Semiconductor Education, Empowerment, and Industry Development (SEED)
Program Overview
IEEE SSCS and IEEE EDS are sponsoring the first grassroots-level semiconductor industry and education-based outreach program: Semiconductor Education, Empowerment, and Industry Development (SEED). We will be soliciting applications from (1) senior PhD graduate students who are in their final or penultimate year of their studies, or (2) young professionals who have been in established careers for a minimum of two years, or (3) junior faculty who have been in established careers for a minimum of two years. This program will select four applicants – two applicants specializing in solid-state circuits and two applicants specializing in electronic devices – to engage with students, faculty, education providers, and local industry leaders in areas that have limited educational or industrial exposure in the semiconductor field. The selected candidates will choose an underserved geographical area that has potential for building excellence in semiconductor education and industry. The selected candidates are expected to be well-connected to the local community and educational and industrial ecosystem. The successful candidate is expected to have the ability to communicate in the local language so as to better understand how to bring a stronger focus to semiconductors in that particular region. The outcome of the program will be four reports created by the selected candidates that will provide IEEE SSCS and IEEE EDS with information about the existing semiconductor infrastructure for academia and industry in these underserved regions, the gaps and challenges faced by academia and industry in developing the skills and facilities required. The following outlines further details on the program, application procedure, candidate preferred qualifications, and expected outcomes of this inaugural first year of this program.
Program Timeline and Funding
The program covers travel over a three-month period, from October 2025 to December 2025, where the selected candidates may travel up to two weeks to a region that is underserved in terms of semiconductor education, industry, and awareness, but has the potential to grow the industry and education curricula. The program will provide up to $5000 USD in grant funding per candidate to cover travel and accommodation expenses, and final report preparation.
Candidate Application Portal Open: September 2, 2025
Candidate Application Portal Closed: September 26, 2025
Candidate Selection Completed: October 3, 2025
Candidate Notifications: October 6, 2025
Program Execution: October 13, 2025, to January 31, 2026
Program Travel Completion: December 31, 2025
Program Deliverables Due: January 31, 2026
Candidate Application Procedure
Candidates interested in applying for the program should develop a coherent plan for their visit to the underserved region for a duration not exceeding two weeks. The candidate will arrange the necessary meetings with faculty, students, industry, and other stakeholders. In their plan, they should call out the names of those individuals with whom they would like to meet. If assistance from SSCS or EDS is required to identify individuals or help set up meetings, the applicant may indicate that in their plan, which will be submitted with the application. Two references will be required to accompany the application. The candidate must provide, as part of the plan, why she/he would like to participate in this opportunity, why it is important to her/him personally, and what she/he hopes to achieve from the engagement with faculty, students, industry, and government officials in the region selected. The plan should also include an estimated budget outlining travel and accommodation costs. The candidate’s application must also outline why she/he is selecting the region for the visit and engagement and why it has potential for growth in the semiconductor field. The candidate must also provide as part of the application a comprehensive resume or curriculum vitae (CV), and an outline of what she/he expects to prepare in the final report which may include a plan for further investment into longer term SSCS/EDS-funded programs to uplift semiconductor skills access in that particular region. The candidate must also identify the SSCS or EDS Chapter in the region with which she/he plans to engage as part of this program.
Please note that a short 30-minute interview will be scheduled with evaluation committee members for all candidates who are shortlisted.
Candidate Preferred Qualifications
The successful candidate will have the following preferred qualifications:
- Senior PhD graduate student (within two years of graduation) in solid-state circuits or electron devices field, or
- Young professional with master’s degree in solid-state circuits or electron devices field and at least two years of professional technical experience in the same field, or
- Junior faculty member in solid-state circuits or electron devices field with at least two years of professional experience in the same field
- Cultural awareness of the region selected for the visit
- Language proficiency in the local language of region selected for the visit
- Member of IEEE SSCS or IEEE EDS (to sign up for membership, please visit: sscs.ieee.org or eds.ieee.org; please use TRYEDS2026 to receive free EDS membership.)
Candidate Selection Procedure
The candidate applications will be reviewed by a special committee consisting of senior members of the IEEE SSCS and IEEE EDS organizations. The plan for engagement, the outline of the final report, references, and candidate’s accomplishments and service to SSCS and EDS will be considered as part of the candidate evaluation and selection.
Expected Outcomes and Deliverables from Selected Candidates
The expected outcome of the program will be a report from each of the four selected candidates that outlines the learnings from the visit and interactions with faculty, students, SSCS/EDS chapter, industry, and government officials. The report should also include a plan for a future, longer-term program that SSCS/EDS may want to fund in the future to develop skills in semiconductor design and education in the region.
Applications
Submit an application here →
