The Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation (CGIF) was created to attract, inspire, and train the next generation of ceramic and glass professionals. The CGIF’s mission is to help the industry attract and train the highest quality talent available to work with engineered systems and products that utilize ceramic and glass materials.
The CGIF seeks to provide financial support for projects and activities that help fulfill the CGIF mission. Such projects must be directly related to introducing students to ceramic and glass science. Funding for such external grants will be allocated based on availability of funds and determined by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Organizations can apply once per year, and a funding cycle is suggested to be, at maximum, one year in duration.
It is expected that grants will allow proposers to seed or extend existing efforts to grow the base of ceramic and glass education, training, or outreach. Applications are encouraged which leverage other funding sources (i.e., local or internal funding, industry match, tangible in-kind support, etc.) and/or link to national efforts in ceramics, glass, or materials societies.
In Fall 2017, the Foundation approved over $63,000 in grants. Grant recipients and project titles are:
- Clemson University, Material Advantage Chapter: $500 for Materials Science Classroom Kits to raise awareness of materials science in update South Carolina.
- University of New Orleans, Advanced Materials Research Institute: $2,000 for outreach activities through its High School Summer Research Experience.
- Michigan State University: $2,720 for “Science of Crystals” Outreach Activity development several events for 4th-12th graders to increase awareness and participation in the field of ceramics engineering.
- University of Utah: $5,000 to be used to support materials outreach events through materials science education and training the future workforce through an interactive lecture series entitled “The Hidden World of Glass,” which consists of six events.
- University of Tennessee Space Institute: $6,662 for support of a project that aims to inform local 11th and 12th graders plus community college attendees of the benefits of Glass Materials and Technology in our society as well as potential careers in local industry.
- Gordon Research Conferences: $7,500 to create a Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation Fellowship to partially support 10 students to attend the 59th Solid State Studies in Ceramics conference.
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln: $9090 to create education and outreach programs in ceramics and glass for children and their families, middle school students, and undergraduate students.
- Berks County (PA) Community Foundation/Conrad Weiser Science Research Institute Fund: $15,000 to support and expand participation in a five-week summer research program to students of the Conrad Weiser and neighboring school districts in 2018.
- Penn State University: $15,000 to support the 20th University Conference on Glass and Summer School to promote glass science education by gathering leading experts in the field for a conference and to teach short courses at the summer school.
Applications for financial support must be made using the CGIF Call For Proposals, as other informal requests will not be considered. Completed applications for support should be submitted electronically to Belinda Raines, Outreach Manager, at braines@ceramics.org. The deadline for Spring 2018 is March 9.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION and SELECTION FOR FUNDING SUPPORT
Completed applications received by the submission deadline will be reviewed by the CGIF’s Program Committee. Those applications that support activities aligned with the CGIF’s mission and vision will be considered for funding at the next Board of Trustees meeting (held biannually in April and October). Applicants will be notified on the approval of their funding request on or about May 7. Incomplete applications will be returned without review.
Grant proposals received from members of The American Ceramic Society, Keramos, and affiliated materials societies worldwide are considered first. Applicants do not need to be members of those organizations to be fully considered.
