OSA, ICO Announce Donation Partnership

The OSA Foundation (OSAF) announced recently a new fiscal sponsorship agreement with the International Commission for Optics (ICO) that will allow charitable donations made to OSAF to be earmarked for ICO outreach initiatives.

Under the agreement, donations designated to the OSAF’s “International Programming Fund” will support international education, professional development and recognition programs currently conducted through a grant to the ICO.

Through the fiscal sponsorship agreement, the OSAF will support the following programs:

    • Travel grants for students and scientists from underdeveloped countries to attend technical meetings and conferences including: Optics Within the Life Sciences, Information Photonics, ETOP, ICO Bureau meetings, and Optics and Lasers in Science and Technology for Sustainable Development

    • Traveling lecturer grants to enable senior scientists and engineers to give lectures on topics in optics and photonics

“OSA Foundation and ICO activities share a common vision and purpose — to increase optics education throughout the world,” said G. Michael Morris, OSA Foundation chairman. “This new partnership will provide a worthwhile option to our donors, and we look forward to seeing what will be accomplished as a result of the agreement.”

ICO is an international organization designed to support the progress and diffusion of knowledge in the field of optics.

Founded in 2002, the OSA Foundation supports programs that advance youth science education, provides optics education and resources to underserved populations, and provides career and professional development resources.

For more information, visit: www.osa.org