UCSD - University of California - San Diego

09/25/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/25/2025 07:11

UC San Diego Awarded Nearly $1M NSF Grant to Launch Semiconductor Workforce Training Program

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Behind Every Breakthrough

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September 25, 2025

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Behind Every Breakthrough

Topics covered:

  • Qualcomm Institute
  • Semiconductors
  • Nanoengineering
  • Microelectronics

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UC San Diego has been awarded a three-year, nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch a new training program that will prepare community college students for entry-level careers in semiconductor manufacturing and nanotechnology.

Funded through NSF's Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program from 2026 to 2028, the Experiential Semiconductor Training in Emerging Nano-Technologies (ExSTENT) initiative is set to bring 20-30 students to the university's Qualcomm Institute (QI) for a nine-week skill-building summer intensive.

"The U.S. semiconductor industry is projected to need 115,000 new workers by 2030, with nearly 60% of those roles concentrated in technician and entry-level engineering positions," said Riley Need, a research specialist at QI who will serve as the project's principal investigator. But, without targeted training, Need explained, an estimated 67,000 of those jobs could go unfilled.

That's where ExSTENT comes in. The cohort-based, experiential learning program is designed to prepare students from day one to excel in technician roles, while also highlighting other opportunities in the broader semiconductor industry: biotechnology, solar energy, quantum circuits and more.

"We saw a clear opportunity to address this gap while also inspiring participants by exposing them to the frontiers of nanotechnology," Need added.

ExSTENT is the second semiconductor workforce development program at UC San Diego to be announced as a NSF grant recipient following the awarding of $300,000 to the SEMI University program in September 2025.

Throughout the summer, students will focus on semiconductor fabrication and testing techniques like film deposition and electrical characterization in different contexts spanning biosensors, solar cells and quantum devices. (Photo by Hana Tobias for QI)

A new model for semiconductor education

ExSTENT participants will have direct access to UC San Diego's advanced facilities, including QI's Nano3 Cleanroom and the campus Makerspace. There, students will learn the basics of fabrication and practice lithography, deposition and etching using state-of-the-art tools under expert supervision.

"These facilities bridge the gap between classroom instruction and industry practice," Need pointed out, adding that students will have the chance to learn to fabricate and test real devices.

"That kind of exposure is transformative because it not only builds confidence, but also ensures students leave the program with workforce-ready skills," added Fubo Rao, the technical director at Nano3. He pointed out that during their training at QI, students will be surrounded by engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs. "That exposure can be just as powerful as the technical training itself, because it shows students the breadth of career paths open to them."

Throughout the summer, students will focus on semiconductor fabrication and testing techniques like film deposition and electrical characterization in different contexts spanning biosensors, solar cells and quantum devices.

That way, Need noted, students not only practice the transferable, hard skills needed in many semiconductor jobs but also gain a clearer understanding of what roles semiconductors play in various industries.

"We selected these four sectors because they are tightly linked to semiconductor technologies, have strong job growth trajectories and are connected to employers in our region," Need explained. As part of the initiative, students will work in cross-sector partnerships with local companies in those industries.

"Community college students often don't have opportunities to work in facilities like Nano3," Need added. "By focusing on this group, we can help open doors to well-paying, future-ready careers." (Photo by Hana Tobias for QI)

Broadening participation in STEM

ExSTENT focuses on participants who attend community college; while these students make up a significant portion of the technician workforce pipeline, they may lack access to advanced labs or cleanrooms.

"They often don't have opportunities to work in facilities like Nano3," Need added. "By focusing on this group, we can help open doors to well-paying, future-ready careers."

Still, the initiative's broader goals go beyond workforce reinforcement. By reducing barriers to participation, offering stipends and travel support and creating pathways into high-demand sectors, the program seeks to broaden participation in STEM and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in strategic industries.

In later years, the ExSTENT team plans to bring in community college teachers in hopes of kicking off a multiplier effect that leads to new hands-on semiconductor modules entering classrooms around Southern California.

"Semiconductors underpin everything from healthcare to clean energy and telecommunications," Need said, adding that by cultivating a pipeline of skilled workers, ExSTENT is set to support the country as a leader on the semiconductor stage and help boost social mobility and economic resilience.

ExSTENT is funded through 2028, but the program team also has a strategy for sustaining and scaling the effort beyond its three-year NSF grant. That might look like transferring modules and core curriculum to community colleges who are interested in implementing similar programs, or publishing an open-source toolkit of activities and assessments.

For Need, the most exciting part is seeing the impact on students.

"Watching participants gain confidence as they fabricate their first device, present their first technical poster, or walk into an industry facility is incredibly rewarding," said Need. "These moments can change lives, and they build a community of learners who will carry forward the vision of a more accessible, innovative and competitive technology workforce."

The first ExSTENT cohort is set to begin in summer 2026.

Topics covered:

  • Qualcomm Institute
  • Semiconductors
  • Nanoengineering
  • Microelectronics

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