Kansas State University (KSU) recently launched a new research fellowship aimed at studying highly-contagious epidemic animal diseases and the threats they pose to national security.
The fellowship is supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is administered through KSU’s Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) and through its College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dana Vanlandingham, assistant professor of virology at KSU, said the new fellowship leverages the expertise and resources of the BRI and the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory to train the next-generation of doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to work in high- and maximum-containment environments.
“So far, we have developed five classes in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology and will develop one more for the summer,” Vanlandingham said. “Our objective is to support graduate degree-seeking individuals or individuals who are just beginning their postdoctoral careers.”
Five students from the College of Veterinary Medicine are currently enrolled in the program and the BRI said it is accepting applications for five additional research fellowship positions, which starts in the fall. Both groups of students are expected to complete their fellowships by summer of 2018.
KSU said the benefits of the fellowship include an annual stipend of $25,000, tuition assistance up to $5,000, and program-related travel expenses.