A highly competitive $1 million National Science Foundation grant was awarded to a Kewalo Marine Laboratory program to train underrepresented Pacific island and native Hawaiian students in biological sciences.

“;Not only will the program go on, it will be bigger,”; said Michael Hadfield, zoology professor in the University of Hawaii's Pacific Biosciences Research Center and former Kewalo Laboratory director.

The five-year grant will support 13 students each summer, plus six with year-round internships, said Hadfield, who began the 10-week NSF program in 1999 as principal investigator.

A survey last December of 57 students in the previous summer programs showed at least 36 in bachelor's degree programs; 15 with completed bachelor's degrees; three with master's degrees and one in a doctoral program, Hadfield said.

“;All in all we've done pretty well. A lot of these kids probably wouldn't have left their home islands otherwise.”;

He said the NSF grant is “;incredibly competitive.”; Last year, there were 160 preproposals for the program and eight were awarded, he said.

The program is open to Pacific islanders, Hispanics, blacks, American Indians and native Hawaiians. A Hispanic student and a Cherokee Indian, both attending Chaminade University, were in this summer's program.

The students receive $4,000, paid airfare and supplies and those with year-round internships each receive nearly $15,000.

Peltin Pelep of Pohnpei, a University of Hawaii-Manoa senior studying environmental biology, said more researchers are needed to educate Pacific islanders about the essential role of plants and animals in the ecosystem. “;After my master's and my Ph.D., I'll go back,”; said the 25-year-old.

Pelep was one of 11 Pacific island students who participated in the Kewalo laboratory's undergraduate mentoring program in environmental biology this summer. He did genetic studies on the Achatinella mustelina subspecies of Hawaiian endangered tree snails.

He also was in the program last year and was one of three students to receive a yearlong UH internship from the program. He is one of six accepted for a year-round program, Hadfield said.