The Innovative, Immersive Training Program in Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing is intended to prepare juniors at Hood for careers in the biotechnology workforce, according to a college press release.
The program will also offer opportunities such as specialized coursework, paid summer internships and site visits.
The $999,850 grant is from the National Science Foundation’s Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies program. The grant will cover three years of the program.
The training program is supported by industry partners such as AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company Kite and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, all under the Maryland Tech Council. It also is supported by Texcell.
The goal is to support 17 students annually for a total of 51 students throughout the program’s three-year span. Some spots are reserved for transfer students currently at Hagerstown Community College and Frederick Community College.
Rana Khan, the inaugural director of the Bioscience Research and Education Center at Hood, said in an interview that if students are chosen for a paid internship, most of their expenses such as housing and travel will be covered.
“And at the same time, they are getting this first-hand experience working at a company,” she said.
Khan said the intention is to begin the program next spring.
She said there was a time crunch because while the grant is usually announced in July, the college was notified of the award last week.
Khan said she was not worried about federal funding for the program being pulled, as some college programs nationwide have been cut due to withdrawing funds.
“We had to make some revisions to our proposal to fit the revised needs [of the grant],” she said. “I think this is really tailored to what they are asking for currently.”
Khan said students who participate will be prepared for their career and in a good position to find a job.
“We know that in recent years, many companies have moved here to open new manufacturing facilities, and more are considering moving into the area,” she said. “I think that their needs are going to just grow, and if we can play a part in that growth by providing them with highly skilled employees ... then I think that will add to the economic growth of this area.”
Khan said students interested in the program or businesses interested in partnering with the college should email her at khan@hood.edu.
© 2025 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
