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The Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program sends emerging leaders in U.S. biomedical engineering (or bioengineering) to undertake a self-designed project that will enhance their own careers within the field. In the first four years of the Whitaker Program, over 60 grants have been awarded to Fellows and Scholars who conducted projects in 16 countries worldwide.

For the 2010-11 competition, the Whitaker Program intends to fund approximately 50 high-quality projects.

Potential Host Placements

Having trouble finding a host overseas? Thanks to help from our alumni and grantees, we are pleased to announce the addition of the "Potential Hosts" section of our website (under "Resources"). This section lists contacts at institutions that have specifically agreed to be noted on the Whitaker Program website as potential hosts for future Whitaker grant recipients. We currently have 12 hosts in six countries noted, and this section of our site will continue to grow.

Program Background

Today, biomedical engineering (BME) is a global discipline. Biomedical engineers know that, as work in the field becomes more refined, the best place to study or conduct research is not always in the U.S. Although there are currently few opportunities to go abroad to leverage international expertise, the Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program makes available just such an opportunity.

Biomedical engineers can use the Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program to go overseas to help further their careers, and the field of BME. Potential overseas activities could include:

• Conducting research at an academic institution
• Interning at a policy institute
• Establishing ties between home and host institutions
• Pursuing post-doctoral research

The Whitaker Foundation

During its cessation of operations, the Whitaker Foundation transferred "Whitaker.org" to the Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program in 2007, to steward the name and the cause of promoting the growth and enhancement of biomedical engineering. Click here for more about the Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program's creation by The Whitaker Foundation.

Although The Whitaker Foundation has ceased operations, it's web archive and curriculum database are still available (maintained by the Biomedical Engineering Society).