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Home / Membership / Student Services / Student Chapter Benefits

OSA Student Chapter Benefits

OSA Student Chapter participation is a great way to build technical and leadership skills while networking with peers and the greater OSA community. OSA and the OSA Foundation provide each chapter with a wide range of benefits and opportunities for professional development.

  • Start-Up Fund - Each new Student Chapter receives $500 USD in start-up funding.
    Click here for instructions and information on requesting your Start-Up Funds and other funding for your chapter.

  • Activity Grants - All chapters in good standing have the opportunity to apply for an Activity Grant of up to $1,500 USD/year to help support chapter activities and events. No more than $750 USD will be awarded for any one grant program/activity. Grant applications are due by October 31st for programs taking place between January and June; and by April 15th for programs taking place between July and December. Please visit the Activity & Education Outreach Grants page for complete details.

  • Youth Science Education Outreach Grants - The OSA Foundation provides Education Outreach Grants to support the grassroots education efforts of OSA chapters. Grant applications are due by October 31st for programs taking place between January and June; and by April 15th for programs taking place between July and December. Please visit the Activity & Education Outreach Grants page for complete details.

  • Free Outreach Materials – The OSA Foundation and the Rochester Local Section of OSA are pleased to provide OSA Student Chapters with a free Optics Suitcase to help with education outreach programs! The Optics Suitcase is an innovative, interactive presentation package designed to introduce middle school students to many of the concepts of optics as well as other sciences. The Suitcase includes instructions and materials needed for several experiments and demonstrations. Click here for the application. You can also view a video of Dr. Steven Jacobs using the Suitcase on the OSA Member pod blog.

  • Leadership Conference - A representative from each chapter receives a travel grant to attend the annual Student Chapter Leadership Conference that is held in concert with OSA’s Annual Meeting, “Frontiers in Optics.” The Leadership Meeting and Frontiers in Optics activities include technical and professional development sessions along with many opportunities for networking.

  • Traveling Lecturer Program - Student chapters are eligible to request a visit from a traveling speaker annually.

  • Excellence Award - The Excellence Awards program was established to recognize the outstanding achievements of OSA’s Student Chapters and Local Sections for advocacy and outreach efforts in their local communities as well as academic and professional development programming for members. Presented annually at Frontiers in Optics (FiO), two Student Chapters and two Local Sections receive an Excellence Award certificate and a $1000 USD award.

  • E-Newsletter - Each chapter member receives Focal Point — a quarterly electronic newsletter written for and by OSA Local Section and Student Chapter members from around the world.

  • OSA Collaborative Grants - OSA supports Student Chapters that organize collaborative activities between themselves and another funding body (such as a government agency or another professional society). Ten grants of $250 each are available for these events each year. Chapters must request the additional funding by emailing their event plans to chaptersandsections@osa.org.