National Institutes of Health Joins in
Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Events
NIH To Encourage Biomedical Research Careers for Top High School
Scientists
The National Institutes of Health will for the first time announce
Grand Awards in the Medicine and Health category at the Intel International
Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) taking place this week at the
Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nev. The Intel ISEF, the
world's premiere science competition exclusively for students in
grades 9-12, provides an annual forum for more than 1,500 outstanding
high school students nationwide to showcase their independent research.
"The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is
a platform for the best and brightest high school science students
in the world," said NIH Acting Director Dr. Raynard S. Kington. "Hundreds
of NIH scientists are poised to retire in the next decade. It is
a priority for NIH to nurture the careers of brilliant young scholars
and build a pipeline of scientists with an interest in one day
working with one of NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers. Participating
in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is one
example of how NIH is encouraging students in science education."
NIH will present the Medicine and Health Category, which will
recognize multiple award winners in several category levels and
a Best of Category winner. Outside funding sources will finance
the awards, including a Best of Category prize of $5,000 and a
notebook computer. In addition, a $1,000 award will be given
to the winner’s school and the Intel ISEF-affiliated fair they
represent. The first place prize is a $3,000 cash award; second
place is a $1,500 cash award; third place is a $1,000 cash
award; fourth place is a $500 cash award.
NIH will also have an exhibit at the Intel ISEF to provide the
young scientists and their families, teachers and mentors with
information about NIH, including NIH training programs and science
careers. NIH is comprised of extramural and intramural components.
The NIH Intramural Research Program oversees a number of programs
providing rewarding biomedical research experiences for high school
and college students, recent college graduates, graduate students,
professional students, and postdoctoral and clinical fellows.
Judges, who come from scientific institutions from all over the
world, will independently assess the projects and recommend finalists
for the NIH announcements. NIH officials, including Dr. Elisabeth
Wagener, deputy director of the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program,
and Drs. Joseph Mindell (National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke), Carla Easter (National Human Genome Research Institute)
and Stuart Maudsley (National Institute on Aging) will also contribute
their scientific expertise to assist with the project evaluations.
"We are delighted to have NIH participate in Intel ISEF this
year," said Elizabeth Marincola, president of the Society
for Science & the Public (SPP), which coordinates the competition. "By
presenting the Medicine and Health category, NIH scientists are
sending a strong message to our finalists: that the top research
agency in the United States wants them to consider careers in biomedical
science."
Student finalists at Intel ISEF earned the right to compete by
winning a top prize at local, regional, state or national science
fairs. An NIH representative will speak at the Grand Awards ceremony
on Friday, May 15. The Grand Awards are the highlight of the week,
valued at nearly $1 million in scholarships, tuition grants
and scientific field trips. Information on the winners of the Medicine
and Health Category will be posted on the SSP Web site at www.societyforscience.org immediately
following the ceremony.
NIH's participation in the Intel ISEF represents the efforts and
support of multiple Institutes and Centers, including the Office
of Science Education, the National Center on Minority Health and
Health Disparities, the Office of Research on Women’s Health, the
Office of Intramural Training & Education, and the National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which partnered with the Friends
of NIDA, a coalition of individuals and professional societies
committed to the elimination of drug abuse and addiction through
education, advocacy, and support of the NIDA research goals, to
present the Intel ISEF Addiction Science Awards.
SSP partners with Intel and dozens of corporate, academic, government
and science-focused sponsors that provide support and awards for
the Intel ISEF each year. SSP is a nonprofit organization dedicated
to the public engagement in scientific research and education.
Founded as Science Service in 1921, SSP has through its award-winning
magazine, Science News, and through world-class science education
competitions, conveyed the excitement of all areas of science and
research directly to the public. Learn more about SSP at http://sciserv.org/.
The Office of the Director, the central office at NIH, is responsible
for setting policy for NIH, which includes 27 Institutes and Centers.
This involves planning, managing, and coordinating the programs
and activities of all NIH components. The Office of the Director
also includes program offices which are responsible for stimulating
specific areas of research throughout NIH. Additional information
is available at http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers
and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic,
clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates
the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.
For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. |