Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST^® Scholarship

About Dr. Kamen

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship Fund Grant Selection 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.  FIRST employees and officers, members of the FIRST Board of Directors, members of the Grant Selection Committee, and their spouses, parents, children, grandchildren, and siblings, and spouses of their parents, children, grandchildren, and siblings are ineligible. Recipients of The Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship grants will be notified by April 1 of each year and will be made public in April of each year. Payment of the grant will be contingent upon admission to, and enrollment in, an Eligible Undergraduate Program by May 1.

To be eligible for a renewal grant of $10,000 a recipient of an initial grant must:

• Have enrolled in, and continued studies as a full-time student in, an Eligible Undergraduate Program since the initial grant, with academic performance which, in the opinion of the Grant Selection Committee, demonstrates that the student is likely to complete the Eligible Undergraduate Program and pursue a career in biomedical engineering or be admitted to medical school.
• Send a letter requesting renewal of the grant and attesting that the student is still enrolled in a full-time Eligible Undergraduate Program together with a copy of the student’s entire official transcript from the Eligible Undergraduate Program. Indicating successful completion of courses no later than June 1 to:

            Scholarships@firstinspires.org

• Students who are awarded The Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship must, annually, participate in a research project related to biomedical engineering or medicine, either with their school (as part of their studies or not) or independently (paid or unpaid). Students must annually, on or before June 1, furnish to the Grant Selection Committee a scholarly paper on the research completed during the applicable year.
  • Please include a letter from the individual overseeing your research, assessing your research performance. 
• Annually furnish to FIRST a completed IRS form W-9.
• Students seeking a renewal grant will be notified of approval no later than July 1^st at which time such student must furnish a completed IRS form W-9 to FIRST.
• Grant money will be sent to selected applicants (who have verified acceptance to, and enrollment in, an Eligible Undergraduate Program and who have furnished to FIRST a completed IRS form W-9), by August 31^st.

If the above renewal and disbursement calendar does not meet the needs of a grant recipient, the recipient may request a deferment from the Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship Committee (the “Committee”) subject to the following conditions:

• The grant recipient must meet each of the eligibility requirements for a grant renewal at the time of the deferral and at the time of payment of the deferred grant. 
• For rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the grant recipient must notify the Committee by July 1^st of the applicable year:
  • of the need for a deferral of payment of the renewal grant;
  • the requested timing of the grant;
  • why deferment is in the recipient’s best interest; and
  • how the proceeds will be used when disbursed.

• First year grant recipients, rising freshmen, who would like to defer their first-year grant should provide the above listed information as soon as possible, but no later than July 1^st following high school graduation.
• The recipient must demonstrate that all proceeds of the deferred grants will be utilized for education purposes. The Committee reserves the right to audit the use of grant proceeds at any time. Failure to use proceeds for educational purposes will result in loss of future grants and potential collection efforts to recoup mis-used funds.
• Final approval of each grant deferment is subject to the absolute discretion of the Committee.