The Biogen Foundation awards the NCMNS $584,700 grant to further cutting-edge science lab-based programming
For immediate release ‐ March 25, 2015
Contact: Emelia Cowans, 919.707.9837. Images available upon request
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will continue to develop and implement public programs focusing on biotechnology and human health for students statewide thanks to a generous three-year grant from the Biogen Foundation (formerly Biogen Idec Foundation). The $584,700 grant is the largest that the Biogen Foundation has ever awarded to a museum in North Carolina. In 2013-2014, the Biogen Foundation awarded the Museum $200,000 to create cutting-edge science programming and to ensure that these programs reach underserved, high-need schools across the state. The new three-year grant allows the Museum to build upon the proven success of programs made possible thanks to the Biogen Foundation.
“The Museum values the continued collaboration with the Biogen Foundation and is grateful to be the recipient of the largest grant that the Foundation has ever awarded a North Carolina Museum,” said Emlyn Koster, Museum Director. “It is clear that our organizations have shared missions to serve children across the state with high-quality science programs and we look forward to working with the Biogen Foundation.”
This three-year grant ensures the continuation of on-site programs in the Micro World Investigate Lab located inside the Museum’s Nature Research Center (NRC), as well as science education outreach. These programs connect basic sciences — such as chemistry, cell biology, and molecular biology — to applications in human health. They will also engage youth through extensive hands-on learning and experimentation, ignite long-term scientific curiosity and hopefully inspire the next generation of science leaders to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
“We want children throughout North Carolina to know that science is fun, science is for everyone, and that they can make a difference in the world through a career in science,” said Joydeep Ganguly, director of the Biogen Foundation. “North Carolinians are so fortunate to have a premier science institution like the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in our state. We want to ensure that as many North Carolina students as possible are able to access the Museum’s outstanding experiential learning programs.”
Funds from the grant also will help cover transportation costs for students in outlying and underserved counties to travel to the Museum for Investigate Lab programs. Additionally, the grant funds the development and delivery of new lab-based outreach programs that enable the Museum to participate in afterschool initiatives, camps and distance learning video conferencing, as well as provide hands-on lab experiences to children who have limited opportunities for high-quality science programming. Columbus County, home of the new North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville, will be among the rural counties served by the grant.
Acknowledging the Biogen Foundation’s interest in fostering mutually beneficial collaborations, the Museum will partner with the Durham-based non-profit, Center for Inquiry Based Learning, to provide classrooms with theme-based science kits for a 9-week curriculum. The selected inquiry kits will reflect program themes that align with Museum programs.
A smaller portion of the grant will support the Museum’s Triangle SciTech Expo from 2015 through 2018. This year’s event, set for Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., brings university and industry scientists together to showcase amazing advances in biotechnology, engineering, science and technology through fun, hands-on and interactive activities. Expo visitors will also learn about the Triangle area’s history and promising future as an innovative leader in these fields, as well as why these fields are important to their daily lives. For more information about the Triangle SciTech Expo, contact Kari Wouk at 919.707.9879. or via email at kari.wouk@naturalsciences.org.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (11 W. Jones St. and 121 W. Jones St.) in downtown Raleigh, is the state’s most visited cultural attraction. It is an active research institution that engages visitors of every age and stage of learning in the wonders of science and the natural world, drawing them into the intriguing fields of study that are critical to the future of North Carolina. Hours: Mon.- Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sun., noon-5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the web at www.naturalsciences.org. Emlyn Koster, PhD, Director; Donald van der Vaart, Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Pat McCrory, Governor.