WSU secures $2.74M biotechnology training grant

Washington State University has received a five-year, $2.74 million T32 training grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue and expand its prestigious NIH Protein Biotechnology Training Program for doctoral students in science and engineering.

T32 grants, awarded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a division of the NIH, are highly competitive and provide institutions with resources to train predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers in specified areas of biomedical science.

Since its founding in 1989, WSU's interdisciplinary research program has provided advanced training to more than 120 doctoral students in various scientific and engineering disciplines. The new funding will support 50 graduate students.

"This renewal and expansion of the program are a testament to its past success and future potential," program director Douglas Call said. "We're now entering a new phase, but the core mission remains: to provide comprehensive, interdisciplinary training in protein biotechnology."

The program is designed to equip trainees with essential skills, particularly in protein research and biotechnology creation. Students are provided stipends, tuition, access to 2-3-month internships in biotechnological firms and other support during their first two years of graduate study. Afterward, students transition to research-based funding but remain in the program.

The Protein Biotechnology Training Program has a track record of success, with alumni securing careers in academia, industry and various other sectors. The transdisciplinary program connects five graduate programs - including chemistry, biomedical sciences, molecular biosciences, molecular plant sciences, and chemical engineering and bioengineering - and four colleges. About half of the students and faculty reside in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

"The goal is to pull together students from diverse disciplines to expose them to different teams, cultures and ways of thinking," said Matt Peck, the program's coordinator.

Call noted most graduates enter industry positions, where they help to fuel innovations directly benefiting the public.

"We're feeding into economic development by training scientists, most of whom choose to go into industry where they can contribute immediately," he said. "Our graduates are well-rounded and adaptable due to their broad, transdisciplinary experience."

Trainees receive close mentorship from faculty and networking and career development opportunities, including a 2-3-month internship within the biotechnology industry. The program also hosts a monthly forum to develop professional and leadership skills, an annual research symposium, and a multidisciplinary research showcase.

The program is the only biotechnology training program funded continuously since 1989 and is one of just three in the Western United States.

To maintain funding, a rigorous review by the NIGMS is required every five years. The agency recently revised its guidelines, inspiring innovations and upgrades in WSU's program. John Peters, the program's previous director, recruited Peck to advance early program changes so it would be competitively positioned for the current renewal effort.

"Every time you go for a renewal, you are scrutinized to the finest level." Call said. "Completing that rigorous process is a tremendous vote of confidence from the review panel and the NIH."

To enter the program, students can nominate themselves or be selected by their graduate program advisors based on their promise and fit within the program. The program also welcomes non-program students to participate in its courses and activities.

In addition to the Protein Biotechnology Training Program, WSU hosts three other NIH-funded training programs: a T32 postdoctoral training program in infectious disease and two undergraduate programs that promote broad participation in biomedical research, MARC and ESTEEMED MIRA.