Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship Fund

Dr. Barton Aron Kamen, a long-tenured and passionate FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) supporter, was a  distinguished pediatric oncologist, cancer pharmacologist and devoted family man. Dr. Bart Kamen was known by his colleagues as a brilliant scholar,  compassionate physician, dedicated mentor and gentle man whose unfettered enthusiasm for learning, teaching, talking science and challenging the  mainstay with his out of the box thinking for betterment of care was unmatched.

Dr. Kamen truly loved being a physician and pediatrics. He nobly balanced the art and science of medicine and patient care, and had a very special relationship with his patients and their families. Dr. Kamen was one of those magical doctors who could completely engage and comfort an ill child with  a three-minute fun game, while simultaneously completing a thorough neurological exam. While extending his signature great care to his patients, Dr. Kamen also conducted leading-edge research for more than three decades around folate biochemistry and anti-folate pharmacology with the goal of reducing the negative side effects of effective cancer-fighting drugs. Dr. Kamen's clinical and research interests were driven by the overarching goal of "translational research"-- taking best science to bedside.

Dr. Kamen received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University and served his internship/residency and fellowship in pediatrics and pediatric hematology-oncology and pharmacology at Yale University. During his career, Dr. Kamen was the recipient of many honors and awards including the Scholar Award from the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, The Damon Runyon Walter Winchell Fellowship and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Clinical Pharmacology Award and was one of the few pediatric oncologists to be named to an American Cancer Society clinical research professorship. Dr. Kamen authored over 300 manuscripts and was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pediatric Hematology Oncology.

Learn more about Dr. Kamen at http://www.firstinspires.org/bart-kamen-scholarship

About The Dr. ​Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST® Scholarship Fund

The Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship Fund provides funding to undergraduate students pursuing biomedical engineering or pre-medical degrees. The Fund supports the vision of FIRST to transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders. By selecting students who have excelled in a FIRST program, the Fund seeks to honor the legacy of Dr. Bart Kamen by providing renewable monetary grants to undergraduate students who have, through their participation in FIRST programs, demonstrated the potential to develop Dr. Kamen’s brilliance at, and extraordinary passion for, improving the lives of patients.

The Dr. ​Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship Fund’s Objectives

In selecting students who have successfully participated in one of the FIRST family of programs for at least one year, The Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship Fund wishes to encourage selected students, who have already demonstrated innovation, respect for science and engineering, and compassion, to pursue the study of biomedical engineering and/or pre-medical studies, including by engaging in research projects as an undergraduate that may one day improve the lives of patients.

Description of Scholarships

The Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship Fund Grant Selection Committee will make up-to four initial, renewable grants of $10,000 to selected students. Initial grants are renewable for up to three additional years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility criteria for the grant (listed below). Selection is based on academic performance, character, passion for biomedical engineering and/or medicine, and participation in FIRST programs. Financial need may also be considered, but is not a requirement.

The Committee’s decisions to select recipients for grants and all other decisions related to The Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship Fund are final and not subject to any judicial or other review. By submitting an application, an applicant agrees that the Committee’s decisions are final and not subject to any judicial or other review.

Initial Grant Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for consideration for an initial grant of $10,000 an Applicant must:

• Be a secondary school senior or graduate who has not yet commenced full-time undergraduate studies at a college or university.
• Have been accepted to, or applied for admission to, an Eligible Undergraduate Program, which means a full-time program in Biomedical Engineering or Premedical Studies or a program that allows students to pursue a chosen major while simultaneously completing a subset of medical school prep courses (e.g. biology, physics, chemistry and organic chemistry, so that the student will be qualified for admission to medical school upon graduation), at a college or university that (i) in the United States, is eligible to participate in the federal student financial assistance programs administered by the United States Department of Education under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended, or (ii) outside the United States, is similarly accredited.
• Have participated as a team member for a minimum of one year on a FIRST® LEGO League, FIRST® Tech Challenge or FIRST® Robotics Competition team.
• Complete the online application and submit accompanying documents on or before the specified deadline at: https://bartkamenmemorialfirstscholarship.submittable.com/submit
• If requested, participate in a telephonic, in-person, or online interview with the Grant Selection Committee.
• If selected as a recipient, furnish to FIRST a completed IRS form W-9.