Fund for Discovery Program Helps Train Scientists at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine
Since its establishment in 2002, the Fund for Discovery Program at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has supported summer research internships for more than 100 DVM students through the Veterinary Scholars Program.
Created by a gift from CVM supporter Deborah Resnick, the Fund for Discovery has expanded its mission to now fund DVM and graduate students, residents, and postdoctoral associates who seek additional intensive research training. The end goal: prepare the next generation of clinician scientists who have expertise in comparative biomedical sciences.
In a related initiative, the CVM announced the establishment of the Herbert Benjamin Distinguished Professorship and named Dr. Sam Jones, professor of equine medicine and director of the Clinician Scientist Training Programs, as the first recipient. The endowment that funds the distinguished professorship was established because of a unique and passionate relationship between the anonymous donor and the mentors and students in the Veterinary Scholars Program.
The professorship will partner with the Fund for Discovery to provide funds for the four programs within the Clinician Scientist Training Programs—the Veterinary Scholars Program, Clinician Scientist Focus Area, Combined DVM/PhD program, and the Comparative Medicine and Translational Research Training Program (CMTRTP).
“Our first priority is to provide stipend and tuition support for students in the individual Clinician Scientist Training Programs,” says Dr. Jones. “As the Fund for Discovery grows, we will approach our goal of providing summer research internship training to every student enrolled in our DVM program.
“We also seek funds for students in the research intensive Clinician Scientist Focus Area, to provide funding for their summer and senior year research, and offer them an opportunity to take a year off from the DVM curriculum so they may immerse themselves in a research lab,” continues Dr. Jones. “Support is needed both for students in the Combined DVM/PhD program as we seek to grow the program to 25 total students, as well as for veterinarians in the Comparative Medicine and Translational Research Training Program.”
The second priority is to increase the funding for individual research projects in all four programs. Says Dr. Jones, “Internal research funding not only provides needed resources in a time when external support is difficult to obtain, but also allows students and mentors to undertake unique research that may lead to breakthrough discoveries in animal health and welfare.”
For more information or to contribute to the Fund for Discovery, please contact the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Foundation at 919.513.6660.
