• A major benefit of affiliate membership is opportunity to recruit Wireless @ Virginia Tech's highly trained students. Wireless @ Virginia Tech will provide specific assistance with student recruiting including posting of notices of recruiting events, circulation of e-mail recruiting announcements, the use of group facilities for in-lab recruiting events, personal introductions (facilitated by Wireless @ Virginia Tech faculty) to students of interest, and faculty attendance at recruiting functions. Wireless @ Virginia Tech can also help identify appropriate internship and co-op students and will provide all affiliates with a resume book of current students.

• To more strongly foster interaction, a designated faculty and graduate student point of contact will be provided to all Silver Members. This faculty member will be the first point of contact for the affiliate. An annual visit by the designated faculty or student point of contact will be made to the member's facilities to summarize specific research activity in the member's area of interest. These visits will also provide opportunities for technical exchange in common areas of interest.

• Each Silver Member affiliate will receive two paid registrations to the Wireless Summer School and Symposium held each June. The Summer School provides numerous short courses on hot research areas, providing wireless professionals an opportunity to quickly come up to speed on the latest technology trends.

• Affiliates will have representation on the Wireless @ Virginia Tech Advisory Board. This board provides input into the direction of the organization and will meet annually in conjunction with the Wireless Summer School and Symposium. At this event affiliates will also receive a copy of the Annual Report on Research for the Wireless @ Virginia Tech program.

• Wireless @ Virginia Tech will provide access to a password protected portion of the web site which contains group research reports, as well as a database of group publications. Videos of seminars and tutorials on timely research topics created by Wireless @ Virginia Tech students and faculty will be made available to the affiliated companies.

• Silver affiliates have the opportunity to participate in the Wireless Industry Fellow Program, which is described below.

• Upon a company's request, faculty or students of Wireless @ Virginia Tech can provide informal advice or more substantial technical consultation at nominal cost or can recommend suitable experts.

• Affiliate companies will be given preference in teaming arrangements.

• Free educational versions of software tools developed by Wireless @ Virginia Tech faculty will be provided upon request.

• A monthly newsletter and detailed quarterly reports on all center research and access to recorded Wireless @ Virginia Tech seminars.

 

Wireless Industry Fellow Program

This program is offered as an additional, optional feature with the Silver Membership and is a standard part of the Gold Membership. This program offers an opportunity to support a fellowship designated for a specific faculty member to award to a selected graduate student. The selected graduate fellow is expected to develop a close relationship with the member company sponsoring the fellowship. The student and the company are encouraged to consider summer internship or exchange arrangements and to collaborate on research/thesis directions. The company may also provide a researcher to serve on the student's thesis committee.

 

Gold Membership (in planning stages)

• All the benefits above +
• IP rights (details TBD)
• Video library of research/tutorial seminars
• Complimentary 1/2 day short course
• Double coverage from faculty and student champion
• Visiting researcher opportunities

Fees

Cost of the silver membership is $35,000 per year, with a non-binding request to support the program for three years.  The student fellowship program is $30,000 per year, per student.  The cost of the gold membership will be determined when the planning stage is completed.  All affiliate members will be given the opportunity to upgrade to the gold membership once the program is finalized.  Checks should be made to Treasurer, Virginia Tech, and mailed to Wireless @ Virginia Tech, ATTN: Jenny Frank, 432 Durham Hall, MC 0350, Blacksburg, VA, 24061. 

For more information about the partnership program, please contact Dr. Jeffrey Reed, reedjh@vt.edu, or Dr. Tamal Bose, tbose@vt.edu.