Rutgers is proud to host one of the first NSF funded PhD training programs in the U.S. on stem cells*.  Effective September 1, 2008, the IGERT on Integrated Science and Engineering of Stem Cells (ISESC) builds on the legacy of the prior IGERT on biointerfaces.  The ISESC will offer cross-cutting thrusts for Ph.D. research, together with a new multidisciplinary graduate curriculum,  combining stem cell biology with research in biomaterials, process engineering, and computational modeling.  Trainees will participate in an IGERT Research Interchange Forum (IRIF) to develop their abilities to communicate across disparate disciplines.  Professional development activities encompassing teaching, mentoring, and outreach will enable IGERT trainees to better realize the impact of their technological know-how.  Each IGERT Trainee will be guided by an Advisory Constellation of scholars, drawn from over 30 faculty members from Engineering, Molecular Biosciences, Physical Sciences, Business, Public Policy, and Management. Admitted graduate fellows will receive a $30,000 annual fellowship and up to a $10,500 tuition allowance for up to three years.

New outreach programs at the intersection of stem cell science and engineering with public policy and business include: (1) an initiative with the School of Management and Labor Relations to "bundle" IGERT research and curriculum into portable modules for scientific workforce training; (2) Rutgers Business School-mediated interactions with pharmaceutical management students and industry; (3) public policy workshops with policy makers, facilitated by the Eagleton Institute of Politics.  IGERT trainees will acquire global perspectives through internships and workshops with leading stem cell researchers at over 15 sites in Europe and Asia.

*NSF DGE 0801620 (PI:  Prabhas Moghe, moghe@rutgers.edu). IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education & Research Traineeship) is a program of the National Science Foundation. The national directory of IGERT programs can be reached at http://www.igert.org.

Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation