Whitaker Foundation

Last updated

The Whitaker Foundation was based in Arlington, Virginia and was an organization that primarily supported biomedical engineering education and research, but also supported other forms of medical research. It was founded and funded by U. A. Whitaker in 1975 upon his death with additional support coming from his wife Helen Whitaker upon her death in 1982. The foundation contributed more than $700 million to various universities and medical schools. The foundation decided to spend its financial resources over a finite period, rather than creating an organization that would be around forever, in order to have the maximum impact. The Whitaker Foundation closed on June 30, 2006. The foundation helped create 30 biomedical engineering programs at various universities in the United States and helped finance the construction of 13 buildings, many of them subsequently bearing the name "Whitaker" in some form.

Contents

Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program

The Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program funded more than 400 pre-doctoral research fellows and post-doctoral scholars between 2011 and 2018 to perform biomedical research outside of the United States. [1] [2] The program was managed by the Institute for International Education, who also manages the Fulbright Program. [3] In addition to traditional laboratory research, the Whitaker International Program also funded internships in scientific policy and classroom-based educational programs. [4] The last grants were awarded in 2018, however, the program continues to pursue Concluding Initiatives that develop and promote leadership in biomedical engineering, with an international focus. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biomedical engineering</span> Application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology

Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes. BME is also traditionally logical sciences to advance health care treatment, including diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy. Also included under the scope of a biomedical engineer is the management of current medical equipment in hospitals while adhering to relevant industry standards. This involves procurement, routine testing, preventive maintenance, and making equipment recommendations, a role also known as a Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET) or as clinical engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Science Foundation</span> United States government agency

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. With an annual budget of about $8.3 billion, the NSF funds approximately 25% of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States' colleges and universities. In some fields, such as mathematics, computer science, economics, and the social sciences, the NSF is the major source of federal backing.

The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Via the program, competitively-selected American citizens including students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists, and artists may receive scholarships or grants to study, conduct research, teach, or exercise their talents abroad; and citizens of other countries may qualify to do the same in the United States.

The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York is a public research institution and post-graduate university in New York City. Serving as the principal doctorate-granting institution of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, The CUNY Graduate Center is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity". The school is situated in the landmark B. Altman and Company Building at 365 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, opposite the Empire State Building. The CUNY Graduate Center has 4,600 students, 31 doctoral programs, 14 master's programs, and 30 research centers and institutes. A core faculty of approximately 140 is supplemented by over 1,800 additional faculty members drawn from throughout CUNY's eleven senior colleges and New York City's cultural and scientific institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scripps Research</span> Nonprofit American medical research institute

Scripps Research, previously known as The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), is a nonprofit American medical research facility that focuses on research and education in the biomedical sciences. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the institute has over 170 laboratories employing 2,100 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and administrative and other staff, making it the largest private, non-profit biomedical research organization in the United States and among the largest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Churchill Scholarship</span> Anglo-American post-graduate scholarship program

The Churchill Scholarship is awarded by the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States to graduates of the more than one hundred colleges and universities invited to participate in the Churchill Scholarship Program, for the pursuit of research and study in the physical and natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, for one year at Churchill College at the University of Cambridge.

Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) Global is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes safety, security, and sustainability through science and innovation. CRDF Global was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1992 under the FREEDOM Support Act and established in 1995 by the National Science Foundation. This unique public-private partnership promotes international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources, and training. CRDF Global was originally named the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (CRDF).

The Institute for Citizens & Scholars is a nonpartisan, non-profit based in Princeton, New Jersey that aims to strengthen American democracy by “cultivating the talent, ideas, and networks that develop lifelong, effective citizens.” It administers programs that support civic education and engagement, leadership development, and organizational capacity in education and democracy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Association of American Universities</span> International organization of leading research universities

The Association of American Universities (AAU) is an organization of American research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. Founded in 1900, it consists of 69 universities in the United States and two universities in Canada. AAU membership is by invitation only and requires an affirmative vote of three-quarters of current members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methuselah Foundation</span> U.S. nonprofit organization

The Methuselah Foundation is an American-based global non-profit organization based in Springfield, Virginia, with a declared mission to "make 90 the new 50 by 2030" by supporting tissue engineering and regenerative medicine therapies. The organization was originally incorporated by David Gobel in 2001 as the Performance Prize Society, a name inspired by the British governments Longitude Act, which offered monetary rewards for anyone who could devise a portable, practical solution for determining a ship's longitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foundation for the National Institutes of Health</span>

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by the US Congress in 1990. Located in North Bethesda, MD, the FNIH raises private-sector funds, and creates and manages alliances with public and private institutions in support of the mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The Case Western Reserve University Department of Biomedical Engineering launched in 1968 as one of the first Biomedical Engineering programs in the world. Formally incorporated in both the School of Engineering and School of Medicine, the department provides full research and education programs and is consistently top-ranked for graduate and undergraduate studies, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Joan Y. Reede is an American physician. She is Harvard Medical School's inaugural dean for diversity and community partnership, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine. She is known for creating programs that mentor and support minority physicians and female physicians. Alumni of her programs have created a 501(c)(3) organization called The Reede Scholars in her honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Wirtz</span> Belgian molecular biologist (born 1965)

Denis Wirtz is the vice provost for research and Theophilus Halley Smoot Professor of Engineering Science at Johns Hopkins University. He is an expert in the molecular and biophysical mechanisms of cell motility and adhesion and nuclear dynamics in health and disease.

Elizabeth Yakel is an archivist, researcher, and educator in information science. Yakel is known for work advancing archival practice, the use of primary sources in archives education, studies of data reuse practices, and digital curation. Yakel is the senior associate dean for academic affairs and a professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, where she has been on the faculty since 2000. She is the former coordinator of the Preservation of Information specialization in the Master of Science in Information program and teaches in the Archives and Record Management area. She specializes in digital archives and digital preservation and has developed five such graduate level courses at UM, including "Economics of Sustainable Digital Information" and "Practical Engagement Workshop in Digital Preservation."

Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, or simply Biohub, is a nonprofit research organization. In addition to supporting and conducting original research, CZ Biohub acts as a hub and fosters science collaboration between UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco (UCSF) and Stanford. The Biohub’s medical science research center is funded by a $600 million contribution from Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. It is currently co-led by Stephen Quake and Joseph DeRisi. Gajus Worthington was named as Biohub's Chief Operating Officer in 2017 and Sandra Schmid joined as Chief Scientific Officer in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reza Ghodssi</span> Iranian professor

Reza Ghodssi is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Institute for Systems Research (ISR) at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he directs the MEMS Sensors and Actuators Lab and holds the Herbert Rabin Distinguished Chair in Engineering. Ghodssi is also the Inaugural Executive Director of Research and Innovation for the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland (USMSM). He is best known for his work designing micro- and nano-devices for healthcare applications, particularly for systems requiring small-scale energy conversion and biological and chemical sensing.

Audrey K. Ellerbee Bowden is an American engineer and Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chancellor's Faculty Fellow at Vanderbilt University, as well as an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. She is a Fellow of Optica, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE).

Shelly R. Peyton is an American chemist who is the Armstrong Professional Development Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research considers the development of biomaterials to investigate metastatic cancer and potential new therapies.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Oxford Cambridge (OxCam) Scholars Program, founded in 2001, is an accelerated doctoral program in which scholars engage in collaborate biomedical research at the NIH and either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge. The program offers both PhD and combined MD/PhD training pathways through collaborations with various medical schools in the United States. Since the program's founding, over 200 students have completed their doctoral training through the program.

References

  1. "HOME". www.whitaker.org. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  2. Candid. "Whitaker Foundation Commits $20 Million in Fellowships, Scholarships to Biomedical Engineers". Philanthropy News Digest (PND). Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  3. "Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program". www.iie.org. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  4. "Fellows and Scholars Grants". www.whitaker.org. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  5. "Whitaker International Program's Concluding Initiative #2". Corporate Engagement and Foundation Relations. Retrieved 2020-03-21.