Minnesota State Mankato Receives $1.5 million NSF Grant to Fund Student Scholarships in Biology, Biochemistry; Continue RISEbio Program
Mankato, Minn. – Five Minnesota State University, Mankato faculty members were recently awarded a six-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to fund student scholarships and maintain the University’s Research Immersive Scholastic Experience in Biology (RISEbio) program.
Over its six-year duration, the grant will fund scholarships to 24 unique full or part-time students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in biology and biochemistry.
A project abstract says the project “will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need” at Minnesota State Mankato.
Just under $1 million of the grant award will be allocated for scholarships, and first-year students will receive up to four years of scholarship support. A unique core component of the project will be to provide students with authentic real-world research training through a mentored first-year research experience. The project will also provide students with extracurricular activities, including professional and personal development, scientific development and social activities.
According to the abstract, the project has the potential to help scholars develop workforce-driven professional and technical skills that will ultimately improve students marketability for STEM employment and graduate school.
The project is led by principal investigator Rachel Cohen, along with co-principal investigators Allison Land, Brittany Smith, David Sharlin and Brian Martensen, all of whom are University faculty members.
For more information, please contact Rachel Cohen, professor, by email at Rachel.cohen@mnsu.edu or by phone at 507-389-1256.
Minnesota State Mankato first began offering scholarships to its RISEbio program in the fall of 2018 with nearly $1 million in funding from the National Science Foundation.
Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Biological Sciences is part of the University’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,482 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 26 colleges and seven universities.
