Sanofi today announced a collaboration with Howard University College of Pharmacy for a two-year post-professional Doctorate in Pharmacy fellowship program.
The collaboration is a part of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company’s ongoing efforts to address disparities in underrepresented communities. The goal is to hire fellows into permanent full-time positions at Sanofi.
The program will begin in the second half of the calendar year and will award 10 Pharma graduate students an opportunity to participate in practical learning experiences in various research and development field, including oncology, rare diseases, neurology, immunology, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, clinical and operations.
“At Sanofi, we recognize that workforce diversity correlates strongly with creativity, successful problem solving, and visionary innovation. This collaboration with Howard University will allow us the opportunity to foster the next generation of scientists from historically underrepresented communities,” Sanofi Global Head of R&D Dr. John Reed said in a news release. “We look forward to working with the fellows as they begin their training and become Sanofi team members who will undoubtedly help contribute to frontier innovations as we bring the next generation of life-saving medicines to patients worldwide.”
Sanofi said the fellowship program with Howard University is part of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) strategy. It is built around building representative leadership, creating a work environment where employees can bring their whole selves and engaging with the company’s diverse communities.
“We look forward to the partnership with Sanofi, a global leader in healthcare innovation, and the launch of this unique fellowship program. Howard University is among the nation’s largest producers of African-American students who complete doctorates in science, technology, engineering, and physical sciences,” said Anthony Wutoh, Howard University provost and chief academic officer. “The Sanofi fellowship will allow promising graduates to gain real-world experience while contributing to a field that has historically overlooked and undervalued people of color.”