UW Opportunities
Call for Applications
AY25-26 UPWARDS-UW Graduate Fellowship in Memory Technology Research
Background: The University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors (UPWARDS) for the Future program is dedicated to addressing the global semiconductor workforce shortage through an international collaboration between six U.S. universities, five Japanese universities, Micron Technology, and Tokyo Electron (TEL). Supported jointly by NSF, Micron, and TEL, UPWARDS aims to create a US-Japan network to foster awareness and opportunities for the next generation of talents and workforce in the global semiconductor ecosystem, with a particular focus on increasing and including the participation of women.
Memory-centric Research: Memory technology is foundational to all computing architectures and lies at the heart of Micron’s expertise. Through UPWARDS, Micron and TEL are committed to providing students and researchers with unique opportunities to gain hands-on experience in research labs and facility, focusing on memory product development and production. Interested research areas include materials and chemical characterization for next-generation memory products, energy-efficient memory solutions, high-performance logic, tool design, and memory-centric computing models.
UPWARDS Graduate Fellowship: AY25-26 is the second year of the UPWARDS-UW graduate fellowship program, which is expanded to up to six graduate fellows in the College of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences. Each fellowship includes a graduate research assistantship stipend plus benefits and tuition for 9 months of the 2025-2026 academic year. Each fellowship is renewable for up to one additional year based on satisfactory performance and review by a committee. AY24-25 fellows are eligible to apply for renewal.
Selection Criteria:
- Research Relevance: Applicants must conduct research in areas relevant to memory technology as outlined above.
- Promotion of Workforce Expansion: Applicants strongly commit to improving the welcoming environment of the semiconductor workforce by initiating and engaging in recruitment programs.
- Collaboration with UPWARDS Network Schools: Proposed research activities should demonstrate potential for collaboration with other academic partners within the UPWARDS network.
- Travel Commitment: Fellows are expected to travel to Japan at least once to participate in or lead UPWARDS student exchange programs.
Application Requirements:
The following application materials are required to be submitted to upwards@uw.edu with “UPWARDS Graduate Fellowship Application” in the subject line:
- CV/Resume
- Research statement addressing the selection criteria. If renewal, statement of past year’s achievement (2-page limit, font size 11 or larger)
- One recommendation letter from the applicant’s research or academic advisor
Application Deadline: July 15th, 2025. Review will begin immediately, with fellowship awards announced in August for the 2025-2026 academic year.
The University of Washington UPWARDS Summer Intensive
Program is a week-long internship that provides students with hands-on experience in semiconductor research at the Washington Nanofabrication Facility, knowledge of the current landscape of semiconductor research and industry and an opportunity to explore the Pacific Northwest.
The semiconductor industry requires a highly skilled and diverse workforce that can strengthen technology leadership and innovation across ecosystems in the U.S. and Japan. To address this need, the National Science Foundation, Micron and Tokyo Electron (TEL) sponsor the University of Washington, five other U.S. universities and six Japanese universities to build a cross-Pacific network called UPWARDS for the Future. UPWARDS aims to develop semiconductor talent, foster cross-collaboration and expand cutting-edge research.
The summer intensive program allows participants to build real semiconductor devices in a state-of-the-art cleanroom, preparing them for high-demand jobs in computer engineering, biotechnology, aerospace, physics, and chemistry. Students will attend a full-day orientation focused on the internship and safety protocols at the WNF. Each morning, they will conduct research at the WNF, and in the afternoons, they will hear from guest speakers in the semiconductor field and explore Seattle and the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The University of Washington will provide housing on or near campus from Saturday to Saturday.
The program is open to students currently enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at UPWARDS member universities. Completion of safety training is required before the internship.
Program dates: August 15-23, 2025
Application and nomination deadline: April 30, 2025
Program fee: $2,500
Lodging: On UW Campus
US Domestic Opportunities
Graduate Student Workshop, April 14-17
Boise State and the UPWARDS Network are excited to welcome graduate students from each of the 11 UPWARDS universities. The students’ schedules will be full of networking, research, experiential learning and opportunities to showcase their work. The workshop schedule includes campus and industry tours, meals and demos.
More information about lodging and logistics and a map of the campus are available on the Boise State Upwards site.
Contact:
Dan Lamborn, Boise State University:
daniellamborn@boisestate.edu
+1 (503)913-9506
UPWARDS @RIT – Immersive Learning Program in Rochester, NY
The UPWARDS Program provides students and faculty with a wide array of experience and exposure centered centered around hands-on-training sessions, technical demons demonstrations, tours of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s cutting-edge facilities and labs, time in clean rooms, seminars, globally recognized company visits and more.
The Immersive Learning Program in Rochester, NY semiconductor development is currently one of the fastest growing industries. Gain firsthand experience and insight in this highly sought after field at the cutting-edge facilities and labs at the Rochester Institute of Technology located in Rochester, New York.
Program Details
Tentative Dates: August 6-16, 2025
Location: Rochester, New York
Program Fee Per Participant: $3,500 USD
Limit # of Student Participants: 20 in total
To Apply: Your home university will nominate exchange students to RIT by Feb. 28th to Alyssa (anbgbl@rit.edu). Each university can select up to 4 student participants, together with 5 additional waitlisted students to Alyssa. Questions could be directed to Alyssa as well.
Program fees include:
Tuition for the eleven-day Certificate Program
Stay Accommodations (Tentative: August 6-16)
Program Orientation
Group Meals and Personal TigerBucks Dining Cards
Professional Visits and Cultural Excursions
Transportation for Program Activities
Transportation to and from the ROC airport
Please note: Students should plan on additional costs for daily meals and personal, miscellaneous spending. Program does not include cost of airfare,health or travel insurance or visitor visa costs.
Contact information:
Kate Gleason
Jing Zhang, Ph.D. Associate Professor
College of Engineering
jzeme@rit.edu
Alyssa Brault,
Program Administrator International
Education and Global Programs
anbgbl@rit.edu
Japanese Opportunities
Where: Hiroshima University
When: July 22 – August 2, 2026
Open to one to three students from each partner. Approximately $3,500 (subject to change)
Program Competencies:
- Foundational knowledge in semiconductor industry & business
- Global & intercultural competencies (teamwork, communication, leadership)
- Hands-on industrial experience in semiconductor operations
Main Schedule:
Week 1: Orientation, campus tour, networking with TEL, Micron factory tour
Week 2: CMOS training, peace learning, Saijo City (Ehime) visit, Shimanami Kaido island-hopping tour
Final day: Student presentation & farewell ceremony
Contact Info:
Academic: Dr. Linh Cao – Research Institute for Semiconductor Engineering (RISE), Hiroshima University.
Email: linhthuyacao@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Administrative: Ms. Watanabe, Mr Miyagaki – Global Strategy Group, Hiroshima University
Email: kokusai-group@office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Where: Kyushu University, Ito Campus
When: July 28 – Aug. 7, 2025
Open to one or two students from each partner. Approximately $3,000.
Requirements: Undergraduate student in department/course of electrical engineering, material science, applied physics, information science, or information technology who is interested in
Semiconductor technology or business. Graduate student in STEM field who is interested in the theme related with Semiconductors. Ph.D. students matching the proposed research topic related with Semiconductors.
Application: The Application document should be submitted to Kyushu University through the applicant’s university. The document format will be shared among UPWARDS partners by email and posted on our site.
Deadline: March 31, 2025 (tenative)
Curriculum Overview:
1.) Introduction of semiconductor
2.) Applied course of semiconductors – Business/Sustainable/Social implementation
3.) Short term study in laboratories — it is a main part of this program. The research topic will be announced at recruitment.
4.) Company tours in Kyushu area
Contact Info:
okazaki@ ed.kyushu-u.ac.jp
hiromi.yuasa@ed.kyushu-u.ac.jp
niihara.suguru.999@m.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Where: Nagoya University in Nayoga
When: July 27 – August 7, 2026
Open to one to three students per university (up to 18 students)
Approximately $3,200 per student (subject to change). Students currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program at an UPWARDS member university do not need a visa to enter Japan.
Application method:
Documents to be submitted through the partner university
1.) Document that includes Name, Gender, Class (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior,
Senior, Master, PhD), Department of affiliation, Major, expected year of graduation, E-mail, and residential address.
2.) CV
3.) Motivation and interest in participating in Nagoya University’s summer program (approximately 100 words to 200 words)
4.) Photocopy of passport page, which shows the participant’s name, date of birth,and nationality
5.) Headshot photo in JPG format with adequate pixel size for 3cm-width x 4cm-height
6.) Declaration of Applicable Specific Categories
Application deadline and submission of materials is tentatively the end of February. Email upwards@t.mail.nagoya-u.ac.jp with questions.
Curriculum overview:
Nagoya University will offer a two-week summer intensive program in Nagoya, Japan,
focusing on cutting-edge semiconductor device and process technologies.
Highlights include:
Visits to semiconductor-related companies and laboratories in the UPWARDS and/or Chubu industrial cluster district. Participants will have the chance to:
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- The opportunity is to conduct experiments in multiple laboratories and participate in
tours of CIRFE Transformative Electronics Facilities, the Center for Low-
temperature Plasma Sciences, and several Clean Rooms.
- The opportunity is to conduct experiments in multiple laboratories and participate in
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- Introductory lectures on semiconductors and presentations by faculty and students
about their research.
- Introductory lectures on semiconductors and presentations by faculty and students
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- Visits to semiconductor-related companies and laboratories in the UPWARDS and/or Chubu industrial cluster district.
Participants will have the chance to:
- Visits to semiconductor-related companies and laboratories in the UPWARDS and/or Chubu industrial cluster district.
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- Work with undergraduate and graduate students, including NU student tutors, on research related to semiconductor material/process/device technologies.
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- Receive a thorough debrief on the experimental experience conducted in research labs.
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- Join a campus and semiconductor industrial factory tour and immerse yourself in Japanese culture.
Nagoya University will provide accommodation from the night of July 27 to the
morning of August 7, 2026. Email: upwards@t.mail.nagoya-u.ac.jp with questions.
Tokyo Electron Summer Camp for Women
Location: Tokyo Electron Miyagi Ltd. (tentative)
Dates: August 7 – August 9 (tentative)
1-3 participants per participating university, up to 33 people total.
Fee: Approximately 50,000 Japanese Yen per person (subject to change)
Includes: accommodation, meals, traveling expenses while staying in Miyagi participation fees for activities, etc. Air fare or train fees are not included.
Requirements:
Students currently enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at an UPWARDS
member university and faculty. Students who do not require a visa to enter Japan (TEL does not provide Visa support for this program).
*If there is a wish for high school students related to each university to participate in
this program, please contact the TEL UPWARDS office.
*Please let us know if any female faculty members wish to attend. We will confirm if we can adjust the number of slots after the final number of student participants from all universities has been determined.
**Applications due end of May.
Curriculum overview:
This is a program for female students at universities participating in UPWARDS. Staying at our beautiful “Tokyo Electron Miyagi club” in Miyagi, students can learn about everything from semiconductors to Tokyo Electron while enjoying some fun activities!
(Tentative program)
1. A session about Semiconductors
2. Engineer roundtable discussion
3. Tokyo Electron Miyagi factory tour
4. Team building activities (Curling!)
5. Make new friends
Accommodations provided by TEL. Contact info: Mihoko White