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

UC San Diego has received a three-year, nearly $1 million NSF ExLENT award to launch the Experiential Semiconductor Training in Emerging Nano-Technologies (ExSTENT) program. The initiative will prepare community college students, and later educators, for entry-level semiconductor and nanotechnology careers through a nine-week, hands-on summer intensive at the Qualcomm Institute’s Nano3 Cleanroom and Makerspace.

Led by Riley Need and Oscar Vazquez Mena, ExSTENT will train 20-30 students each summer in fabrication, lithography, deposition, etching, and device testing. By targeting community college participants, the program aims to broaden access to advanced facilities, expand STEM participation, and help meet the projected 115,000-worker demand in the U.S. semiconductor industry by 2030.

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

The program also builds regional partnerships across biotech, solar, and quantum sectors, providing students with workforce-ready skills and exposure to diverse career pathways. ExSTENT begins in summer 2026 and includes strategies to scale curriculum to community colleges and sustain impact beyond the NSF grant.