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"With the launch of the Amgen Scholars Program in Europe, undergraduatesfrom many nations will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the realworld of research and experience firsthand what it takes to contribute to theadvancement of knowledge," said Jean J. Lim, president of the AmgenFoundation. "Under the guidance of distinguished faculty mentors, we hope theScholars will be inspired to discover their potential as future scientists."
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The initial expansion of Amgen Scholars to Europe is a $2.5 million,two-year program that will provide research experience for students interestedin pursuing a graduate degree and a career in science. The three Europeanuniversity partners are the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom,Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen inGermany.
For the first phase of the program, which extends through 2010, each ofthe three university partners will receive funding to host the summer researchprogram, selecting undergraduate participants from colleges and universitiesacross Europe. Similar to the Amgen Scholars U.S. Program, students willparticipate in an annual three-day symposium where they will hear firsthandfrom leading scientists working in industry and academia.
Internationally renowned Cambridge University will serve as the EuropeanCoordinating Center and will play a leading role in providing coordination,technical oversight and student outreach for the program, in addition tohosting the annual Amgen Scholars European Symposium.
"The Amgen Scholars Program will provide undergraduate students fromacross Europe with a fantastic opportunity to experience the scientificdiscovery process, as well as to network with top scientists and industryleaders," said Professor Tony Minson, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University ofCambridge and the Director of the Amgen Scholars European Coordinating Center."We hope that this will inspire more young people to consider scientificcareers -- at a time when the education of the next generation of scientistsis more important than ever."
2009 Amgen Scholars U.S. Program Applications Now Available
The Amgen Scholars U.S. Program, a $25 million, eight-year commitment ofthe Amgen Foundation, in partnership with 10 of the nation's premieruniversities, is now accepting applications for the summer of 2009. In 2007,the program's first year, 238 undergraduate students were selected as AmgenScholars from approximately 1,700 applicants from across the U.S. In 2008,applicants rose to nearly 2,400 and nearly 250 students, representing 120different U.S. colleges and universities, were chosen to participate.
The opportunity to work with some of the leading academic scientists inthe country is a cornerstone of the program, with participating universitiesseeking to match students with faculty members who will both inspire andchallenge them. For example, Dr. Martin Chalfie of Columbia University, oneof the 2008 Nobel Prize recipients in Chemistry for the discovery anddevelopment of the green fluorescent protein, GFP, mentored an Amgen Scholarin his lab at Columbia.
Amgen Foundation's 10 host universities for the Amgen Scholars U.S.Program are California Institute of Technology; Columbia University/BarnardCollege; Howard University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; StanfordUniversity; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, LosAngeles; University of California, San Diego; University of California, SanFrancisco; and University of Washington. MIT, which has long been at theforefront of undergraduate research programming, serves as the U.S. ProgramOffice and plays a leading role in the coordination, technical oversight andstudent outreach for the program.
Each of the 10 participating host universities in the U.S. is responsiblefor selecting approximately 25 participants from both their own student body,as well as from other accredited four-year colleges or universities in theU.S., Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories.
Financial support for students is a critical component of the U.S. andEuropean program, which aims to ensure that eligible students, regardless oftheir financial status, are able to participate. Please note that details varyby host university.
For more information about Amgen Scholars including eligibility criteriaand applications, please visit http://www.amgenscholars.com.
About the Amgen Foundation
The Amgen Foundation (http://www.amgen.com/citizenship/overview.html)seeks to advance science education; improve patient access to quality care;and strengthen the communities where Amgen staff members live and work. Since1991, the Foundation has made more than $125 million in grants to nonprofitorganizations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Europe that impactsociety in inspiring and innovative ways. It has also supported disasterrelief efforts both domestically and internationally.Contacts Kristen Davis, (805) 447-3008 (U.S. media) Annette Condon, +353 87 284 1951 (EU media) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081015/AMGENLOGO)
SOURCE Amgen Foundation
