Columbia University Receives New Grant from the Amgen Foundation to Host Amgen Scholars Program

“Support from the Amgen Foundation through the Amgen Scholars Program is essential to fulfilling our mission to educate and train new generations of top-tier scientists. On behalf of Columbia University, I am very grateful for this opportunity to continue our partnership” said David Madigan, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Columbia University is one of 17 educational institutions worldwide selected to host Amgen Scholars as part of the program’s latest expansion. The Amgen Foundation also announced additional host sites in the U.S., Europe, and for the first time, Japan- providing greater access and opportunity for young scientists to engage in cutting-edge research across a wide range of scientific fields and deepen their understanding of medical biotechnology.

“We are delighted to be expanding the Amgen Scholars Program in the U.S., Europe, and Asia—and joining with educational institutions that play a critical role in training tomorrow’s scientists,” said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen. “As a society we are entering an exciting new era in biotechnology that will be shaped by new genetic research tools, more sophisticated medicines, and advanced manufacturing processes. With this new era comes greater demand for talent, expertise, and critical thinking.”

The Amgen Foundation’s total commitment to the Amgen Scholars Program now reaches more than $50 million, bringing the Foundation’s total commitment to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to over $100 million globally.

Amgen Scholars first launched in the U.S. in 2006, and expanded to Europe in 2008. Over the past eight years, Amgen Scholars has provided cutting-edge research opportunities under world-renowned mentors to nearly 2,500 undergraduate students. More than 90 percent of the program’s alumni who have completed their bachelor’s degree are currently pursuing an advanced degree or career in a scientific field.

Georgia Squyres, who participated in the Amgen Scholars Program at Columbia University in 2012 in Lars Dietrich’s lab, studied how bacteria cooperate successfully with one another to survive in challenging environments. “It was exactly what I needed at that point in my career,” Squyres said.

In the new phase of the program, which extends through 2018, an additional $18 million will be invested by the Amgen Foundation supporting nearly 1,200 undergraduate students’ participation in the U.S., Europe or Japan. Students in the U.S. and Europe can apply to universities in their respective regions, while students from around the world are eligible to apply to the program in Japan. Summer symposiums will be held in each region, allowing students to come together to share their research projects, learn about biotechnology and hear firsthand from leading industry and academic scientists.

“Amgen has seen the positive influence of the Amgen Scholars Program over the past eight years as alumni have gone on to earn Ph.D.’s, be accepted as Rhodes Scholars and to work as scientists at leading institutions,” said Eduardo Cetlin, president, Amgen Foundation. “We are proud to extend our network of world-class educational institutions and offer even more undergraduates this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to broaden their career perspectives and deepen their love of science.”

Financial support for students is also a critical component of the program, which seeks to ensure that eligible students, regardless of their financial status, are able to participate. Financial support details vary by institution. 

The 17 host institutions are now accepting applications for the 2015 Amgen Scholars Program. For more information about Amgen Scholars, or to complete an application online, visit www.amgenscholars.com and follow the Amgen Foundation at www.twitter.com/amgenfoundation. 

2015 Amgen Scholars Host Institutions

*Indicates New Host Institution for 2015

United States

California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, Calif.)
Columbia University / Barnard College (New York)
Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.)*
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass.)
National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Md.)*
Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.)
University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, Calif.)
University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
University of California, San Francisco  (San Francisco)
Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri (St. Louis)
 
Europe

ETH Zurich (Zurich, Switzerland)*
Karolinska Institute (Stockholm)
Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich (Munich)
Institut Pasteur (Paris)*
University of Cambridge (Cambridge, United Kingdom)
  
Japan

Kyoto University (Kyoto)*
University of Tokyo (Tokyo)*

About Columbia University
Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

About the Amgen Foundation
The Amgen Foundation seeks to advance excellence in science education to inspire the next generation of innovators, and invest in strengthening communities where Amgen staff members live and work. To date, the Foundation has donated over $200 million to local, regional, and international nonprofit organizations that impact society in inspiring and innovative ways.. For more information, visit www.AmgenInspires.com and follow us on Twitter @AmgenFoundation.

CONTACT:

Columbia University: Chanda Springer, 212-854-2262, [email protected]

Amgen: Kristen Davis, 805-447-3008 (media)