Last fall, the Department of Defense, through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, announced more than $47 million to 15 awardees under the National Defense Education Program in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Biotechnology, and Enhanced Civics Education.
“The Department of Defense is not only developing emerging technologies but also investing in the STEM workforce pipeline, which is critical to the department and our nation’s security,” said Heidi Shyu, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, in a statement. “These recognized awardees are helping to widen the pipeline of STEM talent to ensure that the talent is diverse, providing opportunities for students of all ages and educators of all grade levels, including those in underserved and underrepresented communities, military-connected students, and veterans. These programs will implement innovative approaches to STEM education and outreach while providing awareness of the department’s STEM career pathways.”
The 15 awardees include science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-focused programs at Kansas State University, Harvard University, Malcolm X College in Chicago; Mobile County Public School System, Alabama; Oklahoma State University, Purdue University, the Space Foundation, Colorado Springs, Colorado; The University of Connecticut, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Pittsburgh, Arizona State University, Tempe; Arizona, Boston University, and the University of California–Santa Barbara’s SciTrekBiotech, which engages teams of K-12 students in structured but self-driven explorations of bio-science/technology questions.
SciTrekBiotech will receive $3 million in funding over three years from the U.S. Department of Defense’s National Defense Educational Program (NDEP).
“I’m pretty proud of our SciTrek team and I think we’re having a huge impact,” said program co-founder Norbert Reich in a statement. A distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UC Santa Barbara, Reich added that the “three million dollars is just going to blow it away for us.”
Pierre Wiltzius, dean of mathematical, life and physical sciences at UCSB called the defense department grant transformational, adding that SciTrek fulfills every tenet of the university’s mission to teach, do research, and provide public service.
UC Santa Barabra’s funding will enhance focus on biotechnology outreach and workforce development, help create the next generation of scientists and technologists to solve emerging problems, and stay competitive in an increasingly technological society.
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