技术员培训计划，并将其扩展到更多的社区大学。该项目将为学生提供受雇为生物医学研究技术人员所需的研究经验。学生们将参加一个快速付费的暑期项目，其中包括学徒前培训、在Wistar的实践指导和两次全职指导的实验室体验。该项目的毕业生将立即成为实验室技术员，或通过Wistar的生物医学研究技术员学徒计划接受高级培训。该项目旨在吸引多元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的途径，成为一名实验室技术员。该项目将满足为社区大学生做好准备的迫切需求，这些大学生受到新冠肺炎疫情的不成比例的影响，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伙伴的榜样。该项目有三个主要目标：1)扩大招收更多的学生，包括那些来自新社区大学合作伙伴的学生，同时开发使该项目成为一种有信用的经历的衔接协议；2)开发基于项目的新颖课程，更有效地让学生，特别是那些来自代表不足群体的学生，参与生物技术研究技能培训；以及3)将现有的两个暑期项目重新设计为一个暑期项目，其中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、衡量学生成绩、跟踪职业发展并提供网络机会。该项目还将比较Wistar现有的两个暑期项目和新的一个暑期项目的学生的参与度和结果。该项目计划绘制具体技能和能力标准图，并传播培训模式和材料。预计该项目可以为将生物技术技师学徒前培训纳入社区大学的生物技术和科学课程提供蓝图，同时作为区域方案扩展的典范。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注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优势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.