Life Sciences Workforce Development: Partnerships for Innovative Laboratory Training

University Of Kansas Center For Research Inc, Lawrence KS

Investigators

Abstract

0438708 Smith This award is to University of Kansas to support the activity described below for 36 months. The proposal was submitted in response to the Partnerships for Innovation Program Solicitation (NSF-04556). Partners The partners include University of Kansas (Lead Institution), Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation, Kansas City Area Development Council, Quintiles, Inc., Bayer health Care, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Xeno Tech LLC, Penn Valley Community College, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, JRH Biosciences, Midwest Research Institute, The primary objective is to provide intensive hands-on bench science training to prepare support scientists to serve in biomedical research clusters with continuous improvement of skills. The plan calls for training two different groups: 1) those that are currently employed in the life sciences industry within the bi-state area centered around the greater Kansas City area; and 2) those from underrepresented groups interested in entry-level positions that will be served by the Penn Valley Community College. The first group will be served by the University of Kansas through their Continuing Education department, which that maintains five offices in four different cities and employs 120 people. This group will receive full-tuition stipends for immersion course work during the first year after which, industry will be tapped to provide tuition in years two and three and beyond to help sustain the program. The other higher education partners who will be responsible for course content and delivery include the Higuchi Biosciences Center, University of Kansas Medical Center Continuing Education, and the University of Kansas Division of Biological Sciences. The program provides interactive distance/asynchronous technologies prior to, during, and after training. Potential Economic Impact The activity will provide a technologically literate biomedical workforce needed to sustain the competitive edge in the biomedical industry in the Kansas-Missouri region. Presently, there is an immediate need for training at least 400 employees over a 36-month period. The intellectual merit of the project lies in the promotion of innovation in the bioscience industry by increasing the scientific and technical capabilities of the local workforce. The broader impacts of the activity concentrate on the education infrastructure needed to sustain the biomedical industry, as well as providing an ethnically and socioeconomic diverse workforce.