Science and Technology Competency Enhancement (STCE) Core

The STCE provides training through tuition support for specialized short courses and workshops, research experience for students through JRA, support for visiting speakers through a seminar tours program, and professional development for student and faculty via travel support to scientific meetings. 

The objective of the STCE is to increase the research and technical skills of the biomedical workforce in Puerto Rico and encourage a greater number of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral associates to pursue careers in science and technology by providing hands-on research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students at network institutions to increase the numbers of undergraduate students that are competitive to enter graduate programs and compete for jobs in industry.

The STCE will facilitate access to specialized research and technical training courses and postdoctoral associates including new opportunities for instruction on 1) protection and commercialization of IPs, 2) entrepreneurship, and 3) data science.

Core Activities

Tuition and Thematic Technical Workshop:  The STCE will provide for undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate students, direct tuition funding for short-term (up to 6 months) training in areas of science and technology relevant to the needs of emerging as well as established biopharmaceutical, biotechnological, and research enterprises in Puerto Rico in addition, is will offer Thematic Technical Workshops, a hands-on training experience according to the needs of groups involved.

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Technology Transfer Travel Awards Program: Research opportunities for students from the undergraduate institutions. Investigators and students will have the opportunity to visit research laboratories for up to four weeks to learn a technique whose implementation in their work will enhance their results as well as their research capacity and transfer new technology to Puerto Rico.

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Students Fellowships: Incentives are needed to attract more students into science, technology, mathematics, and engineering fields, particularly minorities and women into biotechnology research. Graduate and undergraduate fellowships will be awarded to candidates who present high quality applications to work on multidisciplinary research within the INBRE research networks.

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Seminar Tours: This project will allow for internationally recognized scientists to lecture during 3 consecutive days throughout the INBRE institutions in order to attract promising students into science majors and to provide additional opportunities for exposure to cutting-edge research.

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Junior Faculty and Students Summer Internship Program: The Program will stimulate initiating research opportunities for junior faculty with potential for competitive funding, develop partnerships between the network institutions and research collaborations between faculty from Undergraduate Institutions and Mentoring Institutions.

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Students

We invite you to meet STCE students (undergraduates and graduates) from all PR-INBRE network institutions.

Undergraduate Students

Aviles-Mercado, Rocio del Mar

Institution: Univ. Interamericana – Metro

Mentor:

Program: Biology

Birriel-Rodriguez, Leonardo

Institution: UPR – Río Piedras

Mentor: Dr. Ingrid Montes 

Program: Chemistry

Hernandez Padilla, Alejandro

Institution: UPR – Cayey

Mentor: Dr. Enrique Rodriguez-Borrero 

Program: Biology

Hernandez Solis, Fatima

Institution: Univ. Ana G. Mendez – Cupey

Mentor: Dr. Beatriz Zayas 

Program: Chemistry

Maldonado-Vargas, Neymar

Institution: Univ. Interamericana – Bayaymón

Mentor: Dr. Claudia Ospina-Millan 

Program: Biology

Mendez-Escalera, Daviana L.

Institution: Univ. Ana G. Mendez – Carolina

Mentor: Dr. Loyda Méndez 

Program: Microbiology

Nieves-Oquendo, Paola C.

Institution: Univ. Interamericana – Bayaymón

Mentor: Dr. Claudia Ospina-Millan 

Program: Biology

Oliveri-Henry, Gerianne

Institution: UPR – Río Piedras

Mentor: Dr. Filipa Godoy 

Program: Biology

Rosario-Luquis, Omaris

Institution: UPR – Cayey

Mentor: Dr. Enrique Rodriguez-Borrero 

Program: General Natural Sciences

Valentín-López, Keren

Institution: Univ. Ana G. Mendez – Cupey

Mentor: Dr. José Rodríguez / Nataliya Chorna

Program: Biology

Graduate Students

García-Cortés, Carlos G.

Institution: UPR – Mayagüez

Mentor: Dr. Elsie Pares

Program: MS Chemistry

Rodríguez López, Elliott R.

Institution: Ponce Health Scieces University

Mentor: Dr. Vanessa Rivera-Amill

Program: PhD Biochemical Sciences

Pérez, Dariashka

Institution: UCC

Mentor: Dr. Yancy Ferrer-Acosta

Program:

Ufarry-Alvarado, Axel

Institution:

Mentor:

Program: MS Neurobiology

Vélez-Crespo, Grace E.

Institution: UCC

Mentor:

Program: PhD Biomedical Sciences

Ortiz-Rivera, Jescelica

Institution: UCC

Mentor:

Program: PhD Biomedical Sciences

Our Staff

Meet PRINBRE Cores Directors and Staff Members