Sacred Heart University will receive $400,000 grant for bee research

Sacred Heart University’s Bee Health and Ecology Research Objective program is in line for a big boost.

The university’s Bee-HERO initiative is set to accept a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The program will provide undergraduate students from groups that are historically marginalized with an international research experience focused on studying bee-related viruses and parasites.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (CT-04) announced the grant on Wednesday. In a press release, he voiced his enthusiasm regarding the substantial funding the Bee-HERO program will receive.

“As an avid beekeeper, I am thrilled to hear Bee-HERO will receive funding from the National Science Foundation to study biological threats to pollinators and expand access to advanced STEM research,” Himes said.

Himes noted that around 35% of all crops in the country’s food supply are pollinated by bees, which represents the importance of protecting the insects.

“Research facilitated by the Bee-HERO initiative will help safeguard our pollinators and prepare these young scientists for fruitful careers in the scientific community,” Himes added.

Over four years, it is expected that the Bee-HERO program will provide three cohorts of six U.S. undergraduates a chance to participate in research related to bee pathogens at the Centre for Honey Bee Research within the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences.

The program will offer students mentorship, research training and professional development to facilitate their success. Additionally, students will present their findings at the Eastern Colleges Science Conference and share their knowledge with the local community at Sacred Heart University’s Living Shoreline Pollinator Garden.

In its fourth year, Bee-HERO program alums will join to share their experiences and help expand their professional networks.

In a joint statement, Bee-HERO principal investigators and Sacred Heart University Assistant Professors Alyssa Woronik, Ph.D. and Torrance Hanley, Ph.D. said, “We are absolutely elated to bring this program to life. It will not only be a life-changing learning experience for the students, but also their research will have important implications for the fields of disease ecology, agriculture and evolution.”