In-person Meeting with Coherent / II-VI Foundation: Funding and Scholarship Opportunities for Faculty and Undergraduate Students in STEM
Date: Thursday, October 23rd
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory (HMNTL), Room 1000, Auditorium
The University of Illinois is pleased to welcome representatives from the Coherent / II-VI Foundation for a special campus visit. The foundation's mission is to encourage and enable students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) while maintaining a standard of excellence.
This visit is a unique opportunity for both faculty and students to learn about the foundation's prestigious funding and scholarship programs.
For Faculty and Graduate Students: The Block-Gift Program
The Coherent / II-VI Foundation is actively seeking to expand its research partnerships at the University of Illinois. Their Block-Gift Program sponsors graduate-level research with a focus on student education and development.
Program Highlights:
- Generous, No-Overhead Funding: Projects are funded as unrestricted gifts, typically ranging from $80,000 to $95,000 annually, with no indirect costs deducted.
- Strategic Research Areas:The foundation targets innovation in key industrial sectors, including : Optics, Lasers & Photonics, Wideband Gap (WBG) Power Electronics, Optical Communications, Quantum Technologies.
- Proven Partnership: The foundation already supports multiple research groups at Illinois within the ECE and MatSE departments.
Following the seminar, there will be a session of faculty lightning talks, providing an opportunity for U of I researchers to present work that aligns with the foundation's mission.
For Undergraduate Students: The Undergraduate Scholarship Program
The foundation is eager to identify and support high-achieving undergraduate students. Their merit-based scholarship offers significant financial support and a unique career-building opportunity.
Scholarship Highlights:
- Substantial Financial Awards: Scholarships of up to $5,000 for freshmen and up to $10,000 for upperclassmen, renewable for up to three additional years.
- Focus on Key Majors: Open to students pursuing degrees in fields such as electrical, chemical, and mechanical engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.
- Unique Industrial Experience Opportunity: A cornerstone of the scholarship is the mandatory 360-hour (9-week) paid work experience in a relevant industrial setting, designed to provide students with invaluable real-world perspective.
- Academic Standards: Applicants are expected to have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3.
We strongly encourage all interested faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students in relevant STEM fields to attend this informative session. Please join us to learn how the Coherent / II-VI Foundation can help advance your research and academic careers.