SPIE provides funding to each Student Chapter so that Chapter Members can create and engage in more diverse career development opportunities. SPIE believes the future belongs to optics and photonics, and the future of these technologies is in the hands of our students.
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Chapter Activity Grant
Chapters may submit an activity grant request to SPIE at any time during the year; until 15 December. When completing the form, chapters must describe each project or activity and provide cost estimates. Funds are dispersed by check (USA and Canada only) or wire transfer using IBAN/SWIFT numbers. The entire process should take less than four weeks. Available funding is based on the number of student members in the Chapter. Unused funds do not carry over to subsequent years.
Activity Grant Funding by Chapter Size
NEWSubmit an Online Activity Grant RequestDownload an Activity Grant Request form (MS Word)
Suggested Activities
Many Chapter activities are eligible for SPIE support. Ideas may include:
- Organize an informal lecture with a popular professor from the department
- Organize a student lecture series
- Invite an industry or academic speaker
- Tour optics industry facilities
- Host a public lab tour for community members
- Create and maintain a Chapter web page
- Organize a job fair
- Work with teachers to improve their optics knowledge
- Promote optics to pre-university students: develop workshops, volunteer to supplement science and math education, organize a science fair
- Mentoring of secondary science and technology students
- Promote the optics/photonics academic program within the college/university
Tip: Use your activity grant to provide snacks, beverages, and advance advertising to help draw attention to your event.
Past Reports:
Collaborative Grant
At Optics & Photonics '05, the SPIE Membership committee voted to add an extra funding category for Chapters that organize collaborative activities between themselves and another funding body (such as a government agency or another professional society). Ten grants of $250 each were allocated.
In 2008, the following Chapters were awarded these grants for organizing an event or project that also received funding from external sources, other than SPIE:
- Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics Chapter
- Montreal Student Chapter
- M.V. Moscow Lomonosov State University Chapter
- Singapore Student Chapter
- Stanford University Chapter
- University of Calcutta Chapter
- University of California/Berkeley Photobears Chapter
- University of Connecticut Chapter
- Université Laval Chapter
- University of Maryland/College Park Chapter
- University of Texas at Austin Chapter
These grants helped leverage resources from:
- École Polytechnique de Montréal Physics Department
- Ngee-Ann AEM Centre of Innovation (NACOI)
- Photonics and Microsciences Lab (PAM) at Nanyang Technological University
- Optical Society of America
- Optical Society of India
- Russian Fund for Basic Research
- Stanford Photonics Research Center (SPRC)
- Univ. of California, Berkeley Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department
- University of Connecticut Graduate Student Senate
- University of Maryland Women in Physics Group
- University of Texas at Austin Biomedical Engineering Department
Collaborative Conference Grant
This grant provides SPIE student leaders with the financial means necessary to organize a regional student leadership workshop that features a significant, non-technical professional development opportunity in collaboration with one or more SPIE Student Chapter(s).
Overview:
Collaboration with students from other universities is an important opportunity for SPIE Student Chapters. Collaborative Conference Grants give chapters access to more timely resources for organizing conferences with a student focus and facilitate significant student professional development opportunities.
The annual grant maximum is $2,500. To be eligible for this funding, a conference must have at least 30 student attendees, be organized by at least two (or more) SPIE Student chapters, and offer at least a half-day of relevant professional development training. Each quarter one conference will be selected for funding based on merit; any quarter without a suitable applicant will instead be dispersed the following quarter. The grant is meant as partial or starter funds that a chapter can use to leverage support from other agencies. This funding will help students to pilot conference programs and thus enter the mainstream SPIE Institutional Grants in subsequent years with a strong proposal. Receiving multiple Collaborative Conference Grants will be unlikely.
Conference organizers are encouraged to apply; however, only one application per event will be accepted and funding may only be received once per year.
Amount:
Up to $2,500 per event. $10,000 total is available per year from Student Services.
No more than 50% of the grant can be used for student conference registration fees or student attendee travel, food, and lodging.
Application Criteria:
Applications will be evaluated once per quarter. If no suitable candidates are found during a particular quarter it will be re-allocated for later in the year.
Criteria for evaluation:
- Quality & relevance of professional development program
- Appropriate target audience
- Marketing plan for conference - How will other people find out about it?
- Leveraged resources - Who else is contributing to this project?
- Planned events/talks
- How would the funding be used?
Possible topics may include:
- Overviews for careers in optics
- Creating better technical presentations
- Lab management skills
- Technical language proficiency classes
- Interview strategy sessions
Application Instructions:
A Student Chapter may apply once per quarter for conference funding. They may only receive funding once per calendar year. Only one application for the same conference may be submitted in a quarter. Applications are due 1st of January, April, July, & October. Once the application is submitted you can expect a response no later than two weeks after the end of the quarter (15th of January, April, July, & October).
Download an Application (MS Word)
Past Reports:
Officer Travel Grant
SPIE strives to provide Chapter Members with conference exposure. Each year, Chapter officers have an opportunity to attend an SPIE meeting with special assistance from the Society. Officers are encouraged to attend the Student Chapter Leadership Workshop at Optics + Photonics.
In 2009, more than 85 students from 22 different countries won Travel Grants and formed the core of over 130 Student Chapter Members who attended the leadership workshop to network and exchange information useful in their academic and professional lives.
- One grant per Chapter each year
- No person may receive the grant more than once
- Up to $1,000 US for travel/food/lodging
- One conference fee waiver
- Bonus: Use the grant to attend the Student Chapter Leadership Workshop at Optics + Photonics and receive up to seven days of lodging and one course, free
Optics + Photonics Travel Grant Timeline:
Mid-February - applications available
Late-February - abstracts due for the conference
Mid-March - first round of applications due
Early-April - first round of winners notified
Mid-May - second round of applications due
Early-June - second round winners are notified
All other travel grants are due at least 12 weeks before the first day of the conference.
NEWSubmit an Online Application
Travel Grant Instructions (PDF)
Download an Application (MS Word)
Invitation Request for Travel Visa (MS Word)
Visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for more information.
Chapter Identity
An innovative (but clean) look will help identify your school Chapter as a professional affiliate, not just a campus club. Using a few simple guidelines, your Chapter logo can help promote outreach activities, lecture series, collaborative conferences, and other Chapter activities.
- Keep information logically organized.
- Avoid overly casual (or overly formal) language.
- Keep poster designs clean; graphics should draw attention to important information, not away from it.
Visit the SPIE Identity page for important information on the recent SPIE re-branding and the Chapter Logos page to download your logos.
Annual Reporting
Guidelines
Student Chapters are required to provide an annual report on activities, whether they receive SPIE grant funding or not. Chapter reports provide valuable insight into student activities and serve as a resource for future planning. Noteworthy pictures and activities may be included in SPIE publications, including the Student Newsletter or SPIE Professional. The information is also provided to the SPIE Board of Directors as an indicator of the health of our student program. Sending a complete report on time means your Chapter will receive the recognition it deserves for the hard work of its Members.
Annual Report due dates vary. View the complete list of dates for details.
Reports should include:
- Names, email addresses, and Member numbers of elected Officers.
- List of current Student Chapter Members.
- Details of Chapter activities since last report.
- Describe exactly how chapter grant funding was spent.
- Were these activites described in your funding request?
- Details of planned activities for the future.
- Financial information.
- Beginning balance
- Funds raised and expended (indicate amounts and source/destination)
- Details of SPIE funding received
- Other sources (please specify)
- Ending balance
Special note for Outreach Events: Please estimate the number of attendees at each event. This helps us measure the impact of Student Chapters and obtain future student funding.
Good Standing
Student Chapters must:
- Maintain a minimum of 10 paying SPIE Student Members.
- Submit an annual report by the assigned due date (see Reporting Guidelines for details).
- Hold at least three official meetings per year.
- Elect officers once each year.
- Obtain prior written approval from SPIE for any fundraising activities.
Failure to Maintain Good Standing (Probation)
While the Society strives to work with every Chapter's individual needs, the minimal requirements for remaining in good standing are strictly followed. Chapters that fail to adhere to the requirements will be placed on probation.
- SPIE will notify the Chapter Advisor and Officers of the change in status
- The Chapter will have one year to remedy the situation and return to good standing
- Failure to return to good standing will result in the Chapter being disbanded by the Board of Directors
- While a Chapter is on probation it is not eligible to apply for Activity Grants or Officer Travel Grants
- Student Members will continue to receive all the benefits of an Individual Student Membership throughout the probationary period and beyond, regardless of the status of the Chapter
Returning to Good Standing
During probation, SPIE will work with Chapters to revitalize their programs. Depending on the circumstances, it may be necessary to recruit more members, submit any overdue reports, plan activities, etc. Contact your Chapter Advisor and students@spie.org for tips and additional assistance.
Building an Active Chapter
It is normal for Chapter commitment to fluctuate over time. Graduation, thesis writing, or other obligations can all impact the ability of the Chapter to function and benefit its Members. Here are some tips to help energize your members:
- Organize activities that require the involvement of many Chapter Members. Science fairs, volunteer teaching, and public outreach are excellent ways to utilize the abilities of your Chapter Members.
- Set up an informal table in the department building with SPIE promotional materials, handouts, and membership applications at the beginning of the school year. Talk to your members and plan events early.
- Share Chapter responsibilities.
- Hold Officer elections.
- Use your website to keep Members informed and in communication. Track project goals through the website.
- Get inspiration from other student leaders - send members to the Student Chapter Leadership Workshop.
Visiting Lecturer Program
Bring the feeling of a conference to your entire Chapter. Access a directory of distinguished lecturers who are available to give personalized lectures at your university. For a complete list of available speakers and topics, check out the Visiting Lecturer page.
Facebook Student Group
We're on Facebook now! Facebook is a social networking website that will help connect you to other SPIE students. Get news from SPIE through the SPIE Students Fan page or check out the SPIE Lounge.
