Biocon Foundation partners with NCBS and BeST Cluster to support 25 women in STEM
Biocon Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of Biocon Group, in collaboration with The Bengaluru Science and Technology (BeST) Cluster, and National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), announced the launch of BioWISE, an initiative aimed to help disadvantaged female science students from tier 2 and 3 universities across Karnataka, to build a career in life sciences.
The programme aims to support 25 women students from diverse communities through scholarships, extended internships, and mentorship, thereby enhancing access, participation, and retention of women from underserved communities in STEM, particularly the life sciences.
In the first State-level cohort, 15 postgraduates and 10 undergraduates from life sciences background will be supported. The students will be selected from colleges and universities across the State.
Mentorship and exposure
During the cohort duration, which is six months for PG students and three months for UG students, the students will be provided with exposure, training, and mentorship. Biocon Foundation will enable the initiative through funding, and experts from Biocon Biologics will support with mentorship. NCBS will serve as the host institute and academic mentoring partner. BeST Cluster will contribute to the programme's design, management, and implementation.
In a statement from Biocon Foundation, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson, Biocon Group, said, 'Empowering women in STEM through our program BioWISE, is not just a moral imperative; it is a strategic investment in our nation's future. Our commitment to supporting women in science stems from our broader vision of enabling equitable access to health, education, research, and opportunity.'
Identifying pockets
During the cohort, participants will engage in mentorship sessions with experts from Biocon Biologics, NCBS, and other institutions to gain insights into research and career opportunities. They will also get the opportunity to visit the research labs of NCBS, Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Jyoti Nivas College, and bio-incubators and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Focused workshops, wet-lab experiences, research-oriented seminars and soft skills and communication training are the other features of the programme.
'It is important to work with the government to identify pockets from where we can pick up students,' saidAnupama Shetty, Mission Director, Biocon Foundation, speaking to The Hindu during the launch event at NCBS.
'Where do we focus in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, which are the colleges where there is a larger women representation and good pass rates - these are some insights we need, and that is how we would be planning the community outreach,' she added.
R Anantharaman, CEO, BeST Cluster, noted that the initiative is a commitment to ensure that career breaks do not translate into career ends.
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