Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > Stand Up To Cancer, PBS open applications for 2018 Emperor Science Award program
Posted 26 Sep 2017
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and PBS have announced a call for applications for The Emperor Science Award 2018 program. Designed to empower high school students to become the next generation of cancer researchers, the program will select 100 winning students who will each receive a stipend, a Google Chromebook and the unique mentoring opportunity to work with an esteemed, university-level research scientist on a rewarding, multi-week cancer research project.
Sarah Shirley of Roland, Arkansas, who is a student at Little Rock Central High School, was one of 100 award recipients for the 2017 Emperor Science Award program. Shirley's grandparents suffered from cancer, prompting her to apply for the program. She plans to pursue a career in biomedical research.
Entry to the 2018 program is open to 10th- and 11th-grade students for the 2017-2018 school year who have a strong scientific interest, especially in cancer research and care; prior applicants and recipients in 10th and 11th grade remain eligible for the 2018 program. Students from all backgrounds in the continental U.S. are encouraged to apply. Entrants are required to complete an application and submit an essay. Entries for summer 2018 awards will be accepted through Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, at 10:59 p.m., Winners will be announced in December 2017.
Winning students will be connected with science mentors from a host of high-profile medical research centers, including more than 100 SU2C-affiliated institutions, universities, and industry leaders in cancer diagnosis and treatment. In addition to the mentoring opportunity, students will also be awarded a Google Chromebook to enhance their studies and help facilitate conversations with their mentors. Winners will also receive a stipend for expenses and the opportunity to continue the mentoring program throughout high school.
Students, teachers, guidance counselors, administrators and parents can visit The Emperor Science Award website emperorscienceaward.com to learn more about the program, read the application essay prompt, view associated resources and help students submit applications.
Thousands of students in nearly all continental U.S. states have previously applied for Emperor Science Awards. Projects conducted to date range from "Breeding Zebra Fish to Be Used in Pancreatic Cancer Research" to "Long-Term Effects of Radiation Therapy to the Chest on the Heart."
The Emperor Science Award Program extends the learning and outreach for the PBS documentary, "Ken Burns Presents Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies A Film by Barak Goodman."
The Emperor Science Award Program has been made possible by generous support from Founding Donors Genentech, a member of the Roche Group; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; and Novartis. Their support will fund a total of 300 awards through the first three years of the program.
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and media leaders who utilize the industry's resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to increase awareness about cancer prevention as well as progress being made in the fight against the disease. As SU2C's scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research and a Scientific Advisory Committee led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., conduct rigorous, competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.
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