June 14, 2012 College News - The Medical College of Wisconsin has received a $49,000 grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to enhance career guidance for postdoctoral scientists.
Phillip Clifford, PhD, Associate Dean in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, is the primary investigator of the grant.
The grant will allow 16 postdoctoral fellows to serve as part-time consultants in science-related companies in the Milwaukee area in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or medical device industries. With this funding, the Medical College will expand Postdoctoral Industry Consultants, a group which was initiated by postdoctoral fellows at the Medical College.
Wisconsin’s bioscience organization, BioForward, will identify participating companies. The fellows will perform market research, competitor benchmarking, and other business analyses.
“There are few opportunities during graduate training for science trainees to learn about the business side of science, which limits their understanding of skills needed to compete for positions in industry,” said Dr. Clifford. “This is an exciting opportunity for MCW to create links to area biomedical companies while simultaneously having a positive impact on the career opportunities of our bright and talented young scientists.”
The Medical College of Wisconsin is one of six institutions nationwide to receive this award.