Rutgers University Invited to Join Highly Competitive Global Scholars Program 2022

Industry-Academia Collaboration Aims to Advance Innovative Biomedical Research and Drug Discovery, Improve Patients’ Lives

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey joins the ranks of 53 premier international institutions from 12 countries invited to participate in the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) Global Scholars Program (NGSP). The competitive program is designed to support innovative thinkers from select academic institutions in translating their breakthrough science into transformative medicine and/or clinical research to improve the lives of patients.

“We embrace opportunities to team up with outstanding investigators, scholars, and institutions to continue translating research and discoveries into innovative solutions with impact,” said Michael E. Zwick, senior vice president for research at Rutgers. “The Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Global Scholars Program provides a pathway to further our academic and research mission and drive innovation that will solve real-world challenges and improve patients’ lives.”

Rutgers investigators will now submit research proposals to a competitive review and selection process driven by NIBR. Innovative projects chosen for funding among all institutions participating in the NGSP will receive up to $1 million over a three-year period to cover costs not supported by traditional grants along with drug-discovery expertise from a dedicated NIBR scientific collaborator. Additionally, a dedicated alliance manager will work with Scholars to ensure a collaborative and productive environment between NIBR and the academic institution by handling all operational facets of the program.

Through the program, Academic Scholars will have access to inter-disciplinary expertise and join forces with other entrepreneurially motivated scientists for the opportunity to advance biomedical research into early development stages and bring new discoveries and technologies from academia into the world.

At Rutgers, all Principal Investigators are eligible to submit proposals. Pre-proposals will be reviewed by a committee comprised of members from the Innovation Ventures team within Rutgers’ Office for Research and the Research Business Development team in the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.

“By participating in this program with Novartis, Rutgers will further its excellence as a leader in clinical, translational and fundamental research and innovation. This opportunity provides our investigators with potential resources to bring their bench and preclinical work closer to the bedside,” said Bishr Omary, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and research at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.

Rutgers is among 25 universities from the United States invited to participate in the 2022 NGSP. The Global Scholars Program began in 2020 with 38 institutions from nine countries invited to participate. Novartis scientists evaluated proposals and selected six investigators/academic scholars and their innovative projects that push scientific boundaries and improve patients’ lives.