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West Lafayette, Indiana (March 30, 2026) — Purdue University and the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS®) Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding establishing Purdue as a member of the ARCS National Scholar Award Program, which provides support to domestic doctoral scholars in high-impact scientific fields vital to U.S. innovation, competitiveness, and national security.

The partnership is the first expansion for ARCS into Indiana and reflects a shared commitment by both organizations to strengthening the nation’s STEM workforce and accelerating discovery essential to economic resilience and global leadership.

Under the agreement, ARCS will provide ongoing private, unrestricted funding for Purdue doctoral students conducting research in high-impact and emerging technology fields identified as critical by the Council on Competitiveness, with each award providing three years of support. Initial support will focus on biomedical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering — fields that reinforce Purdue’s leadership in advanced computing, semiconductors, and next-generation technologies while advancing key institutional priorities in One Health and Purdue Computes.

“This agreement reflects a shared belief between Purdue and ARCS that investing in doctoral talent is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen the nation’s innovation ecosystem,” said Haley Oliver-Jischke, Purdue’s senior vice provost for academic and student success. “Sustained graduate funding enables top scholars to focus on high-impact discovery, strengthening the talent pipeline that powers Indiana’s Hard Tech Corridor and the industries shaping our future.”

“It is an honor to have Purdue University as the inaugural partner for the ARCS Foundation National Scholar Award Program. Purdue stands at the forefront of innovation in many of the critical fields this national initiative is designed to advance,” said Jill Bray, president of ARCS Foundation. “Its global leadership in engineering and applied sciences, combined with a deep commitment to research and workforce development, makes Purdue an exceptional partner.”

Read more about the ARCS National Scholar Award Program here.

Read the original press release here.

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About ARCS® Foundation: ARCS Foundation is a national nonprofit volunteer women’s organization that promotes US competitiveness by providing financial awards to academically outstanding US citizens studying to complete degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and health disciplines at 50of the nation’s leading research universities. The organization has awarded more than $142million to more than 12,000 scholars since 1958. ARCS Foundation Scholars have produced thousands of research publications and patents, secured billions in grant funding, started science-related companies, and played a significant role in teaching and mentoring young people in the STEM pipeline. More information is available at arcsfoundation.org.

About Purdue University: Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.