Industry-Sponsored Research Award

2024 ISRA Nominations

The San José State University Research Foundation invites you to submit faculty nominations for the second-annual Industry-Sponsored Research Award. Nominations are due by 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time (PT) on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

The fairly new Industry-Sponsored Research Award will recognize SJSU faculty and staff who have pursued research with a partner from private industry. 


Eligibility Criteria

  • The funding source to the Research Foundation must come directly from a non-profit, or for-profit organization with a shared output defined in the scope of work.
  • Projects of $10K or greater with a project completion date within the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Nomination Instructions

  • Nominations may come from university administration or the faculty member’s academic unit (dean, chair, or faculty). Nominators do not need to be tenured or tenure-track.
  • Self-nominations will also be accepted. Faculty members who are submitting a self-nomination should notify their dean and chair of their submission.

To nominate an individual, please complete the SJSU Research Foundation Industry-sponsored Research Award Nomination Form. Explain your reasons for nominating the faculty member and describe the accomplishments of the nominee as they relate to the selection criteria listed above. Please include the name of the project and the name of the project sponsor. You may do so on the nomination form, or you may submit a letter containing that information (maximum one page, 12 point Times New Roman font). Nominations should also include a CV or resume. Nominations are due by 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time (PT) on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.


Selection Criteria

  • Industry funding amount.
  • Creation of intellectual property.
  • Student involvement and description of student outcomes.

Selection Committee

The selection committee will consist of the Interim Associate Vice President for Research, the Research Foundation Executive Director, the Director of Innovation, one faculty researcher, and a member of the Innovation Advisory Council.


Reward and Recognition

The award recipient will receive a commemorative trophy, a cash award of $5,000, and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. The award will be presented at the Celebration of Researchon on Thursday, April 24, 2025 (save-the-date — new date). A profile of each recipient’s accomplishments will be announced to faculty and staff via email, and featured on the Research Foundation’s website and in the Research Foundation’s Annual Report. This information may also be publicized in university media.


2023 ISRA Winner 

Please join us in congratulating the San José State University Research Foundation (SJSURF) 2023 Industry-Sponsored Research Award (ISRA) recipient – Hiu-Yung Wong, Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering.

Hiu-Yung Wong

Dr. Hiu-Yung Wong, Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering, is being recognized as the inaugural Industry-Sponsored Research Award recipient for his achievements in industry-funded cryogenic semiconductor technology research, which focuses on characterizing and modeling novel transistors at cryogenic temperatures with applications in quantum computers, space exploration, and scientific instruments. Dr. Wong has brought a total of $2M in research awards to the campus, most recently partnering with world-leading semiconductor company Samsung and quantum-engineered materials and intellectual property company Atomera. He has authored and co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed journal and conference articles since joining SJSU in 2018. Dr. Wong's industry-sponsored collaborations and laboratory research offer invaluable opportunities for undergraduate students, allowing for research experiments and studies that were previously impossible at SJSU while enhancing students’ professional skills and bolstering their future employment opportunities in a leading-edge research subject.