Health & Life Sciences Scholars Program

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Today, the field of health and life sciences is experiencing unprecedented growth. The decoding of the human genome and the discovery of new technologies has sparked a revolution that is producing new treatments for diseases and expanding the quality and duration of the human life span. This revolution impacts a wide range of professional fields — from nursing and public health to education, information science, and public policy to environmental sciences. And it brings with it a host of new realities that challenge our basic understanding of essential human values such as life, death, freedom, and choice.

The liberal arts colleges and universities that compose
the I-Fund offer the rare combination of prestigious faculty and small classroom settings that facilitate close interaction between students and professors and provide world-class educational and research opportunities. Students who study the sciences at I-Fund member colleges are trained in the interdisciplinary tradition of the liberal arts where biochemistry, neuroscience, biophysics and computer science merge with a curriculum rich in history, art, music, ethics and philosophy. This time-tested approach to higher education produces graduates trained for responsible citizenship and participation in the challenging choices that lie ahead — individuals who will be the future leaders of Maryland’s health and life sciences industries.

Designed to help ensure the continuation of high quality research and academic training at I-Fund member institutions and to build connections between the business and academic communities to develop a talent pool for Maryland's health and life sciences industries. The program includes $5,000 scholarships for students majoring in or has demonstrated a career interest in the biological sciences, biochemistry, biophysics, microbiology and related scientific fields — including chemistry, computer science, physics and environmental health. It also includes the possibility of a summer internship with a program funder.

Scholarships of $5,000 are awarded to full-time undergraduate students with financial need who:

• Have a sophomore or higher standing at the time of selection
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0
• Are majoring in or have demonstrated a career interest in the biological sciences, biochemistry, biophysics, microbiology and related scientific fields — including chemistry, computer science, physics and environmental health