Biological Sciences (61). The Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Biotechnology Contract Research Organization (CRO) provides work-based internships for college and high school students. The SLCC CRO contracts research projects from companies, with interns conducting the research and managing the support divisions for the CRO. They receive high school internship and college credit, along with valuable work experience. The SLCC CRO helps to meet the demand for a challenging "next step" for high school seniors and the need for more flexible college internships.
Companies partner with the CRO, serving on the CRO-advisory board and supporting consumable costs. In return, they have access to a trained workforce to offset personnel costs and facilitate research progress. Interns translate concepts and techniques from the classroom to the lab, and their research is authentic, benefiting companies and enhancing economic development. Students are an integral part of the CRO function and may work in any CRO division, thus making the CRO a multi-disciplinary training opportunity.
This CRO model integrates research and education, addresses student achievement through peer-based learning, and promotes sustainability through industry partnerships. The project also assesses improvement in student success, in addition to evaluating whether a Contract Research Organization is an effective business model for student training.
