The primary objective of the Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is to facilitate and enhance educational programs that train students to work in pharmaceutical biotechnology. The center has received a five-year, $1.4 million training grant from the National Institutes of Health, which will support graduate education and 12 new fellowships in this emerging, interdisciplinary field.

The Department of Education's program Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program provides fellowships to assist graduate students with excellent records who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree available in a field designated as an area of national need. The services provided include a stipend in the amount of the fellow's financial need and an institutional payment to cover the cost of the fellow's tuition and required fees.

The GAANN program is designed to train graduate students and future scientists and engineers in research, coursework, and teaching in a proposed area of national need. The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado has hosted numerous GAANN programs, including three currently in operation, each supplying four or more fellowships per year for student training and research support. The programs the department has hosted are in the following areas of national need:

  • Rebuilding the Nation’s Infrastructure (Launched Fall 2018)
  • Materials for Energy Conversion and Sustainability (joint with Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering) (Launched Fall 2018)
  • Soft Materials (joint with Materials Science and Engineering) (Launched Fall 2018)
  • Biomaterials (2015-19)
  • Catalysis and Biocatalysis (2015-19)
  • Functional Materials (Spring 2013)
  • Liquid Crystals (funded through Physics) (Fall 2013)
  • Micro- and Nano-structured Materials (2006-10)
  • Biomolecular Engineering (2004-08)
  • Functional Materials (2003-07)
  • Microparticle and Nanoparticle Technology (2001-2005)
  • Macromolecular Science and Engineering (2000-2004)
  • Separations (1998-2002)

These programs provide graduate students unique opportunities, supplemental funding, and a targeted research and educational program. Students supported by the GAANN funds have traveled numerous places to perform internships, including Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. They have experienced industrial environments and had internships at National Laboratories. Each student's GAANN program includes focused coursework, a supervised teaching experience, and other professional activities. Faculty-student interactions are emphasized in these programs. These occur through classes, research, seminars, a variety of special events, and the involvement of students in social events.