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The Blugold Biomedical Innovator Program is for students who intend to pursue a career in health care or the biomedical field. UW-Eau Claire and Mayo Clinic Health System have combined forces to better prepare future scientists, innovators, health care providers and leaders. Biomedical Innovators participate in competitive research experiences with faculty and network with medical professionals.

We believe these one-of-a-kind experiences should be available to students of all backgrounds and financial situations. The Biomedical Innovator Scholar Program is the only scholarship program of its kind. Blugold experiences like this position UW-Eau Claire as one of the strongest pre-med institutions in the Midwest. Join us for an extraordinary undergraduate experience — offered only at Eau Claire.
 

Just
the
facts

One-on-One Mentoring
Coaching and research mentoring from Mayo physicians, medical school students, UWEC faculty, and the Health Careers Center staff set BMI scholars up for career success.
Access to Unique Events
Participate in special events hosted by Mayo Health System, such as job shadowing days and hands-on medical procedural skills clinics.
Guaranteed Research
BMI scholars begin research in their first year, partnered on a project with a UWEC faculty member and Mayo Clinic Health System professional.
Up to $32,000 in Scholarships
BMI scholars receive an $8,000 annual scholarship, renewable for up to three additional years. Plus, earn up to $3,000 per summer while working on research.
Mayo Clinic Health System A Top UWEC Employer
The renowned health organization was the #1 employer of all Blugold grads in 2022-2023.
Foam lab research students using instrumentation
Find Out More About Biomedical Innovation
Submit this brief form to learn more about UWEC and how you can do big things working alongside our expert faculty and Mayo Clinic Health System professionals.

Collaborative research

Research is what drives so many members of our faculty, and UW-Eau Claire is considered one of the top master's-level universities in the country when it comes to undergraduate research. Although many universities are known for research, undergraduate students often have a difficult time finding a seat at the table. That's not the case at UW-Eau Claire. We take pride in the fact that we offer remarkable research opportunities for undergraduate students.

Innovator Scholars

Each academic year, 10 students from the Blugold Biomedical Innovator Program will be selected to become Innovator Scholars. Our Scholars will work alongside Mayo Clinic Health System professionals and receive these benefits:

Eligibility Criteria for Innovator Scholars

To maintain eligibility, an Innovator Scholar must:

  • Maintain a 3.5 GPA, and
  • Take 30 credit hours per academic year, and
  • Remain committed to pursuing a degree and career path in the health care or biomedical fields.

We need to innovate to improve outcomes and decrease cost. Why not make Eau Claire a hub for a new industry of service and technology for rural patient care? Everything needed to create an ecosystem for biomedical innovation and positive outcomes is here, bringing providers, educators and students together to work on the biggest, unsolved needs in medicine and improve the patient experience.

Learning in Action
Dr. Timothy Nelson
Dr. Tim Nelson
Director of Research and Innovation at Mayo Clinic Health System Northwest Wisconsin

Spotlight Research Projects

The Blugold Biomedical Innovator Program is just one example of how UWEC provides innovative research opportunities in almost every field of study for undergraduate students. The research projects below are examples of the remarkable opportunities our Innovator Scholars have (from day one) that are often reserved for graduate students at other institutions. These exciting projects were made available to our Innovator Scholars. 

Undergraduate Research

Participating in research has been the foundation of my college experience. I love the "aha" moments of research — not just the moment when success happens but more the moments when something clicks and makes sense. Research has made making connections the most rewarding part of learning.

Learning in Action
Pre-Med student Grace Cunningham pours liquid into a jar during a UWEC lab.
Grace Cunningham
Pre-Med, Chemistry, ACS Certified
biomed lab male research student filling vials
Preparing for a Future in Health Care
The Health Careers Center can help you get prepared! We provide advising to help you stay on track, offer study materials for entrance exams, and keep you informed about opportunities on campus and around the world.
Gillian Rossman on Red Line drill at Mayo
Health Careers Center
Find out more about the UWEC Health Careers Center and how their staff and support the Biomedical Innovator Scholars and all pre-professional health students.
Become a Biomedical Innovator Scholar
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Apply to UW-Eau Claire

If you have not done so already, you will need to activate your account. To activate your account, you will need the following information:

  • your username and campus ID (which were sent in an email when you applied or are on your admit letter)
  • birth date
  • last four digits of your social security number, or your UWEC PIN that you were sent in a separate email (if you did not provide us with your social security number)
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Apply to the Biomedical Innovator Scholarship

After activating your account, apply online for scholarships on our Gold for Blugolds site. Sign in using your UW-Eau Claire username and password. Once you're logged in, select My Applications from the menu bar. Complete the Admissions Scholarship Application.

If you are identified as a candidate for the program from the Admissions Scholarship Application, you will receive an email from Admissions with additional information regarding selection. An additional essay specific to the Blugold Biomedical Innovators Program must be submitted by the deadline stated within the email.

Read Biomedical Innovator Scholar News
science lab with group of students and a faculty mentor
Learn about the groundbreaking biomedical research in a UW-Eau Claire lab of students and faculty collaborating with Mayo Clinic Health System, a project to make certain cancer procedures safer and less painful.
group of medical providers in full scrubs, simulation of code blue
The end of this semester marks three academic years of amazing opportunities for student researchers in the Blugold Biomedical Innovators program, a research scholarship that teams up students, faculty and Mayo staff on research projects.

These are experiences they wouldn’t be getting at a Big 10 or Ivy League school. They are first-year students working on research on campus, but they also are working with researchers at Mayo Clinic. It’s been tremendous for them and for us.

Only at Eau Claire
Doug Matthews
Dr. Doug Matthews
Psychology Professor

Questions? 

Contact Admissions by email at admissions@uwec.edu or by phone at 715-836-5415.

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