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© 2021 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinary Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. all rights reserved.
The program will provide 12 students with the opportunity to spend their summer vacation at a location in the United States Department of Agriculture and collaborate with ARS scientists on a livestock infectious disease research project.
The collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide veterinary students with opportunities to research diseases that may affect livestock and public health.
According to the company’s announcement, the collaboration expanded the veterinary scholars program led by Boehringer Ingelheim, which has provided subsidies to more than 3,500 veterinary students for biomedical research in the past 30 years.
The program will give 12 students the opportunity to spend the summer vacation at one of the 9 locations of the US Department of Agriculture and collaborate with ARS scientists on livestock infectious disease research projects. All expenses will be borne by the students, including monthly allowances and transportation expenses to and from the school and the USDA Center.
“ARS employs world-renowned veterinary scientists who have extensive expertise in infectious diseases in animals and public health issues,” said DVM Dr. Roxann Motroni, Director of the National Animal Health Program of the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.
"This allows us to respond to the emerging One Health disease threat by rapidly implementing the research needed to provide information for emergency response. Through cooperation with the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program, veterinary students across the country will have the opportunity to interact with these leading Veterinary scientists receive training together," she added.
The US Department of Agriculture's funding for this program is part of the Partnership for Innovative Research in Agricultural Security (ASPIRE) platform, which is dedicated to strengthening the biological and agricultural defense research sector through strategic partnerships. The mission of this 5-year partnership with the Veterinary Scholars Program is to improve relations with domestic and international veterinary schools by providing students with opportunities to conduct collaborative research in ARS professional facilities. These facilities are the Southeastern Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, and the National Biological and Agricultural Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas.
In addition, the currently ongoing national biological and agricultural defense facilities will have level 2, -3, and -4 biosafety laboratories that can raise large-scale livestock. The goal is to protect the United States from threats and potential negative impacts across borders, emerging and Zoonotic animal diseases.
“In addition to being exposed to One Health in the real world and the important intersection between animal and human health, we hope that this summer’s experience as a veterinary scholar at the USDA will serve as a source of inspiration for students and encourage them to pursue work. Protect our animals, public health and food supply," Motroni added.
At the end of the summer, students will participate in the annual National Veterinary Scholars Symposium organized by the University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2022 and showcase their work.
To sponsor this annual seminar, the US Department of Agriculture will join forces with Boehringer Ingelheim, the American Association of Veterinary Colleges, the American Veterinary Association, and the National Institutes of Health. According to the press release, it showcased the research of hundreds of veterinary students as part of their veterinary scholars program in internships at more than 3 dozen veterinary schools and institutions across the country.
Caroline Belmont, Boehringer Ingelheim Vice President of Global Innovation and U.S. Regulatory Affairs, said: “COVID-19, African Swine Fever and other recent outbreaks and epidemics have highlighted the need to increase vigilance and understanding of cross-border human and animal health threats. Animals Healthcare business.
"Today's veterinary students will play a key role in meeting our future challenges, and we now provide them with practical experience, guidance and support through the Veterinary Scholars Program-especially these opportunities to collaborate with USDA researchers- It is an important investment in the future health of animals and humans," Belmont concludes.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Boehringer Ingelheim have expanded summer research opportunities for veterinary students. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. press release. December 8, 2021. Visited on December 8, 2021. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usda-and-boehringer-ingelheim-expand-summer-research-opportunities-for-veterinary-students-301440367.html