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Chiron Foundation Awards Five Grants to Support Science and Health Education

Posted on: Thursday, 10 March 2005, 09:00 CST

Chiron Corporation (Nasdaq:CHIR) announced today that the Chiron Foundation has awarded $160,000 to five organizations for five projects promoting interest in science and healthcare through the support of community-based science and math education programs. The recipients of the grants are the American Association of Blood Banks, the San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation, Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education, San Francisco Exploratorium, and Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. These grants reflect the Foundation's commitment to enhancing student access to quality educational resources and learning opportunities.

"The educational and professional development programs established by these organizations play an important role in promoting interest in science and health education and careers. We are proud to help support these valuable initiatives and hope to contribute to the education of the next generation of scientists and innovators," said Jay Grover, president of the Chiron Foundation.

Chiron's grant to the American Association of Blood Banks, based in Bethesda, Md., will provide funding for a national public-education campaign geared toward young adults. Each year nearly five million Americans need a life-saving blood transfusion, and 38,000 units of blood are needed daily in the United States alone. The campaign will aim to catch the attention of young adults, especially those 17-24 years old, to increase awareness of the need for regular blood donation and foster a new generation of lifelong donors.

Chiron's grant to the San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation, located in San Jose, Calif., will support "Genetics: Technology With a Twist," a permanent exhibit with a demonstration recombinant DNA lab and interactive wet-lab activities developed to stimulate student interest in human genetics and biomedical research. The exhibit is operated collaboratively with Stanford School of Medicine Department of Genetics. The San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation is designed to engage students and families through demonstration and seeks to inspire young students to become innovators in the technologies of the future.

Focusing on teachers as the primary agents for effecting meaningful change and promoting student interests in the fields of mathematics and science education, the Foundation has awarded the following three organizations grants based on programs each has established for math and science educators.

Chiron's grant to the Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education (IISME), based in Santa Clara, Calif., will provide support to the organization's East Bay Science Teacher Revitalization and Retention Project, a paid summer fellowship program. Specifically, the funding will support five high-technology or biotechnology fellowships for secondary and community college faculty teaching biology, chemistry or physics in Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland or Richmond, Calif. Founded in 1985, IISME seeks to transform teaching and learning through industry-education partnerships. IISME exists to address the critical need for a strong, highly skilled workforce in mathematics, science and technological fields.

Chiron's grant to the San Francisco Exploratorium, located in San Francisco, Calif., will provide support to the Exploratorium's education outreach workshops for educators to improve their teaching skills and provide new ideas for the teaching of science. The Exploratorium is a not-for-profit organization and interactive science and technology museum.

Chiron's grant to the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI), based in Seattle, Wash., will support the organization's BioQuest science education program, which aims to educate the next generation of life-science leadership and advocates to improve global health through research. The grant will enable the development of a curriculum focusing on what it takes to develop a vaccine, including hosting a professional development workshop to train high school science teachers to use the curriculum in their classrooms. SBRI has been instrumental in conducting research leading to the prevention, diagnosis and cure of global infectious diseases, including malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

About the Chiron Foundation

Established in 2004, the Chiron Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to improving lives through better healthcare, empowering lives through better education and enriching lives through better communities. The Foundation awards grants in three major focus areas: health and medicine, education, and community. For further information about the Chiron Foundation, please visit www.chiron.com/foundation.

About Chiron

Chiron delivers innovative and valuable products to protect human health by advancing pioneering science across the landscape of biotechnology. The company works to deliver on the limitless promise of science and make a positive difference in people's lives. For more information about Chiron, please visit www.chiron.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change. A full discussion of the company's operations and financial condition, including factors that may affect its business and future prospects, is contained in documents the company has filed with the SEC, including the form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, and the form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and will be contained in all subsequent periodic filings made with the SEC.

We do not undertake an obligation to update the forward-looking information we are giving today.

Source: Business Wire

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