Grant Programs
The OSA Foundation supports programs that fall into three primary fund areas:
Please click here for more information about these funds.
Programs currently supported by the Discovery Fund
Girl Scouts of the USA Collaboration
Lighten Up! Discovering the Science of Light, a resource guide for girls, ages 11 – 15 developed by the OSA Foundation, OSA volunteers and the Girl Scouts of the USA, won the Association of Educational Publishers 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award for best science instruction book, grades 6 – 8. Through fun, hands-on activities such as making their own sunset in a bottle, using Jell-O to understand how lenses work, and even making their own telescope, girls learn about the exciting world of optics, and why it is so important to everyday life. The guide also shows girls how the concepts they are learning relate to current research that impacts them today, and career profiles to highlight some of the many job opportunities in the field.
The Foundation encourages OSA's Student Chapters, Local Sections and individual members to visit a local Girl Scout troop to assist them with the book’s activities and to give them an opportunity to meet real scientists and engineers! If you are interesting in volunteering your time, please contact the OSA Foundation Staff.
EastConn Optics Curriculum Program
The Foundation has granted EastConn, a non-profit serving school districts in rural northeast Connecticut, funds to enhance their current curriculum with optics-related material. This is a multi-dimensional program that provides teachers with professional development, optics resources, and funding to attend “Optics in the Classroom!” workshops. Plus - students can get involved by participating in “Dark Skies”, a program to study the effects of light pollution, promote interest in astronomy and encourage students to collaborate with each other.
Optics Education and Demonstrations Program
The OSAF is partnering with the OSA’s Rochester Local Section to increase the distribution of the Section’s Optics Suitcases and the “Liquid Crystal Mood Patch Lesson”. This grant will also assist local groups/educators with finding a volunteer to help with optics demos. This program is also supported by a generous donation from James Ferguson.
The Optics Suitcase is an innovative, interactive presentation package designed to introduce middle school students to a variety of science concepts. The Suitcase provides students with packets of materials that can be taken home to show to friends and family members as a reinforcement of the classroom lessons. Reprints of articles about the Rochester Section’s outreach and a copy of the Optics Suitcase guide for presenters are available at http://www.opticsexcellence.org/SJ_TeamSite/index.html; you can also view a video of Dr. Steven Jacobs using the Suitcase on the OSA Member podblog.
Apply for a free Optics Suitcase!
Project Lumiere
Project Lumiere is a two-week science camp intended to introduce children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Sophia, Guyana, to basic science. The camp will teach students, ages 6 – 16, about rockets, optics and medicine using a hands-on and interactive approach. To help with their optics lessons the OSA Foundation has provided a Terrific Telescope kit, the Optical Phenomena Poster Series, an OPTICS: Light at Work DVD, the Laser Technology: Changing Daily Life, Forging New Opportunities CD-ROM and classroom sets of the Optics Discovery Kit.
Club de niños en la ciencia e Club Máxima-Ciencia (Science Clubs for Children and Teenagers)
Through a grant and education materials provided by the OSAF, the Centro de Investigaciones en Optica, León, Guanajuato, Mexico is able to bring the science of light to the children and teens who participate in their free monthly sessions. After hearing an introductory talk about topics such as polarized light, “how does the eye work?”, solar energy and lasers, students visit several stations with experiments that reinforce their lesson. Member of the OSA Student Chapter are on hand to answer questions and help with the experiments.
PHOTON Problem Based Learning (PBL)
The OSA Foundation supports the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) and it’s mission to promote greater educational opportunities and services for the residents of New England through an OSAF grant to the NEBHE’s PHOTON Problem Based Learning (PBL) program. The PBL is a series of professional development workshops that use problem-based, active learning as an alternative to the traditional lecture-based instruction common in education. To do that, PHOTON PBL is creating eight industry- and research university-based multimedia challenges that use real-life problems and solutions. This approach helps high school and community college science, math and technology/engineering instructors better prepare their students for science careers.
Youth Science Education Activity Grants
Activity grants support the grassroots education efforts of OSA Local Sections and Student Chapters. These programs focus on local educators, parents and students with the objective of sharing information and generating excitement about science.
Learn more about this program.
Education Materials for Developing Nations
This new grant program provides optics education materials to volunteers and educators residing in developing nations. Materials include: “Optics: Light at Work” (DVD), Terrific Telescopes, Optics Discovery Kits, multi-lingual posters with lesson guides and more. If you are interested in receiving materials please contact us at opticseducation@osa.org.
Programs currently supported by the Future Innovators Fund:
Student Professional Development Program
The OSA Foundation is a proud sponsor of professional development workshops and lectures as part of the Student Chapter Leadership and student programming during OSA’s annual meeting -- “Frontiers in Optics”.
Corning Outstanding Student Paper Competition
This competition, endowed by Corning, Incorporated, recognizes innovation, research excellence and presentation abilities in optical communications. All students submitting their papers during the regular “call for papers” process for OFC/NFOEC are eligible for the competition. Please see the Submission section of www.ofcnfoec.org for complete details.
Maiman Student Paper Competition
This competition, endowed by HRL Laboratories, LLC, IEEE-LEOS and APS Division of Laser Science, honors Theodore Maiman for his amazing invention, the first working laser, and his other outstanding contributions to optics and photonics. All students submitting their papers during the regular “call for papers” process for CLEO/QELS are eligible for the competition. Complete details will be available in the Student Programs section of www.cleoconference.org. This new competition was announced during the Theodore Maiman Tribute Symposium: Invention and Demonstration of the World’s First Laser, which took place during CLEO/QELS 2008. View photos from the symposium.
Harvey M. Pollicove Memorial Scholarship
This annual scholarship will be awarded to a student who is pursuing a degree in the field of precision optics manufacturing. This program honors the work of Harvey Pollicove and was made possible by the contributions of Harvey Pollicove’s friends and colleagues to the H.M. Pollicove Memorial Fund. The 2008 scholarship will be presented to a student at the University of Rochester, New York, USA.
Emil Wolf Outstanding Student Paper Competition
This competition has been established in honor of Professor Emil Wolf’s many contributions to science and the Optical Society. This program recognizes the innovation and research excellence of students presenting their work during the Frontiers in Optics (FiO) conference. The first prizes will be presented in 2009. Winners will receive a complimentary FiO registration, an award stipend of $300 USD, and an award certificate. The OSA Foundation is pleased to announce that the University of Rochester Physics Department and the Institute of Optics have committed support as Founding Donors of this competition. Additional funds are needed to permanently fund this program. Contribute to this program.
OSA Student Ambassador Program
This new initiation is intended to foster communication and relationships between the OSA, its members, and optical engineers and scientists working in developing nations by providing second and third year U.S. graduate students with an opportunity to spend three to four weeks during the summer in a country/region with a strong optics program as OSA Ambassadors. The Ambassadors are expected to make an oral presentation of their research and interact with professors, researchers, students and staff in the host institution. They will integrate into the culture and exchange their ideas with fellow optical engineers and scientists.
Programs currently supported by the Global Outreach Fund:
International Student Travel Grants
The Foundation provides travel support to students from developing nations so that they may attend OSA-managed technical meetings and conferences.
Click here for a list of completed OSA Foundation programs.
Advancing the Science and Technology of Light
