FeMET Design Grant Program Announces Call for Proposals

AISI and the Association for Iron & Steel Technology Foundation (AIST Foundation) has announced its call for proposals for the 2007 academic year's Design Grant Program. The Design Grant Program challenges North American university teams (students and professors) to submit proposals for grant funding in the theme area selected by the steel industry. The theme for 2007 is "Application of state-of-the-world modeling techniques to steel processes."

"We are excited for the 2007 Design Grant Program," Andrew G. Sharkey III, AISI president and CEO, said. "This program is allowing the North American steel industry to cultivate the next generation of metallurgists."

FeMET is focused on getting more students to choose metallurgy or materials science as their field of study and on recruiting more of such graduates into the steel industry. It is also aimed at increasing the number of professors who knowledgeable in steel in North American universities.

The submitted proposals should indicate how each team of professors and undergraduate students will approach the problem, including budget and schedule requirements. The maximum allowable time for the project is one year, beginning in the fall of 2007. The number of awards granted depends on the funds availability; the maximum grant per award will be $50,000. Instructions for applying can be found on the AISI and AIST Foundation Web sites, www.steel.org and www.aist.org. For more information, contact BV Lakshminarayana.

Scholarship Update:

In December, AISI and the AIST Foundation announced that applications for the third year of FeMET Scholarships are being accepted through March 2, 2007. Each scholarship includes $5,000 for the scholar's junior year, a paid summer internship with a North American steel company between his/her junior and senior year, and an additional $5,000 toward his/her senior year tuition.

"2005 and 2006 have proven to be a great success for FeMET, as we awarded 20 scholarships to deserving students across North America," Andrew G. Sharkey said. "The first class of 10 scholars has already completed successful summer internships in steel plants across North America. These students graduate in a few months and are ready to pursue employment in the steel industry."