Boston University Photonics Center Membership Information and Policy

The Boston University Photonics Center’s mission is to pioneer fundamental knowledge and innovative technology in the field of photonics. Its membership includes faculty with primary academic appointments in science, engineering, and medical departments at Boston University, who help fulfill this mission through research and scholarship, educational programs and initiatives, and technology translation in areas of commercial and societal need. The benefits of membership include proposal development support; support with building a portfolio of grants; invitations to center symposium, seminars and other events of interest; promotion of faculty work on the Photonics Center website, newsletters, and social media channels; research and financial administration support for programs, and more.

We also have a Graduate Education Committee, comprised of faculty and staff, that works directly with the Center’s Student Leadership Committee (members of SPIE/Optica) to plan events and programming to support our students’ professional development and training; enhance recruitment efforts of our cognate departments to attract competitive and diverse doctoral students interested in photonics and optics; and apply for training grants. Our major shared instrumentation labs have state of the art equipment and are run by dedicated Lab Managers:  Optoelectronic Processing Facility; Precision Measurement Laboratory; FIB/TEM Facility; and MSE Core Facilities. Training and supervision is provided and use of the equipment is free of charge for Boston University faculty and their research groups. 

For Initial Appointment as a Photonics Center Faculty Member, the applicant must have a full-time faculty appointment at Boston University. The applicant will apply by completing  the online membership request form, and will make a commitment to adhere to the obligations of membership noted below. The faculty member’s Department Chair must approve the appointment. The faculty member will seek this approval from the Chair and confirm in the membership request form. The faculty member must submit a current curriculum vitae and, if they have been on the faculty for more than a year, a copy of their most recent Boston University Faculty Annual Report.

The Center’s Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) will consider and vote on initial faculty membership. The AAC will look for evidence of significant academic and research activity in photonics, or in research activities closely linked to active Photonics Center programs, as described by the faculty member on the request form. The AAC vote will be advisory to the Center Director, who will make final decisions with regard to membership.

For Renewed Appointment, a Photonics Center Faculty Member will submit a renewal application every third year, which is solicited by the Photonics Center. Renewal applicants will complete the online membership reappointment form, and make a commitment to continue to adhere to the obligations of membership noted below. The applicant must submit a current curriculum vitae or recent NIH or NSF biosketch.

The following are obligations of membership which will be taken into consideration by the AAC and Center Director for continuing faculty membership. The AAC will consider and vote on new appointments and renewals, which will be advisory to the Center Director, who will make final decisions with regard to membership.

1. Significant academic and research activity in photonics, or in research activities closely linked to active Photonics Center programs.
2. A history of participation in activities associated with Photonics Center, including service on committees, attendance at Photonics Center-sponsored forums, meetings and symposia, and shared responsibility for attainment, implementation, use, and continued improvement of Photonics Center core resources.
3. Submission of photonics-related grants in affiliation with the Photonics Center, and acknowledgement of Photonics Center membership in all photonics-related publications and presentations.
4. Demonstrated commitment to collaborative academic and educational activities with other Photonics Center members and their students.