Alicia Modestino in News@Northeastern: Northeastern University Win Competitive Federal Grant To Help Broaden Job Opportunities in Biotech Across New England

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Northeastern University is poised to change the biotechnology and manufacturing landscape of the Northeast, with support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The university was selected among a competitive pool of 529 applicants to receive a federal grant as part of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge—a program designed to boost pandemic recovery and rebuild communities across the country.

GRI, Faculty Affiliate Alicia Modestino, alongside her colleagues helped shape the proposal that ultimately put Northeastern at the forefront of what could be an enormous growth potential for jobs in the biotechnology sector. At the moment, there is a dearth of training opportunities for individuals who could-be biotech employees.

A report from the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council predicts that the industry will add 40,000 new jobs just in the Bay State by 2024—but so far, “there’s no pipeline of workers to even meet that demand,” Modestino says. Northeastern’s plan to expand manufacturing and training capacity of the region would fix that.