The grant, which will span a period of four years, was awarded to Amherst because of its proposal, which focused on the school’s neuroscience department.
The College has received grants from HHMI for over 20 years, but with each new proposal, new challenges arise. The proposal itself involves coordination between various departments and faculty members. A panel of scientists evaluates each applicant’s proposal and selects the winners.
“The bar is set even higher for colleges like Amherst that have received funding from HHMI in the past—we have to show we’re innovative and have improved our programs over time,” said Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations Lisa Stoffer, who helped compile the proposal. “An example of how tough the review can be—after 20 years of continuous HHMI support, Williams wasn’t funded in this round, despite a strong proposal and distinguished science program.”
Amherst selected the theme of neuroscience over the summer and subsequently began writing the proposal. All applications were due by mid-October of 2007. “For the last six weeks, the faculty involved in writing the proposal, my colleagues in Foundation Relations and Institutional Research, and I all ate slept, and breathed this proposal,” said Stoffer.
Fifty percent of the grant will be appropriated for Amherst student research during the summer and 25 percent will be allocated to hiring a new molecular biologist and improving teaching labs. The remaining quarter of the funds will support a summer genomics workshop for high school teachers, said Professor of Biology Stephen George. HHMI is the College’s single largest supporter for summer student research in the sciences. The funding will also contribute to K-12 students’ visits to Amherst’s labs.
The College decided to focus on neuroscience because of a variety of reasons, including a growing interest in the field. “Amherst was one of the first colleges to offer the major, but the number of faculty teaching in neuroscience had decreased since the program’s founding due to retirements, so we knew there was a need there for staffing and courses,” said Stoffer. “HHMI funds primarily biomedical science. HHMI reviewers tend to like proposals that reflect new developments in science research. There’s so much happening in neuroscience around the world that we could make a strong case for its timeliness.”
The benefits accrued from the addition of a new faculty member in neuroscience are not necessarily exclusive to the neuroscience program. “The new appointment could be made in biology, and having another person in biology would enable the faculty to offer other kinds of courses for both majors and non-majors,” added Stoffer. Presently there is no molecular genetics expert on staff, which the faculty hopes to change through this grant. The molecular neurobiologist that the College plans to hire will teach a new course as well as supplement the material taught in existing courses. The new faculty member will also augment the variety of research opportunities available to undergraduates.
The funds will also support the College’s summer genomics workshop, which was started in 2005 and financed by the College’s 2004 HHMI award. HHMI asks their applicants to include outreach to K-12 teachers and students. The workshop utilizes faculty expertise and serves to complement high school curriculums, especially those in Massachusetts and New York. Directed by Julie Emerson, the workshop draws teachers from an array of districts and instructs them on how to conduct genomics experiments that will provide their students with a deeper understanding of science.
“We hope to inspire them to pursue science in college and beyond,” said Stoffer. “This work helps get younger students excited about science, and it strengthens the College’s connections with surrounding communities.”