Guidelines and FAQ

The selection for candidates will be based on four merit criteria, equally weighed. Applicants are encouraged to address these points in their personal statement.

• Interest in semiconductor technology

• Academic preparation

• Demonstrated persistence and perservance, and/or ability to overcome adversity. Examples of adversity include economic, discrimination, cultural, language, and disability.

• Interest in service, teaching, mentoring, and/or outreach, including to underrepresented and/or disadvantaged groups.

What are the application materials?

In addition to basic contact and biographical information, applicants are required to upload three document:

1) Personal statement, no more than 700 words. Use this statement to include your career goals.

2) Unofficial transcript, including grades for the first academic term in the 2022-23 school year

3) Resume or CV (3 page max). You are encouraged to list any awards or scholarships that you received in the Resume.

When is the deadline?

Applications received by Feb 7, 2023 will receive full consideration. Applications received after Feb 7 will be considered if space is available.

What are the academic eligibility requirements

Students must have already completed at least 1 year (2 semesters or 3 quarters) of full-time coursework at an accredited college or university prior to starting this program. Students who have completed a degree at a community college and are transferring to a four-year institution starting Fall 2023 are eligible.

A limited number of slots will be available for students who have finished their undergraduate degrees by May or June 2023.

My school is on the quarter system, and I cannot start until Jun 15. Can I apply?

Yes, you can apply and we will do our best to accomodate your needs.

I’m enrolled in a joint BS/MS program. Am I eligible?

Yes, students enrolled in a joint academic program are eligible based on the same criteria as those in four-year universities

I’m in a joint BA/JD, BS/MBA, or BS/MD program. Am I eligible?

No, students enrolled in joint professional programs are not eligible.

Can I work with a faculty member not listed?

Yes, you may state any faculty member at the University of Michigan as your interest. If you are selected, the program coordinator will contact the faculty members to help you find an appropriate project. However, the projects listed on the Home page have already been confirmed; there is no guarantee that a faculty not listed will have an open position for a summer undergraduate student.

Will listing a certain faculty member or project give me a preferential advantage?

In general, no. Student selection will be made by a small committee of UM faculty working on semiconductors, not by the faculty member listed on the project. However, we may consider certain students to ensure enough students will work on different aspects of semiconductor technology (e.g., materials, devices, circuits, systems, and algorithms). Your best bet is to list the faculty members you would like to work with. If you list faculty members not working on semiconductors, that may hurt your score in the first review criterion.

Should I contact the faculty member before applying?

If you have a question about their project, feel free to reach out directly. However, most faculty are very busy and will not have time to respond to all inquires. Unless they are writing your recommendation letter, they will not be able to help your application. Once you are selected, we will work to match you with a project and faculty adviser.

Are there quotas for students?

We are hoping to have at least 5 community college students participate. We also intend to have no more than 5 current undergraduates at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus participate. The remainder will be filled with students enrolled at four-year universities outside UM. However, in compliance with Michigan State Law, there will not be any quotas based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.

Can international students participate?

Our program is not strictly limited to US citizens and permanent residents, with the following guidance:

1. Students who have DACA-based work permits, or with pending permanent residency applications (filed I-485) and authorized work permits (e.g. I-765) are eligible

2. International students (F1 visa) currently enrolled at the University of Michigan are eligible

3. Non-citizens/residents studying outside University of Michigan are NOT eligible.

Why were these selection criteria chosen?

These merit criteria aim to identify promising future scientists, engineers, and leaders in semiconductor technology. We include two criteria based on traditional academic qualification (1 and 2), and two criteria aimed at identifying students with broader interests or who may not have as many opportunities (3 and 4). We believe this holistic criteria provide a more inclusive and equitable process that will broaden participation in semiconductor technology. We also believe that disclosing the selection criteria in a transparent manner is most fair and equitable process.

In addition, the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and many graduate schools use very similar criteria to select students. We hope that, by explicitly stating the selection criteria and giving applicants an opportunity to practice framing their experiences around these criteria, this exercise will help all applicants in their future careers, even those who are not selected.

Does my personal statement have to address all selection criteria?

We encourage all applicants to attempt to address all selection criteria. However, applicants weak in one criteria and strong in the others will still be competitive.

How is this program different from the SURE program?

The SURE program is designed only for U of M engineering students. In that program, students are usually directly selected by the faculty member or the department to fulfill a specific research need. In contrast, this program aims to bring students from across the university to UM focused on semiconductors.

How is this program different from other UM REU programs?

As a large institution, the University of Michigan has a large number of undergraduate reserach opportunities program. These include the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP), Community College Summer Fellowship Program (CCSFP), and a variety of NSF-sponsored REU programs including at the Physics and Chemistry Departments.

Our program is unique in that it is dedicated towards semiconductor technology, an interdisciplinary field. Applicants are encouraged to apply for all programs that they are interested in. All programs are administered independently--applying to one program will not positively or negatively affect applicantions to a different program.

Why is Intel sponsoring this program?

Intel is planning major expansions in the US. Intel hopes that this program will help train a capable future workforce in semiconductors, especially for students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. We hope that students will consider careers at Intel when they are ready to enter the workforce.

How should I submit recommendation letters?

Please ask the letter writer to email the letter to Ms. Akesha Moore (akeshacw@umich.edu). Please ask your writer to include your name in the subject line (e.g., Recommendation for [First Name] [Last Name]). If you have questions about whether a letter was received, please email Akesha. The recommender should email the letter from a work email address, not a personal one.

What if my letter writer is late?

We may review your application without the letter. However, if no letter is received by March 1, we may decline your application.

What if I have more questions?

Please email the program coordinator Akesha Moore (akeshacw@umich.edu) if you have specific questions.