INSPIRE: Development of an Interdisciplinary Summer Program in Research and Entrepreneurship

Abstract

We developed the Interdisciplinary Science Program in Research and Entrepreneurship (INSPIRE) to address the changing career landscape that students with an interest in Physical Chemistry, Biophysics and Biochemistry face. Third and fourth-year undergraduate Chemistry and Physics students participated in a 4-week, hands-on program that introduced applications of biophysical and biochemical techniques to drug discovery, while simultaneously engaging in a crash course on entrepreneurship and pharma. The principal objective of the program was to introduce students to the interdisciplinary nature of Chemistry and Physics research in the Life Sciences while simultaneously introducing the idea of translating their future graduate work into a career in biotechnology.