1.34 - Million Dollar Grant is Awarded to Queensborough Community College from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bridges to the Baccalaureate Training Program
Empowering research-oriented students to smoothly transition to biomedical baccalaureate programs and beyond is the driving force behind a 1.34-million-dollar grant awarded to Queensborough Community College from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bridges to the Baccalaureate Training Program (T34- Maximizing Access to Research). Queensborough will serve as the lead institution for this five-year proposal which began on August 1, 2024.
“We are looking at long run potential for students in biomedical science-related majors to go beyond their associate degree,” said Dr. Sarbani Ghoshal, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences and Geology, who will serve as the lead Principal Investigator and Program Director of this grant. “We have partnered with two CUNY senior colleges, Queens College (QC) and City College of New York (CCNY), where participating Queensborough students will transfer for their bachelor's degree.” Drs. Ruth Stark and Sanjai Pathak, Professors of CCNY, and QC, respectively, will be the co-principal investigators. Participating students who transfer to the senior colleges will be in the pipeline for the respective URISE programs in QC and CCNY.
This grant will continue the legacy of success that has been built by Queensborough’s previous R25 Bridges grant (2002-2023), which was led by Dr. Patricia Schneider, Professor, Biological Sciences and Geology. This grant will expand to provide inclusive, equitable support to all qualified students and the broader population of non-Bridges students at Queensborough. Every year, eight Bridges students will be recruited for research and will receive a stipend and 60% tuition coverage. Bridges students will meet with transfer coordinators from senior colleges and will have an opportunity to tour the senior college and conduct research over the summer there. Participating Bridges students may also opt for summer research in Memorial Sloan’s Kettering, Rockefeller Foundation or Harvard Medical School.
The grant will provide opportunities for all students (Bridges and non-Bridges) by conducting enrichment workshops in biology and pre-calculus, CURE based research training and multiple professional development seminars. “The key outcomes are students who are better trained, better skilled, and better salaried in stable jobs. A government aided training grant reads great on a resume,” mentioned Dr Ghoshal.
Dr. Ghoshal, who came to this country in 2005 from Kolkata, India, has taught at Queensborough since 2018. Over her career at the College, she has mentored 25 research students who have presented 50 posters and talks, both within and outside of CUNY. She also serves as the Research Committee Co-Chair for Queensborough and has secured ten grant fundings including one from the NSF (National Science Foundation).
“I was attracted to Queensborough because of its student diversity, strong community culture and excellent research environment. Faculty do considerable research with students which is clearly demonstrated at Undergraduate Research Day and Spring Symposium.”
Dr. Ghoshal received her MSc and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Calcutta, India and earned her master's in public health with a concentration in epidemiology from the University of Kentucky. A major part of her research training focused on metabolic diseases at The Scripps Research Institute, Florida.
Queensborough Community College is New York State’s highest-ranked community college and one of the best community colleges in the United States, according to a 2023 report released by WalletHub.com. It is the sixth year in a row Queensborough has been listed as a top institution of higher education by WalletHub for its education outcomes, career outcomes, and affordability. Queensborough was also ranked among the best community colleges in New York in 2024 by the on-line publication Intelligent, and number two in New York in 2024 by the on-line publication, Niche.
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