Education and Community Outreach

Education has always been an integral component of the mission of The Scripps Research Institute. Over the years, TSRI researchers have prepared more than 1,000 postdoctoral fellows and trainees for successful scientific careers.

TSRI's philosophy toward education, with an emphasis on individualized instruction, adherence to the highest scientific standards, and reputation for research excellence provide an unparalleled environment for advanced study. Because most of the important problems in biology and chemistry today require an interdisciplinary approach in their solutions, in 1989 TSRI established an innovative graduate program to help integrate the disciplines of cell and molecular biology, structure and chemistry.

The Graduate Program in Macromolecular and Cellular Structure and Chemistry (MCSC) integrates such disciplines as cell and molecular biology, structure and chemistry. It is an innovative doctoral program unlike any other in the United States. A second doctoral program in chemistry was established in 1991 in an effort to draw upon the superior capabilities of the TSRI chemistry faculty.

The Graduate Program in Chemistry provides opportunities for outstanding students to train with a dynamic faculty of internationally renowned chemists with particular expertise in synthetic and bioorganic chemistry. Drawing on the additional expertise among the Institute's faculty in the related areas of chemical structure, molecular and cell biology, immunology and the neurosciences, the program's interactive nature emphasizes the collaboration of modern organic and bioorganic chemistry and biology, as well as the connection of fundamental discoveries through interdisciplinary activities.

These five-year programs lead to the Ph.D. degree and provide an exceptional training opportunity in a unique learning environment for a select group of outstanding and intellectually diverse students. An important attribute of the program is the institutional commitment to individualizing the educational experience so as to enable all students to maximize their potential and talents.

In addition to its formal degree-granting programs, TSRI is committed to providing all of its employees with opportunities for further professional enhancement. Employees can take advantage of the literally dozens of seminars and symposia sponsored each week at the Institute with presentations from renowned scientists from around the world. Tuition reimbursement is available for employees who wish to formally continue their education toward a degree program.

Further, The Institute recognizes its commitment to the community -- locally and nationally -- to guide young students and provide them with opportunities to explore and pursue educational and career opportunities in the life sciences.

Toward this end, TSRI provides a variety of programs for students, at the high school and college levels, as wellas for middle school and high school science teachers, to participate in research activities on the campus,designed and supervised by many of the Institute's senior staff of basic scientists.

The objectives of the program are: to provide an understanding of and an appreciation for science and the scientific process; to enhance educational opportunities for students at the high school and college levels; to increase the pool and preparation of students who enter undergraduate science programs and continue on to earn professional degrees and pursue careers in science; to give students an intensive basic hands-on science research laboratory experience and expose them to the research environment; and to provide teachers with information on contemporary issues in research and laboratory techniques that should allow them to return to the classroom with a renewed sense of excitement for scientific research and an increased level of knowledge to communicate to their students.

While students of all ethnic and cultural groups are accepted into the educational community outreach programs, a special emphasis is placed on identifying and recruiting students who are historically underrepresented in the sciences.

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