91³Ô¹ÏÍø

To establish the GRO-MECS endowment, a minimum of $100k is required. Our initial goal is to raise a total of $5M which can sustain the program and provide up to 20 summer and/or academic awards per year. Current use funds are also needed while the endowment is growing. Opportunities to name awards (e.g., Pat Ferro Memorial Research Fund and the Seubert awards) are available for recurring gifts.

A gift total of $25k provides full funding for a 91³Ô¹ÏÍø faculty member and two 91³Ô¹ÏÍø students for the GRO-MECS 10-week summer program which includes:

• Faculty and student stipends at $670/week + fringe benefits (based on 2025 minimum wage of $16.66/h).
• Supply budget (up to $1,000 per student)
• Pizza budget for weekly seminars ($300 per summer)
• Travel awards (up to $500 per student)

GRO-MECS will also support academic year research assistantships. A gift of $8.5k will fund two students and a faculty mentor for one academic year. This includes:

• Student stipends for up to 75 h/semester (up to $1270 ea.)
• Supply budget (up to $250/semester per student)
• Faculty 1.5 credit course reassignment per year when mentoring 2 students ($2400 for adjunct lab coverage)