Expanding professional networking
Professional Development
From early-career to executive education, we support career growth with life sciences-specific professional development.
Workforce Development Programs
Our workforce development programs support the growth of Colorado’s life sciences talent pipeline by equipping professionals with industry-relevant skills, fostering mentorship and hands-on learning, and building pathways to upskill or reskill in the life sciences.
Leadership Programs
Our leadership programs contribute to Colorado’s collaborative community for life sciences, with a focus on peer-to-peer learning and coaching, expanding professional networking, and trainings tailored to the life sciences ecosystem.
Building in-demand skills in quality assurance and regulatory affairs
QA/RA Certificate Program
The Quality Assurance (QA) and Regulatory Affairs (RA) Certificate Program provides an accessible pathway for learners to upskill or reskill in the life sciences sector, building a workforce ready to ensure quality, safety, and innovation in the development of lifesaving and life-changing medicines, tests, and technologies for patients.
Program Overview
The QA/RA Certificate Program combines online coursework with hands-on learning. Participants complete microcredentials that stack into a certificate and can also be applied toward an undergraduate or graduate degree in bioengineering. Each participant is paired with an industry mentor through Colorado BioScience Institute and completes a three-day, in-person capstone hosted by life sciences companies in Aurora, Boulder, Metro Denver, Northern Colorado, and the high-tech U.S. 36 corridor. The capstone includes company tours, collaborative problem-solving, and a career fair connecting learners directly with hiring employers.
Apply through Quality Assurance (QA) and Regulatory Affairs (RA) Certificate Program website. Program applications due August 10, 2026.
Scholarships Available
The University of Colorado Denver and the University of Colorado Anschutz, in partnership with Colorado BioScience Institute, received nearly $1 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand the Quality Assurance (QA) and Regulatory Affairs (RA) Certificate Program. Participants admitted to the certificate program may be eligible for full tuition support and a $2,500 stipend through the NSF ExLENT PIVOTS funding opportunity by applying through the NSF portal.
The PIVOTS track is designed to broaden access to careers in regulatory affairs and quality systems by reducing financial barriers and supporting meaningful workforce mobility for non-traditional learners. It is intended for individuals moving from lower-wage or related roles into new professional opportunities where they have had limited prior training or experience. While all applicants are welcome to apply, this funding is most relevant for those earlier in their career journey or with fewer prior professional credentials.
Only non-degree-seeking, non-current CU students who apply through the NSF portal below are eligible for NSF tuition support and the stipend. Applicants must complete both this application and the CU application for consideration
Apply through NSF Portal. Scholarship applications due July 15, 2026.
Employer-led talent solutions
Life Sciences Talent Collaborative
The Life Sciences Talent Collaborative builds a shared strategy among leading life sciences employers to map talent needs, co-design solutions, and align training and education programs to high-demand roles.
Supported by a grant from the ZOMA Foundation, with facilitation support from SyncUp Colorado, and developed in partnership with Colorado Succeeds, the initiative uses the nationally recognized Talent Pipeline Management® (TPM) framework, this effort drives employer-led, data-informed workforce development across the state and ensures a strong, skilled, and diverse workforce for Colorado’s future.
The Life Sciences Employer Talent Collaborative is designed to:
- Identify priority roles and shared pain points through employer-driven job mapping.
- Build actionable training and education partnerships to address those needs.
- Support equitable access to high-paying jobs through targeted pathways and credential alignment.
Life Sciences Manufacturing (LSM) 101
Through this initiative, a pilot program, Life Sciences Manufacturing (LSM) 101, is launching in June 2026. LSM 101 is a 20-hour in-person foundational training that prepares adult career switchers for entry-level roles in life sciences manufacturing. Designed in collaboration with 13 employers who collectively anticipate 218+ projected entry-level manufacturing job openings in 2026, this curriculum is validated and delivered by an industry expert instructor.
Build the foundations of leadership
Foundations of Leadership Program
This three-day in-person workshop for first-time leaders and scientists new to management is designed to build the foundations of leadership by exploring the characteristics of leaders, effective communication, and teamwork skills. With interactive, peer-to-peer workshops, the program advances personal growth, professional development, and establishes new peer relationships.
Lead as You Manage
Working together, participants will:
- Explore the characteristics of leaders versus managers and discuss when and how to leverage the strengths of each role.
- Use the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, discussing strengths and risks of each type.
- Practice working with team members who have different personality types.
- Learn powerful communication skills, reviewing the elements of communication to support high-performing teams.
Build Your Skills
- Focus on strengthening the foundational skills needed to be a productive, organized, and motivational leader.
- Learn how to approach conversations and conflict with a positive mindset and exchange critical information to push projects and teams forward using the Thomas Kilmann Conflict quadrants.
- Evaluate their executive presence and influencing skills while exploring how to grow their presentation skills.
- Focus on developing and coaching others.
The Power of the Team
The foundation of every high-performing team is trust. Working together, participants will:
- Explore the elements of workplace trust and examine how they can increase trust in their current teams.
- Assess where their teams are within the cycle within Tuckman’s stages of teaming.
Additional topics to build highly motivated teams include:
- Working within strengths
- Sharing vision and values
- Intrinsic versus extrinsic rewards
- Team diversity and ensuring all team members are heard
- Working toward a shared vision and goals
Participants hone their leadership skills, build their professional networks, and advance their careers with this valuable program.
A career-defining course
Executive Leadership Program
Participants say it’s a career-defining course for life sciences executives.
The Institute’s Executive Leadership Program addresses the specific needs of leaders at growing life sciences companies. The program is designed to help key decision-makers and first-time CEOs build better businesses by learning to implement a strategic approach to problem solving, drive change through their organizations, design and motivate effective teams, and communicate plans and strategy to get to the next level of growth. Participants hear from well-known and admired executives in the ecosystem such as:
- David Perez, former CEO of Terumo Blood & Cell Technologies and the Chairman of the Board at Advanced Instruments, LLC.
- Larry Gold, Founder and former CEO of SomaLogic.
- Jim Purvis, former Vice President of Biodesix.
- Stan Lapidus, Chair, Board of Directors at Binx Health. Founded two of the most high-impact diagnostics companies in cancer early detection, Cytyc Corp. (Thinprep Pap Test) and EXACT Sciences (Cologuard Non-Invasive Colon Cancer Test).
Executive Leadership: Energy, Relationships, and Change
Effective leadership doesn’t live in strategy decks — it lives in how leaders manage themselves and work with others. This one-day intensive program supports life sciences CEOs and senior decision-makers to:
- Better manage their energy and attention as they build and scale businesses in a rapidly changing environment
- Respond more thoughtfully when facing pressure related to fundraising and regulatory milestones
- Strengthen key relationships with whom they work most closely and on whom successful outcomes depend.
- Increase connection with their peers to identify and address common challenges faced by life sciences leaders
Now enrolling for Spring 2026.
Program Highlights
- Connections with Influential Leaders: Build a strong network of peers, creating lasting relationships within the life sciences ecosystem.
- Redefining Leadership Effectiveness: The center of gravity in a changing environment is the leader themself – their self-awareness, habits, and how they manage their energy and attention. Learn to manage your own responses under pressure and to interact with others in ways that build clarity, confidence, and momentum.
- Grounded in Life Sciences Experience: Facilitated by Rachel Kindt, Ph.D., a scientist and biotech executive turned ICF-certified Executive Coach, this workshop draws on her more than 20 years of hands-on R&D and executive leadership experience in life sciences.
