We are proud to have a passionate team made up of nearly 3,000 people who enjoy giving back and supporting our local communities.
At the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, as a non-profit biomedical research institution, JAX viewed participation in the unprecedented health crisis as our humanitarian duty. To help, JAX stepped forward to build a mouse model colony used for coronavirus research and utilized its clinical laboratory in Farmington, Conn. for COVID-19 testing. Learn more about our efforts to combat COVID-19 for our communities and the world here.
As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, JAX is deeply committed to the various communities that we serve with sponsorships and contributions to other nonprofits and organizations. Through our review process and a limited budget, we support causes associated most closely with our research and education mission or that contribute significantly to the quality of life for our employees. Learn more about our Community Contributions Program.
In Maine
Career Development Opportunities:
- JAX provides regular, on-site training to employees like Confined Space Rescue Training, Laboratory Safety Training, and others. These valuable opportunities are also offered to organizations within the local community like MDI Hospital, Acadia National Park, the Bar Harbor Fire Department, and more.
- JAX's Academic Year Internship program gives local students the opportunity to conduct a part-time research internship at JAX.
- Each year, Maine high schoolers have the chance to receive a $10,000 scholarship to support their interest in pursuing a biomedical career path.
- Each year, JAX welcomes high school students from across the state to campus for an open house to learn about scientific careers and the Lab.
Local Boards and Sponsorships:
- Our leadership and key staff are proud to be engaged in the community through their involvement with neighboring organizations and institutions. JAX leaders are board members for organizations including MDI Hospital, College of the Atlantic, Camp Beech Cliff, and others.
- JAX is the co-sponsor and co-organizer annually for the Maine State Science Fair which draws approximately 500 high school students from across the state to compete for a college tuition scholarship.
Help for those in need:
- JAX employees donate turkeys, hams, and fruit baskets each December to the EMMAUS Homeless Shelter in Ellsworth.
- JAX's Bar Harbor campus works closely with the Alzheimer's Association Maine Chapter to engage JAX employees and the local community in an annual walk, The Longest Day, lunch and learns, etc. JAX also hosts events for the Alzheimer's community on campus.
- Hundreds of JAX employees participate in volunteer days to assist their neighbors with home fix up projects.
In Connecticut
Career Development Opportunities:
- JAX's Academic Year Internship program gives local students the opportunity to conduct a part-time research internship at JAX.
- Through an annual partnership with the CT State College and University System (CSCU), hundreds of students and faculty from CSCU member schools attend the Bioscience Careers Forum, an event that emphasizes biomedical workforce development in the state of Connecticut.
- Each year hundreds of high school students, their parents, and teachers from across Connecticut come to JAX for an Open House event which features research talks and career networking. Schools from across the state are represented.
- Each year, Connecticut high schoolers have the chance to receive a $10,000 scholarship to support their interest in pursuing a biomedical career path.
Local Boards and Sponsorships:
- For the past three years, JAX sponsors the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair to help students at underserved schools travel to the annual science fair so that they can participate.
- Our leadership and key staff are proud to be engaged in the community through their involvement with neighboring organizations and institutions. JAX leaders are board members for organizations including the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and others.
Help for those in Need:
- Throughout the years, JAX employees have donated hundreds of non-perishable goods for local food pantries during the holiday season.
- In 2017, JAX employees collected toys for the children at Connecticut Children's in Hartford, Conn. to enjoy while they could not be in their homes during the holidays.
Empowering a Female Workforce:
- As part of Central Connecticut State University's Tech it Out summer programs for high school kids, in 2019 JAX sponsored two young women to attend a weeklong course called Fun in Science! Biomedical and Genetic Engineering. Activities during this program included a tour of JAX and participation in a personalized medicine interactive activity with JAX's Women in Science (WiSE) group. The students also had the opportunity to chat with JAX summer students about how to prepare for college and how STEM classes differ between college and high school.
- In addition to the program above, JAX's WiSE group has organized a variety of community activities and activities for AJX employees including a self-defense techniques course.
In California
Help for those in need:
- Each year, JAX employees participate in the Sacramento Children’s Home Wish Stars program, an initiative that helps bring holiday cheer to children and families affected by child abuse in the community.
- JAX employees donate turkeys and hams to the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.
Career Development Opportunities:
- Each year, high schoolers in the Sacramento area have the chance to receive a $10,000 scholarship to support their interest in pursuing a biomedical career path.