Here you will find all the information you need about event funding opportunities! If you have any questions, please reach out to us at ypfunding@ieee.org.
Funding Eligibility Criteria
Funding will not be provided for traveling purposes, i.e travel expenses, accommodation, Visa application, etc.
Any IEEE organization unit can submit a funding request provided that the event is of interest to Young Professionals, or has Young Professionals as the target audience.
One representative of the IEEE unit organizing the event submits a funding request at least 4 weeks before the event is scheduled to take place. Funding requests submitted less than 4 weeks prior to the event will not be reviewed or granted funding.
The maximum amount of funding provided for each funding type will only be granted if appropriately justified by final expense reports, number of attendees, quality of follow-up materials, and overall impact of the event.
The impact of the event will be determined by the number of attendees, the presence of any significant participants/speakers, partnerships or collaborations with other IEEE organizational units or Industry, and reach on social media (posts, amount of views and number of unique engagements). All information concerning these points must be included in the follow-up event report.
Please be aware that funding is issued only after the event takes place and the required follow-up materials are received by the Funding Team. The transfer takes around 14 days. Initial approval does not necessarily mean that you will get the funds requested.
Approved amount of funds may be lower/different from the requested amount due to content of application or follow-up materials.
The funding committee reserves the right to request documentation to prove the costs of events before approving for funding. A request for the event’s costs check may also be done at random into any Event Application.
Any IEEE organizational unit is entitled to each type of funding once per year; they can receive funding for one STEP event, one meet-up, and one local activity per year.
In order to benefit from YP funding, the group applying for funding must use the correct IEEE Young Professionals branding. Checks will be conducted on each group applying and their online presence to ensure they do use the correct YP logo, correct terminology, and abide by other branding rules as described in the branding document. Please find YP Branding guidelines here: https://yp.ieee.org/volunteers/templates/
Meet-up Funding
Meet-ups are meant to engage members and volunteers living in the same geographical location, and enhance their professional networks. Such events can take the form of technical talks, panels, Q&A, followed by networking sessions. If you have identified a large scale event where you can organize a meet-up but are not sure what activities to include, contact us at ypfunding@ieee.org.
Requirements:
- The main focus is providing networking opportunities, where members can expand their professional networks.
- Meet-ups should take place in conjunction with large scale events. Conferences or technical congresses, Regional events or cross-Section congresses are all suitable candidates. At such events, you can reach a larger audience and create additional benefits to Young Professionals through attending such events.
- Meet-ups are meant to be large events. The maximum amount of funding will only be granted to events with over 90 attendees.
Maximum amount: $1,500
Local Activity Funding
This type of funding provides financial support for Young Professional volunteers to implement new initiatives, programs and activities at the local level, which are meant to engage the local Young Professionals community. The events or programs can be either technical or non-technical in nature, and can take any form.
Guidelines and suggestions:
- Any kind of event, activity or initiative can benefit from local activity funding.
- We encourage you to collaborate with other IEEE organizational units, Industry, or local actors (businesses, schools, universities, etc.). This will benefit you as event organizers by creating new partnerships and expanding your network. You will also be benefiting young individuals attending your event by helping them engage with a larger network. This is, however, not a requirement for an event.
Maximum amount: $750
Student Transition and Elevation (STEP) Funding
This program was specifically designed to bring together students (mainly Graduate Student Members) and Young Professionals. It aims to introduce members, who will soon graduate, to what Young Professionals do, and how they can get involved. In order to boost your event’s popularity, think in terms of what can help soon-to-graduate students transition more easily to a professional career.
Requirements:
- STEP events have to be organized in collaboration with one or more local Student Branches.
- A minimum of 10 Student or Graduate Student Members should attend your STEP event. Enter their full names, emails and IEEE membership number in the attendance report and mark them clearly. Their membership has to be validated by IEEE staff when your event follow-up materials are reviewed, therefore we have to be able to identify these student members.
- Events can take any form. Some examples include lectures, interactive workshops, or networking sessions.
Maximum amount: $500
Required Follow-up Materials to be Submitted After the Event
If your event funding has been approved, you will need to log in again on the funding portal, in order to submit the necessary follow-up documents. These materials should be submitted within 4 weeks after the event takes place. The required follow-up materials include:
- Detailed report of the event (Microsoft Word or PDF format). This report should include:
- Description of the event and its outcomes
- Number of attendees (divided according to IEEE and non-IEEE members)
- Impact of the event (presence of any significant participants/speakers, partnerships or collaborations with other IEEE organizational units or Industry, and reach on social media – including posts, amount of views and number of unique engagements)
- Final budget. Please include both the tentative budget and the actual spending, either on separate spreadsheets, or side by side, for comparison purposes.
- Attendance report (Microsoft Excel format). The report must includes full name of participants (first name, last name), email, If they are an IEEE member or not, and IEEE membership number.
- Photos or videos from the event
- Copies of all advertising materials used (flyers, posters, email invitations etc.)
- Link to the vTools event report for this event
Groups that fail to submit the required follow-up materials within 6 weeks after the event took place will not receive any event funding. Should a group fail to submit follow-up materials for several events, they may be temporarily banned from benefiting from YP event funding.
Online Submission Procedure Details
- Select the type of funding you want to apply for.
- Login to the Funding Platform using your IEEE credentials. Check your membership profile on the IEEE homepage if you are unsure what your credentials are.
- The new platform will provide you with an overview of your applications and allow you to submit new requests, provided there are no “In Progress” applications.
- Please fill in all required fields in the submission form and provide a descriptive title for your event. Make sure the information you enter is as accurate as possible!
- Once you have entered all the necessary information, click “Save and Finalize” to finish and submit your funding request. Once you reach this step, a confirmation notification will be displayed and you will be able to find your application under the “Complete” tab on the left-hand side of the page.
- The IEEE Young Professionals team will contact you within 14 working days to inform you about the final decision and further instructions.
- Please be aware that the platform is run by volunteers, which may cause delays in responses/reviews on this platform.
Feedback
Do you have any comments, feedback, questions or ideas regarding the IEEE Young Professionals Funding Portal? We would be happy to hear from you! Reach out to us at ypfunding@ieee.org.