News Release
For Additional Information, Contact Jim Nelson/Media Relations
(304) 327-4103, jnelson@bluefieldstate.edu
(Bluefield)—Dr. Tesfaye Belay, Assistant Professor of Biology at Bluefield State College, has been selected to receive a $15,000 equipment grant award from the West Virginia Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (WV-INBRE). “This grant will underwrite the purchase of two core instruments that are fundamental for DNA testing and data analysis,” the BSC faculty member noted.
Over the past two years, Dr. Belay has secured more than $90,000 in grant funding for equipment only to BSC for the purpose of infrastructure augmentation. “This infrastructure build-up is essential for enhancing teaching and research activities within the School of Arts & Sciences,” he added.
Approximately two months ago, Dr. Belay received a separate $15,000 pilot grant award from WV-INBRE. He also received a WV-INBRE pilot grant award of $25,000 and an equipment grant of $10,800 for the 2007-08 fiscal year. This followed an earlier pilot grant of $22,800 and equipment grant of $64,000 from WV-INBRE, through which BSC established a biomedical research laboratory in 2006. The pilot grant awards pay stipends to undergraduate research assistants at Bluefield State College for a period of nine months, and also permit the purchase of laboratory supplies.
Dr. Belay stressed that involvement of undergraduates in research prepares, motivates, encourages and supports BSC students—particularly underrepresented minority students—to become involved in biomedical research. “I am grateful for the ongoing support received through WV-INBRE,” Dr. Belay stated. “It has been instrumental in the growth of biomedical research capabilities at Bluefield State College.”
The College is now a participant in a statewide higher education research network. “Through our research laboratory, we promote basic biomedical research, acquire extramural grant support, and disseminate information on our research findings to the scientific community,” Belay continued.
March 7, 2008
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