Apple innovation grants worth $5 million each have been given to four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The grants are geared to silicon engineering, including chip design, and students also get access to Apple engineers.
The funding, announced today, is part of Apple’s $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative …
USA Today reports.
Alabama A&M University, Howard University, Morgan State University, and Prairie View A&M University will get the grants.
The three-year grants are part of the iPhone maker’s New Silicon Initiative to help prepare students for careers in hardware technology and silicon chip design. Apple said the grants will support each university’s engineering school as well as help expand emerging hardware technologies coursework and expertise, particularly in computer architecture and silicon engineering.
“The HBCU community is home to incredible Black talent and we are thrilled to work alongside these universities to enhance the opportunities for their students,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social Initiatives in a statement. “We know many jobs of the future will be in innovative areas like silicon engineering and we want to help ensure the leaders of tomorrow have access to transformational learning opportunities.”
“Apple will collaborate closely with our computer engineering faculty to strengthen our course offerings and laboratory capabilities in the areas of integrated circuit design, fabrication, and testing,” said John M. M. Anderson, dean of Howard University’s College of Engineering and Architecture, in a statement. “Additionally, through design projects and internships, our students will have the opportunity to engage with Apple engineers and benefit greatly from their knowledge, experience, and mentorship.”
It comes at a time when the US government is planning a $52 billion investment in US chip production to help address the global shortage.
Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained the reason for the fund.
What this initiative is about is, about opportunity and about giving communities of color opportunity, and we could not be more excited about its potential. Last year with the murder of George Floyd, it brought an urgency to this. And so we are thrilled to be able to sort of do our part here and we hope that more people will follow […]
I remember periods of time where, whether you were in high school or college or beyond, where you look around and there are only white people around in, in, in whether it’s a college or a university or a graduate school or something. It doesn’t feel right. And so, and so you ask, why is this? And I think it’s the absence of opportunity. It goes back to that. And so what we’re trying to do with this program is give people the opportunity.
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Photo: Derek E. Morton (cropped)
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