Preparing Computational Biologists for the New England Workforce (ComBiNE) is an S-STEM (Scholarships in STEM) program funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal of our program is to recruit academically talented students to pursue an interdisciplinary undergraduate program in computational biology.
ComBiNE is a collaboration between the Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics departments at Southern Connecticut State University. The project’s objective is to offer equity in talent development by offering 4-year scholarships to admitted students in Computer Science, Data Science, Biology, Biochemistry, or Biotechnology. The program also aims to fill a gap in the research and industry workforce by building interdisciplinary curricula in computational biology and by helping students strengthen career readiness and pathways to meet the local and regional workforce demand. In addition to the interdisciplinary computational biology curricula, a tiered summer research experience, mentoring and cohort building, and academic support are also prominent features of this project.
Scholarship
Tuition, fees, room and board up to $10,000 annually for four years.
Faculty Mentorship
You will have personal access to a dedicated faculty member on the project team throughout your four years in the program.
Cohort Support
You will be part of a small cohort of 16 students who can support you while navigating your college experience. You will take multiple classes together with these students. Also, you will be assigned to the same first-year learning community and will attend social cohort-building events together.
Paid Summer Research Internships
You will have the opportunity to do computational biology/bioinformatics research on campus the summers following your first year and sophomore year and will be paid a $2,250 summer stipend.
Connection with the Local Industry
You will meet mentors from the local industries who will participate in a bioinformatics seminar series as part of the ComBiNE program. In your junior year, we will put you in contact with the local industries and help you secure an internship for the following summer.
The bioscience and biotechnology industry is a fast-growing field both at the national and state level. On the national level, employment in this industry grew by 2.7% from 2016 to 2018, and the industry has a total economic impact of $2.6 trillion. This industry relies heavily on bioinformaticians, biostatisticians, and data scientists.
The students in the ComBiNE program will combine a computational major (computer science or data science) with a minor in biology, or a biological major (biology, biotechnology, or biochemistry) with a computational minor (computer science or data science). These selected major/minor combinations are intended to prepare students with the skills needed for the bioscience and biotechnology industries.
The first two rows in the table below (shaded in blue) represent the intended job sectors for the ComBiNE scholars. These area show a high job growth rate and commensurate pay scale, which uniquely qualify these career choices as rewarding and assuring social mobility. The table also shows the median annual salary and projected growth for other candidate job sectors for ComBiNE scholars. The numbers show high job prospects for other computing-related jobs. The enrichment of biology majors with computing skills through the ComBiNE interdisciplinary curriculum adequately prepares them to move from modest-growth job families into the higher-growth categories. The 3i (introduction, incubation, independence) tiered research program, which is an important component of the ComBiNE program, introduces and prepares scholars in their research readiness and connects them to potential employers for further work-based learning.
| Job Sector | Median Annual Salary | Projected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Bioinformatics and Data Scientists* | $98,230 | 31% |
| Biostatisticians** | $92,270 | 35% |
| Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers | $110,140 | 22% |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $126,830 | 22% |
| Microbiologist | $84,400 | 4% |
| Molecular and Cell Biologist | $85,290 | 5% |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologists | $54,189 | 11% |
Median annual salary and projected 2020-2030 job growth for candidate job sectors for ComBiNE scholar (Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021. O*NET Program, 2021) *Listed under Data Scientists and Mathematical Science Occupations on O*Net. **Listed under Statisticians on O*NET. The blue shaded rows represent the main target sectors for ComBiNE scholars.
To be admitted to the ComBiNE program, you also have to apply to Southern Connecticut State University. In addition to general participant information, you will need to provide the following to apply to ComBiNE:
Note: If you submit the SCSU application before you complete the ComBiNE application, you will not be required to provide A and B in the ComBiNE application.
Sahar Al Seesi
Professor, Computer Science
alseesis1@southernct.edu
Therese Bennett
Professor, Mathematics
bennettt1@southernct.edu
Nicholas Edgington
Professor and Program Coordinator, Biotechnology Program
edgingtonn1@southernct.edu
Lisa Lancor
Professor and Chairperson, Computer Science
lancorl1@southernct.edu
Yulei Pang
Professor, Mathematics
pangy1@southernct.edu
Elizabeth Lewis Roberts
Associate Dean for STEM
robertse8@southernct.edu
Winnie Yu
Professor, Computer Science
yuw1@southernct.edu
If you have any questions about the ComBiNE program or the application process, please send an email to ComBiNE faculty at ComBiNE@SouthernCT.edu.
ComBiNE is funded by National Science Foundation S-STEM award DUE-2221225