UPCAM - Industry Residency Grant

UPCAM Industry Residency Grant Program in Manufacturing
Application Deadline: February 28, 2019
Funding Timeframe: Summer 2019
Maximum Number of Grants Awarded: Up to 3

The goal of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Advanced Manufacturing (UPCAM) initiative is to represent the efforts of diverse faculty and students within the Swanson School of Engineering (SSoE) in the field of advanced manufacturing. The UPCAM Industry Residency Grant Program (IRG) provides funding to Swanson School of Engineering (SSoE) Faculty, Post-Doc and PhD Students to build relationships with outside industry or national labs through intensive summer residency experiences. University-Industry interactions are important for bridging the knowledge gap between University research and industry practices. They can also be an integral part of successful government research proposal submissions. Through this award program, we aim to enhance Pitt’s national recognition in manufacturing, to increase visibility of SSoE manufacturing research, and to create lasting collaborative interactions with industry in leading-edge areas of applied manufacturing research. 

Eligibility Requirements: A member of an Industry or a US National Lab must be a Co-PI on the proposal along with the associated faculty member, post-doc or PhD student, and the proposed residency opportunity must be within the field of advanced manufacturing. A specific point-of-contact from the organization must be designated as the resident’s primary collaborator for the program.

Budget: Grant funding will provide 50% match of up to 4 months of residency.  This would equate to a maximum of two months of funding from this grant for the faculty member or student’s base summer income while they work with the industry partner. 

Matching Support: At least 50% matching support is required by the industrial partner or lab.  The cost-matching commitment must be detailed in a formal letter of support.

Preparation and Submission of Application: Proposals should include the following sections:

• Residency Plan (no more than 2 pages; include background statement, research aims and expected outcomes)
• Budget and Justification
• Brief Biosketches/Resume of both co-PI’s
• Description of industry partner (e.g., size of company, nature of their business, specific division or area where residency will take place, etc.; 1-page maximum)

All documents should be emailed in PDF format to upcam@pitt.edu with the subject “Company Name – UPCAM IRG Proposal.”

Proposal Evaluation:  Proposals will be reviewed by a committee designated by the UPCAM Executive Committee. Reviewers will rate the proposals on the following specific guidelines:

• Impact: Scientific merit of the proposed activity. What is its significance to the field of advanced manufacturing? What is the strength of its contribution toward the advancement of knowledge or future development in the field?
• Future Collaboration: Will working with this resident (faculty or student) provide for future opportunities for collaboration on grant proposals or sponsored research?  Will this residency provide for future collaboration with more than just the current, proposed resident?

For Additional Information or to Make Connections with Pitt Faculty, Contact:
Liza Allison - UPCAM Program Administrator
Swanson School of Engineering
upcam@pitt.edu