Genentech Grant to Support Three Immunology Interns

By Mika Ono

A new grant from the Genentech Foundation for Biomedical Sciences will support three minority students in The Scripps Research Institute's Summer Immunology Undergraduate Program in La Jolla, California. The $12,000 grant, awarded in November, will support participants in the 2008 summer session.

"The funding is really welcome," said Assistant Professor Julie Jameson, who directs the program. "It can be hard keeping programs like this afloat in times like these, when research support is so tight."

Elizabeth Phillips of the Genentech Foundation said, "We believe that these scholarships will provide important opportunities to develop the next generation of scientists and foster innovative research that could someday make a significant difference in addressing unmet medical needs."

The Summer Immunology Undergraduate Program, founded five years ago by Scripps Research Professor Wendy Havran, hosts 10 to 12 college students who come to the Scripps California campus from across the country (and sometimes around the world). The program's goals are to expose undergraduates to state-of-the-art immunology research, provide an introduction to the Scripps Research graduate program, and motivate and prepare participants for careers in the field.

"For the students, the program offers a unique opportunity to perform actual research, participate in a biweekly seminar series, attend weekly lectures, receive career advice, and make a final presentation," said Jameson, who began running the program last year. "For the principal investigators, it is a great opportunity to mentor young people truly excited about science and enthusiastic about learning."

Typically, the program receives five to six applications for each position. Until the Genentech Foundation Minority Scholarship grant, Department of Immunology labs had supported the interns exclusively through their own funding and that of the department.

The Genentech Foundation for Biomedical Sciences is an independent, nonprofit organization that supports biomedical education and research, including educational programs at junior high and high schools, colleges and universities, museums, and community organizations that foster science education for students, including underrepresented minorities and underprivileged groups. The foundation gives away more than $1 million annually.

The 2008 Summer Immunology Undergraduate Program will be held from June 9 to August 15. Applications will be accepted until February 28, 2008, but early application is strongly encouraged. For more information, see the program's website at http://www.scripps.edu/imm/internship/.

Additional programs at Scripps Research include internships for high school students and teachers in La Jolla, California, (see http://www.scripps.edu/community/) and in Jupiter, Florida (see http://www.scripps.edu/florida/edprograms/).

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

"The funding is really welcome."

—Julie Jameson