Photo caption: President Ann Cudd (right) joined with (from left) University of Oregon President Karl Scholz, Oregon State University President Jayathi Murthy, and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, to advocate for semiconductor workforce funding. Photo courtesy of OSU.
I started this week meeting with representatives of the National Science Foundation, alongside leaders from across Oregon to advocate for the Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology (FAST) NSF Engines grant. If we are successful, Oregon, led by our colleagues at Oregon State University, would benefit from a $160 million federal investment over the next decade.
While FAST would be based at OSU, it would supercharge an already existing statewide coalition working hard to support and expand our semiconductor industry. Our proposal is the one semiconductor proposal that is included in this final level of competition because Oregon's Silicon Forest is and has been ground zero for innovation in semiconductor technology. PSU has been a leading contributor to the semiconductor workforce at all levels of the industry, which is critical to our national security. This work aligns perfectly with our Future in Focus strategic plan as it will enhance opportunities for our students and faculty while also contributing to the economic and social resurgence of our region.
PSU’s contributions to this project are considerable.
First, we are establishing the PSU Semiconductor Innovation Nanoscience Center (SINC), a semiconductor research and education center, focusing on innovation in nanotechnology, materials science, and quantum computing. The leaders of this center will work closely with FAST to ensure that the goals are aligned with the statewide effort.
PSU would also provide access to our specialized facilities and computing power. For example, we are making our Center for Electron Microscopy & Nanofabrication (CEMN) — which already supports 100 industry partners and over 200 faculty and students — fully available to the FAST coalition. We are also leveraging Orca, our new $1 million NSF-funded supercomputing cluster, to democratize access to high-performance modeling for partners across the region who might otherwise lack these resources.
Finally, PSU is committed to supporting the growth of the semiconductor workforce at all career stages. From the Portland Metro STEM Partnership to our Discover Internships in Semiconductor Careers program (or DISC), we are connecting high school students with university researchers and connecting undergraduate talent directly with the local ecosystem, including Intel, Siemens EDA, and others.
In addition, through collaborative efforts such as our MICRO-TEC partnership with Portland Community College, and our involvement in the Oregon Semiconductor Talent Consortium, we are building seamless, stackable credentials that ensure this semiconductor boom creates high-wage careers for all Oregonians.
I’m proud of the leadership we have demonstrated in this area and grateful for faculty and staff dedication to continuing this work.