About NSI
Silicon and hardware technologies are responsible for the key components that bring intelligence to smartphones, computers, tablets, smartwatches, and more. It’s become increasingly difficult to find products that don’t have semiconductor technology in them. Everyday products, from wireless speakers to vacuums and coffee makers, contain sensors, processors, intelligent power management, wireless communication and more, that are all designed, architected, validated, and tested by silicon engineers.
Prairie View A&M University is one of four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to receive an Apple Innovation Grant, designed to support Schools of Engineering as they develop their silicon and hardware technologies curriculum in partnership with Apple’s experts. The three-year grant comes as part of Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative and the company’s New Silicon Initiative, designed to inspire and prepare students for careers in hardware engineering, computer architecture, and silicon chip design.
Prairie View A&M’s Innovation Grant from Apple is being used to provide funding and other support for lab space, guest lectures, scholarships, faculty training, curriculum support, and more.
PVAMU Student Learning New Lab Applications
The main components of the program include:
Guest Lectures
Apple engineers will lecture in selected VLSI courses and provide project review throughout the semester.
New Tapeout Class
Students can participate in the VLSI course sequence, culminating in a new Tapeout course for practical chip design and fabrication.
Student Mentorship
Experts are available to discuss Apple technology, career advice, interview prep and many other topics.
Internships and Scholarships
Students can apply to summer research opportunities and scholarships this fall.
Computer Hardware and VLSI Design Club
It serves as a platform for students, faculty and industry partners to have in-depth practical projects in computer hardware and VLSI design.
Opportunities for Students
Integrated circuit design and engineering is more critical than ever. With a slowing of Moore’s law and end of Dennard scaling, challenges abound to deliver ever increasing performance and power efficiency. Apple has long recognized these challenges and develops world-class silicon for its products. Through this engagement, Prairie View A&M University is very excited to offer scholarships to undergraduate students and teaching assistantship positions to graduate students. This program recognizes a few top students with expressed interest in integrated circuit engineering, Digital Design and Computer Architecture.
PVAMU Student Learning New Lab Tools
Apple NSI Scholarship
Applications can be submitted, and finalists will be interviewed as part of the evaluation process. Check back later this summer for more information on the application deadlines.
- Application open: Mid-August
- Application deadline: Mid-September
- Finalist interviews: October
- Decisions: October-November
Announcements
You’re invited to a special event
Considering VLSI or chip design? Circuit design or computer architecture?
Join Apple and Prairie View A&M faculty to learn more about career paths in
these exciting fields!
New Silicon Initiative Spring Mini-Kickoff
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
2:00–3:00 p.m. CT
New Engineering Building — Room 115
Please register beforehand by scanning or clicking the QR code.
Light refreshments will be provided.
You’re invited to a special event with Prairie View A&M ECE and Apple
Learn about Prairie View A&M and Apple’s joint initiative in hardware education :
- Interested in VLSI or chip design?
- Circuit design or computer architecture?
- Want to know what’s next?
Join Apple engineers and Prairie View A&M faculty to help guide you in these exciting fields!
October 5th at 5:00 p.m. CDT – 139 Presentation Room, New Engineering Building
Details will be shared after registering Following the presentation, there will be networking with Prairie View A&M ECE faculty and Apple team members for Q&A and discussion
New and Revised Courses
Apple engineers are working with the Prairie View A&M University faculty to support a variety of VLSI design and computer hardware courses. Subject matter experts from Apple will provide guest lectures for courses in Integrated Circuit Design, Computer Architecture and many other areas in the VLSI curriculum.
Students will have the opportunity to submit their design projects for tapeout. Tapeout is the final design process before a circuit is sent for manufacturing. Student teams will create the specification, circuit design and verification for tapeout, and their designs will be sent for fabrication at the end of the semester. Apple engineers will be available to mentor and approve the designs throughout the semester.
Below is the recommended course sequence to prepare students for the Tapeout class and other career opportunities in silicon hardware technologies.
Revised Undergraduate Courses |
---|
ELEG 2131 Logic Circuits LabIntroduction to VLSI Design and Logic Circuits Labs |
ELEG 4330 Digital Design and VLSIPre-tapeout and offered during fall semester |
ELEG 4339 Computer Organization and DesignTapeout and offered during spring semester |
Graduate Course |
ELEG 6342 VLSI and ULSI DesignTapeout and offered during spring semester |
New Graduate Course |
ELEG 63** Advanced VLSI Design, Test and CharacterizationOffered in Fall 2023 |