» The University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine was awarded $18.4 million over five years to foster biomedical careers among students at the University of Hawaii-Hilo College of Pharmacy, Cha­mi­nade University, Hawaii Pacific University and UH community colleges.

In a news release, Robert Nichols, principal investigator with what will be called the Hawaii Statewide Research and Education Partnership, said, "Students in our program, who may, in fact, be the first in their family to attend college now have the exciting opportunity to pursue biomedical research as a career."

The money comes from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The new partnership will be developed under the IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence. The Hawaii INBRE program has been supported by the National Institutes of Health and was recently granted an additional five years of support.

» The University of Hawaii-Manoa Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology was awarded a $24,200 grant from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to support the Connecting Coral Reefs Worldwide project.

Scientists, governments and NGOs believe that it is vital to carry out practical scientific research to help find new, cost-effective approaches to coral reef conservation. Coral reefs are at a critical stage with threats from human activities, climate change and ocean acidification. A fifth of all corals reefs have been destroyed, and a further 15 percent are under immediate threat.

In a news release, Jo-Ann Leong, director of the institute, said the grant will "provide essential support to better understand the coral reefs around Palau. The findings of this research will immediately and significantly contribute to the government of Palau’s efforts to protect their reefs as well as provide management recommendations for the rest of Micronesia, which is facing similar challenges."

Project partners include The Nature Conservancy’s Micronesia Program, the Conservancy’s Reef Resilience Network and Palau International Coral Reef Center.

Scientific research using the latest methods in population genetics will be conducted on the reefs of Palau to understand how reefs recover from catastrophic disturbances such as mass bleaching events. The results will provide guidance in the design of Marine Protected Areas in Micronesia and globally to help restore and preserve the reefs and their incredible biodiversity for future generations.

The grant will be used to cover the costs of the lab work as well as to disseminate management recommendations and provide support to education programs that are already in place through The Nature Conservancy and Palau International Coral Reef Center.

The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund works to protect species and habitats, and connect youth to nature to help develop lifelong conservation values. Since its start in 1995, the fund has supported more than 1,000 conservation programs in 112 countries. For information, visit www.disney.com/conservation.

» Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii (B.E.A.C.H.) was selected by the Awesome Foundation Oahu to receive the Awesome Foundation Grant for September. B.E.A.C.H. will be using the $1,000 grant to buy supplies and tools for volunteers to make wire recycling bins for beach parks, print signs for the bins and buy chains to secure the recycling containers at beach parks.

The city recycling program has trained eight B.E.A.C.H. volunteers in how to make the wire bins. B.E.A.C.H. will be holding recycle bin-making workshops for volunteers age 16 and older, 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday and Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 and 17. To sign up, call B.E.A.C.H. at 393-2168.

The Awesome Foundation is an international organization. Each month its chapters give a $1,000 grant to a worthy project. About 10 people per chapter donate $100 each per month to provide the $1,000 grant per month. The Awesome Foundation Oahu funds action-orientated projects that have an immediate, positive impact on Oahu. For more information about the Awesome Foundation Oahu, visit www.awesomefoundationoahu.com.

B.E.A.C.H. is an all volunteer, nonprofit and tax-exempt organization that brings awareness and solutions to marine debris through environmental education, plastic reduction /litter prevention campaigns and marine debris removal and research in order to help protect Hawaii’s marine life, sea birds and the ocean/coastal environment. For more information, visit www.b-e-a-c-h.org.