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The Milton and Rosalind Chang Pivoting Fellowship provides an early-career professional (1-5 years post highest degree) the opportunity to advance science and engineering through non-traditional career paths such as public policy, government, philanthropy, or journalism.
The program is intended to encourage talented optical scientists and engineers to pursue their passion and leverage their expertise and knowledge outside of the traditional career paths for the betterment of the field and society.
The recipient receives USD 50,000 to support their career pivot and travel expenses to attend Frontiers in Optics (FiO). This is a personal prize and is not renewable.
The Fellowship is made possible thanks to the generous support of Milton and Rosalind Chang.
Important Dates
Opens: 27 March 2026
Closes: 15 May 2026
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be an Optica member.
- Must be an early career professional (1-5 years post highest degree*)
- Must be able to demonstrate passion for proposed career pivot, and the intent to leverage expertise to advance science and engineering through non-traditional career paths such as public policy, government, philanthropy, or journalism.
*Program requirements exclude breaks from career timelines (e.g., eldercare; maternity or paternity leave; military service, long-term illness, or inability to work due to Covid-19 or lab closures).
Application Requirements
- Applicant name, affiliation, gender, and contact information
- Applicant CV/Resume (no more than four (4) pages)
- Career Pivot Proposal Title and 150-word Proposal Summary
- Career Pivot Proposal (no more than four (4) pages) covering:
- Outline of your intended career pivot, highlighting your goals and objectives and the strategy you will use to achieve them, what skills will be applied or gained, how you will leverage your science/engineering expertise, and what metrics will define success.
- Potential impact of your pivot on the field of optics and photonics and society as a whole.
- Clear financial, operational, and administrative plans to bring your proposal to fruition and sustain it.
- Budget – using the template provided.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation
Note: Applications should be clear and focused with well-defined goals, metrics, and strategies. The intent of this program is to support a full career pivot, not fund a side project or a research project. Ensure your budget aligns with goals, strategy and intended outcomes.
Evaluation Process
The Selection Committee reviews and discusses all the applications and selects 3 – 4 finalists. The finalists will participate in an interview session with the Selection Committee. Details regarding the interview will be shared via email with finalists.
2026 Milton and Rosalind Chang Pivoting Fellowship
You must log in (top right) to be able to access this application.
The Milton and Rosalind Chang Pivoting Fellowship provides an early-career professional (1-5 years post highest degree) the opportunity to advance science and engineering through non-traditional career paths such as public policy, government, philanthropy, or journalism.
The program is intended to encourage talented optical scientists and engineers to pursue their passion and leverage their expertise and knowledge outside of the traditional career paths for the betterment of the field and society.
The recipient receives USD 50,000 to support their career pivot and travel expenses to attend Frontiers in Optics (FiO). This is a personal prize and is not renewable.
The Fellowship is made possible thanks to the generous support of Milton and Rosalind Chang.
Important Dates
Opens: 27 March 2026
Closes: 15 May 2026
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be an Optica member.
- Must be an early career professional (1-5 years post highest degree*)
- Must be able to demonstrate passion for proposed career pivot, and the intent to leverage expertise to advance science and engineering through non-traditional career paths such as public policy, government, philanthropy, or journalism.
*Program requirements exclude breaks from career timelines (e.g., eldercare; maternity or paternity leave; military service, long-term illness, or inability to work due to Covid-19 or lab closures).
Application Requirements
- Applicant name, affiliation, gender, and contact information
- Applicant CV/Resume (no more than four (4) pages)
- Career Pivot Proposal Title and 150-word Proposal Summary
- Career Pivot Proposal (no more than four (4) pages) covering:
- Outline of your intended career pivot, highlighting your goals and objectives and the strategy you will use to achieve them, what skills will be applied or gained, how you will leverage your science/engineering expertise, and what metrics will define success.
- Potential impact of your pivot on the field of optics and photonics and society as a whole.
- Clear financial, operational, and administrative plans to bring your proposal to fruition and sustain it.
- Budget – using the template provided.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation
Note: Applications should be clear and focused with well-defined goals, metrics, and strategies. The intent of this program is to support a full career pivot, not fund a side project or a research project. Ensure your budget aligns with goals, strategy and intended outcomes.
Evaluation Process
The Selection Committee reviews and discusses all the applications and selects 3 – 4 finalists. The finalists will participate in an interview session with the Selection Committee. Details regarding the interview will be shared via email with finalists.