The initiative will bring in more than $1 million total to the university through
2020 with funds coming from the National Institutes of Health, specifically the National
Institute of General Medical Sciences. Since 2005, SC INBRE and Winthrop funds have afforded research experiences for dozens
of Winthrop students, helping to prepare more than 65 Winthrop graduates to pursue
advanced degrees in biomedical sciences.
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Winthrop University will participate in its third cycle
of a Biomedical Research Initiative, the South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE) III.
The initiative will bring in more than $1 million total to the university through
2020. The funds come from the National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Winthrop is one of nine undergraduate institutions that were competitively selected
to participate in the SC INBRE grant with the three comprehensive research institutions, the University of South Carolina,
Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina.
"We are delighted to be a partner in the third SC INBRE grant," said Winthrop Provost Debra Boyd. "At Winthrop, our dedicated faculty members have achieved and surpassed the goals
of the program over the decade of the first two grants. Our students and our state
have benefited greatly from this program."
Heading up the project for Winthrop are Principal Investigator Chemistry Professor Robin Lammi and Co-Principal Investigators Chemistry Professor Takita Sumter and Associate Chemistry Professor Jay Hanna.
Winthrop has been a part of SC INBRE for a decade. Since 2005, SC INBRE and Winthrop funds have afforded research experiences
for dozens of Winthrop students, helping to prepare more than 65 Winthrop graduates
to pursue advanced degrees in biomedical sciences.
Lammi said that INBRE III will continue to focus on biomedical research training.
It will support 15 faculty research mentors per year who will train 30 undergraduate
students each summer. This third renewal will allow for the largest group of students
and mentors to date to be supported by INBRE funds, Lammi said.
Here's how the grant money will be used:
* Students and mentors will participate in Winthrop's Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), an annual program which began in 2006.
* Mentors for the first year, starting in 2015, include six biology faculty (Meir Barak, Eric Birgbauer, Matt Heard, Kathryn Kohl, Julian Smith and Matthew Stern);
six chemistry/biochemistry faculty (Christian Grattan, Nick Grossoehme, Jay Hanna, Jason Hurlbert, Robin Lammi and Takita
Sumter); and three mathematics faculty members (Kristen Abernathy, Zachary Abernathy and Arran Hamm).
In addition, the federal and Winthrop funds will provide continued support to the
Winthrop Eagle STEM Scholars Program, which is designed to prepare students from underrepresented groups and low-income
families, as well as first-generation college students, to succeed in biomedical graduate
and professional programs.
Lammi said Winthrop will expand its offerings to include a summer bridge program, piloted in the summer of 2015, to help incoming scholars make successful transitions
into college. Students will live on campus while they complete STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) coursework. They will attend weekly workshops
to build academic and life skills, and shadow undergraduates pursuing summer research
in two different disciplines.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or longshawj@winthrop.edu.
