Jackson State University is among nine universities to receive the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Science Education Partnership Awards Program (SEPA). $1 million is awarded to JSU to encourage young scientists to pursue careers addressing health disparities which include some of Mississippi’s biggest health problems: cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. More Mississippians die each year from cardiovascular disease than from traffic injuries, cancer, suicides, and AIDS combined. The program will prepare high school students for academic study and professional careers in the biomedical fields. Dr. James Perkins, Director of Research for the JSU College of Science, Engineering and Technology, is Principle Investigator (PI) for the NIH SEPA grant.
Others funded include:
- The Exploratorium San Francisco, Calif.
- Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland, Ohio
- Harvard University Medical School, Cambridge, Mass.
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Ore.
- University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, N.J.
- University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, Texas
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wis. and
- Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
The grant will provide resources to design and develop the following: a multimedia program which features biomedical scientists who do research in health disparities areas; complimentary materials for classroom instruction; paid summer research training experiences for High School honor students; and a service-learning program to provide practical hands-on experiences for students in organizations working in health disparities areas.
Barbara M. Alving, Acting Director of National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), notes that” by giving students the chance to participate in hands-on, inquiry-based research projects, we hope to demystify science and make it more accessible. Through our Science Education Partnership Awards program, we not only stimulate public interest in health issues, we also encourage young people to pursue careers in science." |
