2025 IEEE AP-S Eugene F. Knott Memorial Pre-Doctoral Research Grant Announcement
IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) awards up to six $3,500 pre-doctoral grants each year to encourage students to pursue careers in the area of electromagnetics. The pre-doctoral grant honors the memory of Eugene F. Knott, who was a distinguished researcher and contributor to the Society. The grants are intended to support students involved in research directed by an IEEE AP-S faculty member at their institution.
To be eligible, each applicant:
- must show strong interest in a career in the area of electromagnetics.
- must have the endorsement of a university/college faculty member at the student’s institution who is a member of the IEEE AP-S.
- must intend to work on a research project of at least one year in length that falls within the field of interest of the IEEE AP-S. The project may be started before the grant recipients are announced but must end before the student’s current degree requirements are completed. Applicants who expect to graduate fewer than six months after the application deadline are not eligible.
- must have completed or be enrolled in at least one electromagnetics course at the time of application.
- must be an undergraduate (3-5 year program) or master’s student enrolled in electrical engineering or a related field at an accredited institution of higher learning and during the execution of the research associated with the grant.
Previous recipients of an AP-S Pre-Doctoral Grant are not eligible to apply for a second AP-S Pre-Doctoral Grant but are encouraged to pursue an AP-S Doctoral Research Grant if they are continuing their studies.
An advisor may endorse only one pre-doctoral applicant at a time.
Selection criteria:
- Creativity and quality of the proposed project and the thoroughness with which it is described
- Discussion of the technical interests and skills of the student and how they relate to the proposed project
- Quality of writing in the proposal, including spelling, grammar, word choice, organization, style, clarity of figures, etc.
- Recommendation letter, with particular emphasis on the items listed in the fourth bullet below
Applications must include the four items listed below to be considered for review.
- Student and Advisor Information: Complete contact information and IEEE member information (IEEE number and APS status) for both the student and the faculty advisor and the student’s application information (pre-doctoral or doctoral grant, current degree status, expected graduation date, length of project). Note that pre-doctoral grant applicants do not need to be IEEE members.
- Curriculum Vitae or Resume: The CV/resume should include periods of attendance at all schools, expected and completed graduation dates, and a list of published and submitted journal and conference papers.
- Project Proposal: The project proposal should be no more than two pages long (including figures) with a font size of at least 11 points. The proposal must include at least one paragraph that describes the technical interests and skills of the student and how those interests and skills relate to the project. The list of references may extend to a third page.
- Recommendation Letter: A single recommendation letter from the faculty advisor, who must be an IEEE AP-S member. The letter must discuss the academic preparation and quality of the student, the potential of the student to contribute to the electromagnetics profession in the future, and the student’s ability to perform the proposed research. The advisor must also verify that the student is or has been enrolled in at least one electromagnetics course and will work on the project for at least one year prior to graduation. After the applicant submits their application, the advisor will receive a link by email allowing them to submit their recommendation letter.
Application Deadline:
The submission window is September 1, 2025 to October 1, 2025. All applications must be received by October 1, 2025 (GMT -11). All advisor support letters must be received by October 2, 2025.
Results are expected to be announced around the first or second week of January 2026.
Application Submission:
Applications should be submitted at https://ieeeaps.wizehive.app/
Questions and other correspondence should be directed to:
Any questions may also be addressed to John Young (john.c.young@uky.edu) or Frankie Chiu (eefrankie@ust.hk).
Grant Recipients:
Each grant recipient will be required to submit a photo to be used in an announcement (space permitting) in the IEEE Antennas & Propagation Magazine and to complete a United States Internal Revenue Service Form W‑8 or W‑9. Disbursement of award funds will be contingent on receipt of the photo and the appropriate form. All applicable taxes are the responsibility of the recipient.
