The  University  of  Connecticut’s  School  of  Engineering  has  secured  a  highly  selective  federal grant to attract graduate students who will specialize in medical devices for public health.

The  U.S.  Department  of  Education  recently notified the biomedical engineering department that  it  will  receive  a  three-year  grant  totaling $879,000 as part of the Graduate Assistance in Areas  of  National  Need  (GAANN)  program.  It will support six graduate students, with Biomedical  Engineering  Department  Head  Ki  Chon  administering the program. Dr. Cato Laurencin and Assistant  Professor  Sabato  Santaniello  are  the co-primary investigators of the grant.

“This  is  the  foremost  fellowship  program  to train  and  prepare  students  for  careers  in  academia,  industry,  government  and  entrepreneurship. For UConn BME to be a part of such a prestigious program speaks to the great strides the department has made in such a short period of time. We are proud to be a part of the ongoing collaboration  between  UConn  and  the  Department of Education,” said Chon.

The  program  will  provide  the  training  necessary  to  create  and  design  advanced  medical devices  from  both  an  engineering  and  biological  standpoint-  these  devices  require  a  deep understanding  of  the  workings  of  the  human body,  in  addition  to  the  advanced  engineering skills that UConn engineering graduate students are known for.

The GAANN program fellowships assist graduate students with excellent records who demonstrate financial need and plan to purse doctoral degrees  in  their  course  of  study.  The  GAANN program  gives  selected  grad  students  a  fellowship  that  covers  tuition  and  provides  a  stipend, allowing  the  student  to  focus  on  their  research topic. The fellows must be citizens, nationals or permanent residents of the United States.The Medical Devices for Public Health GAANN is  focused  on  increasing  the  number  of  underrepresented minorities and women in the STEM fields. The Program administrators will invite underrepresented  students  to  work  in  their  laboratories, work with existing minority recruitment efforts  at  UConn  and  visit  Minority  Serving  Institutions  to  recruit  directly  to  the  program.

GAANN  fellows  and  faculty  will  participate  in activities  organized  by  professional  societies dedicated to underrepresented groups, such as the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers.