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NIH AWARDS $1.35 MILLION Seattle, WA – October 30, 2008 – The Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR) has been awarded $1.35 million dollar Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This five-year grant, one of only 16 awarded nationally this year, provides funding for education outreach programs that help secondary school teachers and their students learn about the science and ethics of how biomedical research is conducted. “Stem cell research, genetic testing, drug safety testing using humans in clinical trials – students hear about all these topics in the news. We’re trying to help them understand the scientific and ethical layers behind these issues as well as provide them with tools to think carefully about the impacts of research on their own lives and on society overall,” said Jeanne Ting Chowning, Principal Investigator. "It is great to see the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research receive the recognition and funding that this award represents," said Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire. "This project offers a unique approach to engaging Washington students with exciting science and math opportunities while allowing them to understand the role ethics play in various forms of research." While members of the general public enjoy the health benefits of biomedical research, they are generally unaware of the process that generates new treatments and cures, or the ethical standards that help ensure that research is responsibly conducted. NWABR’s multi-faceted education outreach program, “Collaborations to Understand Research and Ethics” (CURE), increases understanding of these important aspects of research. “We’ve found that taking this approach to teaching science has several benefits: it engages students more directly with the science that they’re learning in school, it improves their ability to discuss difficult issues with peers and to more critically consider information, it strengthens students’ ability to address ethical issues, and it makes clear the important connections between science and society,” notes Chowning. This grant builds upon NWABR’s existing successful bioethics education program, established with prior NIH funding, and has strong support from the education community. It draws on over 40 different collaborators such as school districts, community groups, bioethicists and NWABR member research institutions. NWABR’s bioethics programs are widely recognized, and are featured in the October 11th issue of Science, the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "The CURE grant supports the mission of NWABR to promote the understanding of biomedical research and its ethical conduct. It empowers NWABR to work directly with ethicists, scientists and educators who are among the most respected authorities in their fields," said Susan Adler, Executive Director of NWABR, and co-principal investigator. The program will provide teacher professional development and curricular resources for secondary school life science educators, as well as several high school student programs including a “Youth Ethics Summit.” An online course in research ethics for teachers is also planned. # # #
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NWABR is a 501(c)3 organization. All contributions
are tax deductible. Copyright 1999-2008 Northwest Association
for Biomedical Research
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