This program provides funding for one student each year to collaborate with the staff at the University of Idaho Library's Making, Innovating, and Learning Laboratory (MILL) to support its operations. The MILL Fellowship is a semester-long initiative aimed at fostering technological innovation through the use of the MILL's maker space resources.
Call for Applications
The University of Idaho Library invites undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline at the University of Idaho to apply for the Making, Innovating, and Learning Laboratory (MILL) Fellowship.
The Making, Innovating, and Learning Laboratory (MILL) Fellowship is built around a central, hands-on project. Whether you select a suggested project or propose your own, your project serves as the foundation for all your fellowship activities—including workshop development, tutorial creation, and final presentation(s). Successful applications will feature a well-defined project with a realistic timeline and clear alignment with the MILL’s mission.
The fellowship occurs during the Spring semester, with exact dates to be negotiated with the successful applicant. The fellow should plan to spend approximately 10-15 hours per week on the project. Eligible applicants must be enrolled in the spring semester.
While the fellow’s activities will primarily focus on executing their chosen project, they will also address inquiries about any new technology introduced during the fellowship and plan relevant workshops.
Potential Projects:
Create innovative projects that combine different technologies, such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi.
Design an environmental monitoring station that uses sensors and a laser-cut enclosure, created with Arduino and the Glowforge.
Bring in a 3D-print waste shredder, pelletizer, and filament extruder. Create a localized plastic recycling system. This system reprocesses failed prints and old models into usable 3D printing filament.
The deliverables from the fellowship project will be:
Develop and co-teach 1-3 workshop(s) that feature a project using the technology developed in the MILL during the fellowship.
Creation of tutorials on the technology (zine format) and/or video tutorials.
Presentation to the Library Advisory Board.
How to Apply
Applicants may choose from the listed projects that align with their interests or propose an alternative project that contributes to the goals of advancing the MILL’s knowledge and technology. While the fellow’s activities will primarily focus on executing their chosen project, they will also address inquiries about any new technology introduced during the fellowship and plan relevant workshops.
Applicants must submit:
A letter of no more than 300 words detailing interest in this fellowship and a potential project. Please detail previous experience, education, and/or training that prepare the applicant for the work of this project.
A current CV or resume
(Required only if proposing a project not detailed above) If proposing a project not listed in “Potential Projects” above, please provide a summary of no more than 300 words detailing the proposed project and outlining how it could contribute to the MILL’s mission as part of the fellowship experience.
The application materials are clearly articulated and demonstrate the applicant’s comprehension of the project’s nature and objectives. They present a well-structured plan for achieving the project’s goals.
This initiative aligns with the MILL’s mission of enhancing knowledge and technology.
The proposed project empowers students to take intellectual ownership and can be realistically completed within the specified timeframe.
Feasibility of completion within the fellowship timeframe