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With funding from the National Institutes of Health , the National Science Foundation , the Penn State Materials Research Institiute, and with additional funding, the Penn State departments of Bioengineering and Chemistry and the Hershey Medical Center have developed a summer institute for upper-level undergraduate students and 1st-year graduate students to provide interdisciplinary research experience and training in Biomaterials and Bionanotechnology. |
 Program Overview & General Information
The Summer Institute is a program meant to increase students' understanding of fabrication techniques and materials knowledge on the micro- and nano-level and learn how this knowledge can be used to better understand biological systems and design materials to better interact with these systems. Particularly the areas of study are biomimetics, biomaterials, nanotechnology/microtechnology, bioengineering and applications with biological systems.
Course/Research
The summer institute is designed as a two-summer program, and includes a seminar course, skills workshops, and research work in a laboratory.
- Summer Course: Biomaterials and Bionanotechnology in the Health Sciences
The course work for the summer institute consists of skills workshops and weekly seminars. The workshops are presented in the first two weeks and provide training in the skills necessary for advancement in biomaterials and
bionanotechnology research. The weekly seminars include guest speakers from Penn State, Hershey Medical Center, other universities and industry.
- Workshops
Short training exercises used to teach students skills in methods of nanofabrication and measurement techniques. Up to three workshops can be chosen to attend.
- Research Projects
During both summers of the program students work on specific projects in member labs under the direction of a mentor professor.
Schedule, Stipend, Housing and Food
- Program Duration
Students arrive on May 29 and depart on August 8, 2008.
- Sipend
Undergraduate students receive a stipend of $3000 each summer, and graduate students receive a stipend of $5000 per summer. Undergraduate students are defined as students who have completed at least their sophomore year and have not yet begun their first year of graduate school at the start of the summer program. Graduate students are students who have finished 1 year of graduate school and who have not yet begun their second year.
A travel allowance will be awarded to selected individuals.
- Room & Board
During the duration of the program, students are housed in the dormatories at Penn State or Hershey Medical Center. There is no cost for housing. Food allowances will be provided.
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