As
if we didn't already feel good enough about the $1.6 million grant received
last week from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, we can read some of the
comments from anonymous reviewers of the grant proposal:
“In
this well written proposal … that expands on the success of the previous HHMI
grants [in 1993 and 1998], the interdisciplinary theme combining biology,
engineering and computer sciences is skillfully woven through all components.
The creation of a new Center for Bioengineering and Computational Biology ties
it all together. Union is a choice institution for accomplishing these goals
because of its long tradition of combining the liberal arts and engineering.”
“Overall,
the research program for undergraduates is well conceived. The relatively high
productivity of Union College faculty is documented.”
“The
support requested for two new faculty fits well with the interdisciplinary
theme of the proposal. The hiring of a new faculty member with specialty in
bioengineering will strengthen the center concept.”
“The
curricular development activities are innovative. An excellent set of new
interdisciplinary courses covering bioinformatics and new research
opportunities will result from this effort.”
“It
is impressive that 95 percent of the 180 primarily disadvantaged students who
participated in [Summer Science Workshop] are attending or have graduated from
four-year colleges.”
Interestingly,
the College received $7,400 more than it asked for; HHMI apparently rounds up.
The
grant, to begin this September with an organizational year, will change the way
biology students learn and introduce students from other disciplines to biological
problems, said Leo
Fleishman, department
chair of biology and lead author of the proposal with help from faculty in
biology and mechanical engineering.
Among
the main components of the grant are:
—
the creation of a new Center for Bioengineering and Computational Biology to include
two research laboratories, design facility, outreach area with virtual
bioengineering lab for use by other colleges and high schools, computer
teaching center, and teaching laboratory for bioengineering courses.
—
research opportunities for six students per year for summer research in
interdisciplinary research combining biology with engineering, computer science
or other disciplines. Four opportunities will be at other institutions (Albany Medical College, the state Health Department's Wadsworth Lab and Syracuse University), two with Union-based teams that will include a post-baccalaureate
research scholar.
—
two new faculty hires (with summer salary and equipment). One has already been
made in engineering. The second, in biology, will be in two years.
—
funds for two-faculty teams (biology and another discipline) to create new
laboratory modules based on application of engineering and/or computing to
solutions of biological problems. These will be inserted into laboratories
throughout the biology curriculum. A new interdisciplinary course in
bioinformatics will be created and a laboratory will be developed for the
introduction to bioengineering course.
—
four new years of support for a redesigned Summer Science Workshop.