Science & Medical Innovation

Lending Our Scientific Expertise

Fewer and fewer students are pursuing careers in science, and even fewer people understand how medicine works, how it is developed and the important connection between science and human health.

Here at Abbott, we are supporting creative approaches to learning to spark young people's interest in science, inspiring new generations of innovators who will contribute to the future of human health. We partner with community and educational organizations to develop after-school, summer and family science programs and field trips, which have served more than 3,000 students and involved 175 Abbott employees in direct service with their community.

Our partnerships support K–12, undergraduate and postgraduate education, including: funding and volunteer assistance for student and educator workshops and programs; career development; and educational grants for college and university science facilities, scholarships and fellowships.

After School Matters

Our $1 million partnership with one of the nation's leading after school initiatives is enhancing science education in Chicago. We joined After School Matters to design and launch Science 37, which nurtures intellectual curiosity and connects Chicago teens with the city's growing science sectors. This innovative program also offers a paid internship for students in some of Chicago's most underserved high schools. Key components of the program include hands-on lab work, seminars with Abbott scientists and a day-long visit to Abbott Molecular to see – and be part of – a lab in action. In 2007, Science 37 served 180 students, including 60 students participating in BioScience options. Science 37 will be expanded to additional schools and community after school programs in 2008.

Bilingual Family Science Events

Involving the entire family is a crucial step in improving science literacy. In 2007, we expanded our successful Spanish and English Bilingual Family Science Events to three schools, two in Illinois and one in California. Focusing on students who are typically underserved in the area of science education, the program brings together parents, teachers and scientists for a hands-on experience with science. Working closely with teachers, 65 Abbott scientists served as science ambassadors to more than 1,200 elementary students and their families. In 2008, we aim to expand the program across the U.S., including Ohio, Texas and Puerto Rico.

Operation Discovery

Every year, we open our doors to students and their teachers in the communities in which we live and work. One hundred twenty students visited the Abbott Bioresearch Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, for two days of hands-on experimentation in biology, chemistry and engineering. Over the last six years, we've conducted onsite hands-on science exploration with nearly 1,000 students in communities across the U.S. Additional programs are planned in 2008, including in the UK and Ireland.

Summer Science Day Camps

Abbott partnered with the I Have A Dream Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of Lake County, both in North Chicago. These pilot programs explored how to work with existing community service organizations to provide innovative programming in some of our most underserved communities.

Malaria No More

Abbott Fund provided $1 million to sponsor the development of innovative malaria education materials that will reach nearly six million American children and their families. The program was announced in 2006 at the White House Summit on Malaria. In partnership with Malaria No More, a global grassroots network dedicated to controlling the disease, and Scholastic, an educational publishing company, we intend to raise awareness among American children about the health challenges faced by their peers in many developing countries, and the critical role science plays in combating malaria. Materials included a book for first graders entitled Nets are Nice, student and family resources, and teachers' lesson plans for first-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students. These materials were distributed to elementary schools throughout the United States in early 2007.

Addressing Obesity

Abbott was lead sponsor of the third annual Youth Policy Summit, in partnership with The Keystone Center and the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology. This unique educational model placed more than 40 high school students from across the country in the role of policymakers on an issue pertinent to their generation – nutrition and its link to obesity among America's youth. The program is designed to advance critical thinking and negotiation skills in young people.

Dr. Rebecca Biga, an Abbott scientist in our global nutrition business, took part in a daylong panel discussion with other experts on the issue. After a week of discussions, negotiations and role-playing, the students drafted a national public policy recommendation that has been disseminated to political, academic, corporate and nonprofit leaders, including the White House and members of the United States Congress.

National Inventors Hall of Fame: Collegiate Inventors Competition

In partnership with U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in 2006, Abbott became the sole corporate sponsor of the National Inventors Hall of Fame's Collegiate Inventors Competition. For more than a decade, this prestigious program has honored students who develop potentially world-changing patentable inventions. Contestants are selected among entries from 2,000 college campuses and are judged by Chief Technology Officers of Fortune 500 companies, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office experts and NIHF Inductees.

National Science Olympiad Finals

Abbott joined with the National Science Olympiad (NSO) to enhance students' and educators' experiences in science through Science Olympiad Tournaments, a unique competitive science model that consists of a series of individual and team events.