Training the Next Generation of Innovative Thinkers
What do a chemical engineer, biochemist, and molecular biologist have in common? At the University of Massachusetts Institute for Cellular Engineering (ICE), these faculty members represent a cross disciplinary team engineering plant cell culture synthesis of the anticancer agent Taxol®. This groundbreaking work exemplifies the migration of technological progress from isolationist discovery to interdisciplinary melting pot, and exposes the need for a paradigm shift in graduate education training. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has created the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program to bolster traditional, single discipline training with opportunity for technical, professional, collaborative and interpersonal skill development through interdisciplinary projects. In support of this initiative, NSF has awarded the University of Massachusetts a $3 million grant to establish the ICE IGERT program for cellular engineering. The mission of the ICE IGERT program is to exploit the synergistic interface between engineering and the life sciences to enable novel graduate training in areas of cellular form, function, and processing.
ICE IGERT Fellowships
Competitive, NSF-funded ICE IGERT fellowships are available for U.S. citizens or permanent residents performing graduate cellular engineering research. ICE IGERT fellows are awarded:
- $30,000 annual stipend for two years
- Full tuition and fees
- Financial support for the balance of time to degree
The ICE IGERT program is strongly committed to broadening participation from groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering disciplines. Apply now!
ICE IGERT Program
Once matriculated into an affiliated department or interdisciplinary graduate program, students may apply to the ICE IGERT program and experience an enhanced, interdisciplinary curriculum. ICE training faculty are internationally renowned in the fields of systems biology, genomics, stem cell science, plant biotechnology, materials science, and protein engineering, with research emphasis that includes generation of artificial organs and tissues, biologic pharmaceuticals, targeted drug delivery systems, plant-derived fuels and processes to clean up contaminated wastewater and soils. The ICE IGERT program yields a well-trained workforce that is poised to take a leadership role in cellular engineering in academia as well as the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and molecular diagnostics industries. For additional information, please review our brochure or contact us.
Program Membership, Fellowships, Student Training Grants: Apply Now!
Program Membership, Fellowships, Student Training Grants: Apply Now!
