UC San Diego Receives $1
Million Grant from Amgen Foundation
to Support Undergraduate Research

November 10, 2010

By Kristin Luciani

UC San Diego has received a $1 million grant from the Amgen Foundation to provide hands-on laboratory experience to approximately 100 undergraduates through the Amgen Scholars program.

The grant—distributed over the next four years—is the second phase of the program, which launched in 2006 as an initiative to advance science learning and inspire the next generation of scientists.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Amgen Foundation in support of the Amgen Scholars program,” said David Artis, UC San Diego’s dean of Undergraduate Research Initiatives.  In addition to the Amgen Scholars program, the university offers undergraduates a variety of hands-on research opportunities to prepare them for advanced degree programs. “The students who have conducted faculty-supervised research in our labs have increased their own knowledge and helped to advance the important work of their mentors. I’m confident they will be the scientific leaders of tomorrow.”

Applications from undergraduate students are now being accepted for the 2011 Amgen Scholars program. Thirty students majoring in fields related to biotechnology will participate in summer research, seminars and a symposium where students will share their own research projects and meet leading industry and academic scientists from throughout the region.

Eduardo Caro, a current graduate student at UC San Diego, participated in the 2007 Amgen Scholars program.

“The Amgen Scholars summer research program had a lot to do with my choice to do graduate work at UC San Diego, and my acceptance into the program,” said Caro. “That summer I worked in a lab and was exposed to one of the most scientifically rich environments in the world. The people I met have helped me succeed—both academically and personally—in graduate school.”
New to this program, travel awards will help support Amgen Scholar alumni currently enrolled in masters, Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. programs to share their research at scientific conferences.

Amgen Scholars was launched by the Amgen Foundation in 2006 with 10 partner universities in the U.S. to provide undergraduates the opportunity for laboratory research experiences under the guidance of leading scientists in academia. In 2008, the program expanded to include three European universities. Today, more than 70 percent of program alumni who have graduated from college are pursuing an advanced degree or a career in science or engineering, with many in scientific Ph.D. programs at top universities around the world.

“The success of the Amgen Scholars program is due in large share to our university partners,” said Jean J. Lim, president of the Amgen Foundation. “These leading universities provide undergraduates from around the country with an inspiring, hands-on research experience that often leads them to pursue advanced degrees and a career in the sciences.”

At UC San Diego, the Amgen Scholars program is managed by the university’s Academic Enrichment Program (AEP), which oversees a network of enrichment initiatives that give undergraduate students the opportunity for hands-on research experience in a number of subjects, from science, math and engineering to social sciences and the arts and humanities. In addition, AEP makes a special effort to support low-income and ethnically underrepresented students in preparation for graduate school and academic careers.

For more information about Amgen Scholars or an application, please visit www.amgenscholars.com.

Media Contact: Kristin Luciani, 858-822-3353, kluciani@ucsd.edu