 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
NHCTC Receives Federal Biotechnology Grant
The New Hampshire Biotechnology Education and Training (NH BET) Center at the New Hampshire Community Technical College (NHCTC) Pease International Tradeport Campus has been awarded three important federal grants during the past fourteen months. The grants are to build the education and training infrastructure for biotechnology and biomanufacturing education and training locally, state-wide and throughout the Northeast region consisting of 12 states (NH, ME, VT, MA, CT, RI, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, northern VA and the District of Columbia).
New Hampshire Community Technical College's Biotechnology Education and Training program has been on the map since 1994, when Dr. Sonia Wallman, the Director and Chair of Biotechnology at NHCTC received the first National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant that funded equipment for the development of two 192 hour cornerstone courses to the industry: Discovery Research and Biomanufacturing. The deliverables for this grant were Protocols for hands-on teaching of Discovery Research and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for hands-on teaching of Biomanufacturing, along with the theory to support the hands-on labs in an environment that mimicked the industry. This "Virtual WorkplaceTM" environment allowed us to model the industry's tools, processes and regulatory structure for an authentic experience. These Protocols and SOPs were placed on the Internet at http://biotech.nhctc.edu and have been used by educators throughout the country.
The current flurry of grants began September 1, 2004 with the announcement of a High Growth Job Initiative Department of Labor grant of $775,000 to create the Center of Expertise in Biomanufacturing, one of five Centers of Expertise forming the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce. This grant has allowed us to "build capacity" at the NH BET Center at NHCTC by hiring a full-time biomanufacturing faculty, a full-time biotechnology/biomanufacturing lab manager, and a part-time administrative assistant, webmaster and student lab assistants. In addition, the funds enabled the purchase of "industrial strength" biomanufacturing equipment for our program and classes such as four Applikon process-controlled three liter bioreactors; four Bio-Rad Liquid Chromatography systems; a digital documentation system; HPLC systems; and environmental monitoring equipment, including a particle counter and air samplers. Also, the grant has helped us to build capacity by supporting an Apprenticeship program for high school students entering our Associate in Science in Biotechnology program and by supporting the development of short courses for incumbent workers which are offered in a new entity, the Northeast Biomanufacturing Institute (NBI), through the NHCTC Center for Training and Business Development,
Another Department of Labor grant, a Community Based grant entitled, "bioCONNECTnh" was awarded to NHCTC's Biotechnology enterprise this November. This three year grant supports the development of the state's biotechnology infrastructure, adding a focus on Discovery Research with outreach to New Hampshire's high schools and including $750,000 for companies to access for incumbent worker training. We are hoping that much of these funds will be used by New Hampshire companies to support incumbent worker training at the new Northeast Biomanufacturing Institute. A pdf of the short courses available for incumbent worker training during the winter session (mid-January to mid-April) at the NBI can be accessed at www.biomanufacturing.org. Another session will start mid-April and continue until mid-July.
Finally, a National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) regional center grant was awarded this August 2005. This $3 million, four year renewable grant entitled, "The Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative: Building a Sustainable Infrastructure for Biomanufacturing Jobs and Education" provides funding to six Hubs in Northeast region states to work with industry to develop curricula, instructional materials, and other resources to support education and training for ten biomanufacturing jobs and provides funding for faculty and teacher development workshops at the Hubs and an annual Biomanufacturing Conference at the NH BET Center in the summer.
The three grants establish New Hampshire Community Technical College as the pivotal point in student, incumbent worker and faculty education and training in Biomanufacturing for the seacoast, the state and region. The grants will strengthen the biotechnology/biomanufacturing infrastructure in New Hampshire and provide a strong impetus to the building of the biotechnology/biomanufacturing education and training infrastructure in the Northeast. Finally, since so many partners of the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative (NBC2) are global companies, the NBC2 will no doubt have an impact on biomanufacturing education and training nationally and globally, as well as locally and regionally.
The New Hampshire Biotechnology Education and Training (NH BET) Center at the New Hampshire Community Technical College (NHCTC) Pease International Tradeport Campus has been awarded three important federal grants during the past fourteen months. The grants are to build the education and training infrastructure for biotechnology and biomanufacturing education and training locally, state-wide and throughout the Northeast region consisting of 12 states (NH, ME, VT, MA, CT, RI, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, northern VA and the District of Columbia).
New Hampshire Community Technical College's Biotechnology Education and Training program has been on the map since 1994, when Dr. Sonia Wallman, the Director and Chair of Biotechnology at NHCTC received the first National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant that funded equipment for the development of two 192 hour cornerstone courses to the industry: Discovery Research and Biomanufacturing. The deliverables for this grant were Protocols for hands-on teaching of Discovery Research and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for hands-on teaching of Biomanufacturing, along with the theory to support the hands-on labs in an environment that mimicked the industry. This "Virtual WorkplaceTM" environment allowed us to model the industry's tools, processes and regulatory structure for an authentic experience. These Protocols and SOPs were placed on the Internet at http://biotech.nhctc.edu and have been used by educators throughout the country.
The current flurry of grants began September 1, 2004 with the announcement of a High Growth Job Initiative Department of Labor grant of $775,000 to create the Center of Expertise in Biomanufacturing, one of five Centers of Expertise forming the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce. This grant has allowed us to "build capacity" at the NH BET Center at NHCTC by hiring a full-time biomanufacturing faculty, a full-time biotechnology/biomanufacturing lab manager, and a part-time administrative assistant, webmaster and student lab assistants. In addition, the funds enabled the purchase of "industrial strength" biomanufacturing equipment for our program and classes such as four Applikon process-controlled three liter bioreactors; four Bio-Rad Liquid Chromatography systems; a digital documentation system; HPLC systems; and environmental monitoring equipment, including a particle counter and air samplers. Also, the grant has helped us to build capacity by supporting an Apprenticeship program for high school students entering our Associate in Science in Biotechnology program and by supporting the development of short courses for incumbent workers which are offered in a new entity, the Northeast Biomanufacturing Institute (NBI), through the NHCTC Center for Training and Business Development,
Another Department of Labor grant, a Community Based grant entitled, "bioCONNECTnh" was awarded to NHCTC's Biotechnology enterprise this November. This three year grant supports the development of the state's biotechnology infrastructure, adding a focus on Discovery Research with outreach to New Hampshire's high schools and including $750,000 for companies to access for incumbent worker training. We are hoping that much of these funds will be used by New Hampshire companies to support incumbent worker training at the new Northeast Biomanufacturing Institute. A pdf of the short courses available for incumbent worker training during the winter session (mid-January to mid-April) at the NBI can be accessed at www.biomanufacturing.org. Another session will start mid-April and continue until mid-July.
Finally, a National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) regional center grant was awarded this August 2005. This $3 million, four year renewable grant entitled, "The Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative: Building a Sustainable Infrastructure for Biomanufacturing Jobs and Education" provides funding to six Hubs in Northeast region states to work with industry to develop curricula, instructional materials, and other resources to support education and training for ten biomanufacturing jobs and provides funding for faculty and teacher development workshops at the Hubs and an annual Biomanufacturing Conference at the NH BET Center in the summer.
The three grants establish New Hampshire Community Technical College as the pivotal point in student, incumbent worker and faculty education and training in Biomanufacturing for the seacoast, the state and region. The grants will strengthen the biotechnology/biomanufacturing infrastructure in New Hampshire and provide a strong impetus to the building of the biotechnology/biomanufacturing education and training infrastructure in the Northeast. Finally, since so many partners of the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative (NBC2) are global companies, the NBC2 will no doubt have an impact on biomanufacturing education and training nationally and globally, as well as locally and regionally.
Site Map | Privacy Policy