Future Biotech Leaders Scholarship
Background
IowaBio is a non-profit, membership-based organization that seeks to promote the success and growth of biotech-based business in Iowa. We grow our state's strong biotech economy and increase its influence nationally and around the globe. One of IowaBio’s core purposes since its formation has been to foster Iowa’s vibrant talent pipeline.
Iowa’s STEM students are critical to fueling IowaBio member companies through a skilled workforce, in fields such as human health, animal health, food and ag, and biofuels and industrial bioscience. Through support of STEM education, IowaBio creates meaningful partnerships in order to support students, teachers, schools, colleges, and universities through scholarships, stipends, programming and competitions that encourage and enrich STEM education.
About the Scholarship
The Future Biotech Leaders Scholarship is awarded annually by IowaBio to recipients selected by the association’s STEM Committee for their outstanding commitment to STEM. The scholarships will help support recipients pursue college education in a STEM-related field. Students who claim their scholarships in order to attend a university, college, or other post-secondary institution in the state of Iowa will receive $2,000.00. Those who enroll in an out-of-state school will receive $1,000.00.
Eligibility Requirements
- High School Junior or Senior at an Iowa high school
- Must participate in the 2023 State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa (SSTFI) Senior High Fair on March 30-31, 2023.
- 3.0 - 4.0 GPA
- Strong interest in Science, Engineering, Technology or Math fields of study
- Intent to pursue a college major in a STEM field
- Bioscience/life science emphasis is a plus
Application Requirements
- Contact information
- One page recommendation letter from a reference
- Short essay (1-2 pages) explaining the student's SSTFI entry, why the student chose their project, and how their research will advance the STEM field they wish to pursue after graduating high school.
Timeline
- Application period opens December 1, 2022, and closes February 26, 2023.
- Scholarship recipients are notified of their awards through the contact information provided on their application form. The awardees will be physically presented with a certificate from IowaBio at the SSTFI awards ceremony. The 2022 awards ceremony will take place at the conclusion of the SSTFI Senior High Fair on March 31, 2023.
- Students must claim their award money through the IowaBio website, after enrolling at a college or university and being provided with a student ID number.
BioGENEiusChallenge
Students who apply for the Future Biotech Leaders Scholarship may also choose to make themselves eligible for consideration to be selected as IowaBio’s representative in the International BioGENEius Challenge. IowaBio may also invite student/s to apply for a Future Biotech Leaders Scholarship after the SSTFI, based on their SSTFI performance. One student who is awarded a Future Biotech Leaders Scholarship is eligible to receive a travel and accommodations stipend from IowaBio to compete against other regional winners at the International BioGENEius Challenge, which will be held at the BIO International Convention in Boston, MA, June 5-8, 2023. For more information about the International BioGENEius Challenge, please visit their website.
Questions
For questions about the Future Biotech Leaders Scholarship program or the BioGENEius Challenge, please email IowaBio Executive Director Jessica Hyland at jessica@iowabio.org.