BLOCK-GIFT PROGRAM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

JULY 1st – FIRST DAY OF THE BLOCK-GIFT CYCLE 

Initial Funding of one-half of the total Block-Gift 

All documentation must be signed and returned prior to this initial disbursement (funding).

FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER

Invitation letters are sent informing institutions of the opportunity to submit a White Paper Proposal/Application for the next Block-Gift cycle.

FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY

Second funding of the cycle, disbursing the second half of the Block-Gift

FEBRUARY 15th

This is the APPLICATION date and RENEWAL APPLICATION date.  Any institution seeking initial or follow-on funding for the next cycle must apply using the appropriate application form found at the Foundation’s website.   The applications change annually. Please make certain you have the one with current Due Dates.  This will act as a second update on the research topic for renewal requests. Coherent / II-VI Foundation is focused on educating the next generation of engineers, scientists and mathematicians. Generally, we do not allocate resources to post-doc efforts but when we do their compensation falls within the “professor’s salary” section of the budget as they are no longer students.  All Block-Gift programs must have students and student education as its’ primary focus.  BUDGET EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE LOOKED UPON FAVORABLY AND WILL ONLY BE GRANTED IN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES. Please keep this in mind when developing your budget proposal.

MARCH – APRIL

Those institutions who applied on February 15th will be informed of the Selection Committee’s decision.  Assuming a favorable decision, a kick-off meeting will be scheduled prior to the start of the block gift funding, and new documentation must be signed.

Upon notification of funding, institutions must supply the Coherent / II-VI Foundation Office with the following information:

  • Person signing the gift documentation (Memorandum of Understanding) and their title
  • Email address where the Memorandum of Understanding should be sent for an eSignature
  • Payment payee
  • Direct deposit information where payment should be made

APRIL – MAY

Upon request, the Memorandum of Understanding should be eSigned by the appropriate person.

JUNE 30th – LAST DAY OF THE BLOCK-GIFT CYCLE

JULY 15th

A year end Progress Report is due.  At the Coherent / II-VI Foundation, we believe that communication skills – both verbal and written – are an important part of the student development process and a key professional skill.  We require the students, with their advisors’ counsel, to prepare the required Block-Gift program progress report to practice these skills. ONE report should be filed for each Block-Gift program. Students should collaborate to produce ONE report.

This brief, EIGHT-PAGE MAXIMUM, student composed technical report should describe progress to date and include: 

  • Short and Concise Summary
    • Begin the report by reviewing the project goal, citing important results that were accomplished in the project period to date, and outlining future activity for the next period with a simplified schedule.
  • Results
    • A description of key results supported by illustrations and a discussion of the significance of the experimental or theoretical findings.
  • Conclusions
    • A description of conclusions drawn from the research results and the importance thereof.
  • Future or Planned Work
    • Identify the technical challenges to be addressed going forward.
  • Current education/degree status of all students working on this project
  • Patents, Presentations, Degrees Granted, Conferences Attended, Publications,
    • List any patents received or applied for, presentations made about the research results, degrees granted to students involved in the research, conferences attended and articles published about the research. Please include copies of articles whenever possible.

AUGUST 31st

The Budget Reconciliation is due.  Use the Coherent / II-VI Foundation Budget Proposal and Reconciliation Form that you submitted with your initial proposal.  Complete the orange sections.  This would compare the initial proposal budget against how the funds were actually spent.  It is required prior to the second disbursement for the next Block-Gift cycle.

SEPTEMBER 1st

FOR NEW BLOCK-GIFT TOPICS you must submit a two-page Research Concept Summary by this date.

We encourage electronic submissions.  Please submit all proposals, reports and reconciliations to:

Coherent / II-VI Foundation, Attn: Block Gift Program, admin@co26fdn.org

Questions or concerns?  Call 973-752-3847.