ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Powder Coating Institute announced the awarding of scholarship funds to five educational institutions to assist industrial-finishing and polymer-science students and academic programs related to powder coating.

The funds, totaling $32,000, were awarded to California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo; Purdue University; Eastern Michigan University; the University of Southern Mississippi; and North Dakota State University. The funds will be used for a variety of research projects carried out by students, in addition to student scholarships, the institute said. The institute has provided scholarship funds to promote education related to powder coating for the past six years.