OSA Foundation Grant Proposal Application Process

The OSA Foundation (OSAF) welcomes requests from potential grantees whose programs fit within our strategic guidelines. Please read the program guidelines and funding restrictions carefully to determine if your organization and program fit the Foundation’s funding criteria. If you have additional questions or require more information, please contact us at foundationgrants@osa.org.

If you are confident that your project meets our funding criteria, please complete the online application to submit a proposal.

Program Guidelines

Established in 2002, the OSAF is a charitable organization that supports the mission and vision of the Optical Society.

The Foundation focuses its efforts on programs that:

• Advance youth science education providing young children with access to science educators and learning materials through interactive classroom and extracurricular activities. Programs should use optics and photonics as a key or enabling technology. Special emphasis is given to programs that provide resources to underserved communities. Click here to view a list of funded programs.

• Provide optics education and resources to underserved populations by providing students and educators with learning and financial resources. Click here to view a list of funded programs.

• Provide career and professional development resources to help students from around the world build successful and rewarding careers in optics and photonics. Click here to view a list of funded programs.

• Support the OSA’s Awards and Honors program. OSA confers a broad range of awards and honors recognizing achievement in optics and photonics.

Operations
The Foundation’s fiscal year runs from January 1 to December 31. The Board of Directors meets three times a year, in the Winter, Spring, and Fall.

Review Process
Requests meeting the Foundation’s scope and guidelines are vetted by OSA’s governing committees and councils. Final funding determinations are made by the OSA Foundation Board of Directors semiannually.

Deadlines
Completed grant proposals must be submitted by March 1st in order to be included in the Spring review session, and by June 1st to be included in the Fall review. Incomplete proposals will not be reviewed. Requestors receive notification of their proposal’s status by mail or email one month following the review of their application.

Reporting Requirement
Quarterly updates and a final report are required for all accepted programs. The final report is due 30 days after the closing of the program. Copies of any promotional or educational materials developed for the program should be included with the final report. Additional information about reporting requirements will be provided to grant recipients.

Funding Restrictions

The Foundation does not provide support the following:

1. Construction or maintenance of facilities
2. Capital campaigns or endowments
3. Grants to individuals including funding for school tuition, living expenses for those studying abroad, or travel grants to non-OSA meetings
4. Grants to individuals or universities/colleges for equipment, materials, or other items used for laboratory or academic functions.
5. Religious or political causes (including lobbying)
6. For-profit organizations
7. Hosting scientific or technical meetings; such requests should be directed to OSA’s International Council or the OSA Meeting Services Department. 

Support for science fairs or competitions is limited to those supported by OSA Student Chapters and Local Sections. If you represent a Chapter or Section please apply for the appropriate OSA Foundation Youth Science Education Outreach Grant:

Student Chapter Grants
Local Section Grants

If you do not represent an OSA Student Chapter or Local Section, please contact the one nearest to you (if applicable) for information about the science fairs that they are involved in.

How to Apply

Grant decisions are based on the information provided in the requestor’s application. It is recommended that all proposals are submitted using the Foundation’s online application. Other formats will only be accepted if they include all the information requested on the Foundation’s application.

Please review the program guidelines and funding restrictions carefully to determine if your organization and program fits the Foundation’s funding criteria. We also recommend that your take the Grant Requestor Quiz to help determine if your proposal is eligibility for OSA Foundation funding. If you have additional questions or require more information, please contact us at foundationgrants@osa.org. If you are confident that your project meets our funding criteria, please complete the online application to submit a proposal.

Please note: If you are seeking funding for the establishment of an award or honor please contact the OSA Foundation directly at foundationgrants@osa.org or +1 202.416.1421. Requests for establishing new awards/honors may not be submitted via the online grant application.

When completing the application, you will be asked to address the following:

• Specify the goals of the program and its expected results.
• The need(s) your program will address.
• Describe the program’s audience (number of beneficiaries, demographics, etc.), and the way in which they will benefit.
• Describe the manner in which results will be measured and evaluated.
• If they exist, reference similar programs to the one you are proposing. Also share information on the impact similar programs have made and whether there will be any relationship between existing programs and the one you are proposing.

Submission of Additional Information
Additional materials to supplement your grant proposal can be submitted three ways:

• Email: foundationgrants@osa.org
• Fax: +1 202.416.6130 (Attn: Meredith Schipani, OSA Foundation)
• Mailing Address:
      OSA Foundation,
      2010 Massachusetts Ave, NW
      Washington, DC 20036 USA
      Attn: Meredith Smith

Questions
Please contact us at foundation@osa.org or +1 202.416.1421 if you have any questions.

Access the online application