Each SPIE Student Chapter must submit an Annual Report through this portal by 1 October 2025 in order to maintain good standing status and be eligible for benefits. Student Chapters may also use this opportunity to request SPIE funding for 2026 activities. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Annual Report - Required

This is your chance to share your 2025 Student Chapter activities with SPIE. Each Student Chapter should develop their Annual Report as a team, but only one Report should be submitted.

Receipts are required for all expenditures made using SPIE Activity Grant funding.

Student Chapter Activity Grant - Optional

Every year, each Student Chapter in good standing is eligible to apply for up to $1,500 USD in funding to conduct Chapter activities and invite visiting speakers via the Student Chapter Annual Report and Activity Grant Application, which is due on 1 October. 

Chapters must demonstrate a need for the amount requested in the application and be considered in good standing at the time of application to qualify for funding.

The awarded funding amounts will be decided based on the quality of the annual report, quality of the funding request, and the impact of the proposed activities in promoting the optics and photonics field and outreach. SPIE reserves the right to award partial grants based on evaluation of application. Approved grant applications will be paid out in early 2026.

Student Chapter Activity Grant applications are only accepted one time per year. Event funding requests outside of this application are generally not awarded, unless it is for a special, multi-Chapter collaboration. In these cases SPIE requires a formal proposal. Email students@spie.org for more information.

The requested amount for the Student Chapter Activity Grant may not exceed $1,500 USD total, and are broken down into the following categories:

• Student Chapter Management and Technical Education (up to $250) - Financial support for routine activities such as weekly seminars or hosting a Student Chapter Member recruitment event.
  
  
• Professional Development and Industry Connection (up to $500) - This funding is intended to be used for professional development activities such as hosting a workshop on effective resume writing and/or interviewing skills, hosting an industrial visits day or touring a local company.
  
  
• Visiting Speaker (up to $500) - This funding is intended to support virtual and/or in-person visiting speakers for your Student Chapter. It is to be used to support travel and/or honorarium for speaker(s) who can assist your Student Chapter members in their optics and photonics education and careers. It is not necessary to know the name(s) of the speaker(s) you wish to invite at the time of application. However, please be as detailed as possible in your request and plan to include details about any speaker(s) supported through this funding in your next Annual Report. Student speakers are not eligible for this support.
  
  
• Outreach (up to $250) - This funding is intended to assist your efforts in demonstrating the value of and careers in optics and photonics fields to primary, secondary or high school, and undergraduate students. For example, it could be used to purchase materials for classroom demonstrations and for minimal refreshments for an open lab day.