OVERVIEW: The Siemens Foundation is the stateside foundation of the gigantic global engineering and electronics conglomerate of the same name. The foundation supports STEM education.
IP TAKE: Siemens supports STEM education and professional development. It also promotes interest in STEM careers. Siemens is currently shifting its grantmaking priorities and is not accepting new proposals for science education; however, applicants should check often for updates. Its fellowships and scholarships are accessible to individuals, but not its grants for organizations, making this funder a tough one to crack.
PROFILE: The Siemens Foundation is the American philanthropic arm of Siemens, the German multinational technology firm created in 1847 by two Berlin-based inventors who made improvements in telegraph technology. It operates in conjunction with the company’s suite of foundations in other countries. The Siemens Foundation seeks to narrow “the opportunity gap for young people in the U.S. in STEM careers” and to inspire and support “today’s STEM workforce and tomorrow’s scientists and engineers.”
Grants for STEM Education and Economic Development
Siemens’s main giving avenue is through its Workforce Development program, which aims to “help close the opportunity gap for young adults in STEM technical careers.” The program overlaps giving for both STEM education and economic development. It aims to help young people who face “significant structural barriers to postsecondary education and training that adequately prepares them for work” through programs that introduce underserved students to the possibility of STEM careers and promote “a positive perception of STEM technical career opportunities.” It prioritizes innovative education and training models that have the potential for expansion and scaling. Its partners in this program include the Aspen Institute, National Governors Association, and Association of Controls Professionals.
Siemens conducts STEM outreach for elementary, middle, and high school students through Siemens STEM Day, which brings hands-on experiments, career days and other activities to schools in Siemens’s giving areas. Siemens also offers a number of scholarships and fellowships for college students pursuing STEM studies. In 2016, Siemens created the Siemens Foundation PATH Fellowship Program. Based in Path’s Seattle, Washington office, the program provides STEM college students “with innovative, hands-on assignments that serve society by accelerating high-impact, low-cost solutions to some of the world’s most pressing health needs. The Siemens Merit Scholarship awards $4,000 scholarships to students who qualify for the National Merit Scholarship and whose parents work for the company.
It prioritizes innovative education and training models that have the potential for expansion and scaling. Its partners in this program include the Aspen Institute, National Governors Association, and Association of Controls Professionals.
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $100,000 to $300,000, while fellowships and scholarships typically range from $3,000 to $9,000. Grantseekers may apply for fellowships once per year through the foundation’s online portal. It does not generally accept unsolicited applications for its other grant programs.
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