People
Investing in talented scientists has been crucial to the Broad’s mission of improving the understanding and treatment of human disease. The biggest challenges in biomedicine—finding cures for cancer, overcoming antibiotic resistance, and unraveling psychiatric disease—can only be conquered if promising scientists are nurtured at crucial stages of their careers. This requires not only mentoring and training, but also providing resources that allow them to pursue their most ambitious ideas. These resources include a collaborative, multi-disciplinary environment; world-class scientific infrastructure; and seed funds to launch innovative, risk-taking projects.
We have worked with philanthropic partners to launch fellowships and awards that provide support to our most exceptional investigators. We continue to seek philanthropists who are eager to have an impact on the next generation of scientists. Below is a sample of some opportunities in this area.
Broad Summer Research Program
The Broad Summer Research Program (BSRP) is an intensive nine-week summer research opportunity designed for undergraduates with a commitment to biomedical research and an interest in genomics. BSRP has a strong record of success in helping students to nurture their passion for research and succeed in graduate school and scientific careers. Students spend the summer performing original computational or experimental-based research in labs across the Broad's research areas, from cancer to infectious disease to computational biology. At the program's conclusion, students deliver oral and poster presentations on their research projects.
Broad Summer Scholars Program
The Broad Summer Scholars Program (BSSP) provides motivated, curious high school students from the Greater Boston area the opportunity to participate in world-class scientific research.
STEM Education and Inclusion
The Broad has launched several educational programs to increase access to research for K-12 students, including Scientists in the Classroom, which teaches eighth grade students about genetics and evolution research, and a weekly, after-school program called the Bio-Coding Code.
BroadIgnite
Nurturing the next generation of scientific leaders has been at the core of the Broad since the institute was founded. BroadIgnite is an exciting initiative to support the bold ideas of early-career scientists—who often have difficulty obtaining funding from traditional sources—by connecting them with emerging philanthropists.
Seed/Pilot Funding for Early-Stage Science
The biggest breakthroughs in science come from the most ambitious, risk-taking ideas. Since 2005, the Broad’s Scientific Projects to Accelerate Research and Collaborations (SPARC) program has provided seed funding for high-risk, high-reward research projects, thereby giving scientific trailblazers the resources they need to be daring and inventive.