North Carolina Biotechnology Center News

North Carolina Biotechnology Center Announces Company Sponsors for New Industrial Fellowship

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has announced the five sponsoring companies chosen for the first year of its Industrial Fellowship Program.

The companies chosen are:

  • Affinergy Inc. in Durham, which is focused on site-specific biological delivery systems (www.affinergy.com);

  • Aldagen Inc. in Durham, which develops proprietary cell therapies (www.aldagen.com);

  • BASF's plant science group in Research Triangle Park; BASF is an international agribusiness company (www.basf.com/plantscience);

  • Winston-Salem-based Targacept, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company (www.targacept.com);

  • Tengion in Winston-Salem, which develops neo-organs and tissues (www.tengion.com).
  • A total of 18 companies applied for the program, which pays two years of salary and benefits for a post-doctoral researcher with academic-only lab experience to work in an industrial setting. Additionally, the Industrial Fellows will have access to programs in business, intellectual property, regulatory affairs and other areas to complement their training.

    The Biotechnology Center is accepting applications through Aug. 22 from Ph.D. scientists who want to work in industry. Fellows selected and hired by sponsoring companies will begin on Oct. 15.

    The Industrial Fellowship Program is designed to fill a gap for scientists in need of industry experience as well as for companies in need of scientific expertise. Few companies offer transitional opportunities, and Ph.D. scientists coming out of academia are often dismissed as being overqualified for technical jobs but not qualified enough for senior positions.

    "We're very pleased with the response we've gotten for this first year," said Rob Lindberg, Ph.D., R.A.C., director of the Biotechnology Center's Business Acceleration and Technology Out-Licensing Network.

    "There were a number of great proposals and it was difficult to narrow the list down to five. We think these are excellent transitional training opportunities for scientists with industry ambitions."

    For more information on the program, including a link to the application, please visit www.ncbiotech.org/fellowship.

    The Biotechnology Center is a private, non-profit corporation supported by the N.C. General Assembly. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research, business and education statewide.

    Contact Robin Deacle, director of corporate communications, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, robin_deacle@ncbiotech.org , 919-541-9366, or visit the Biotechnology Center's Web site at www.ncbiotech.org.

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