Title
IUSE / Professional Formation of Engineers: RevolutionizingEngineering Departments(IUSE/PFE: RED)
Agencies
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Description
Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (hereinafter referred to as RED) is designed to build upon previous efforts in engineering education
research. Specifically, previous and ongoing evaluations of the NSF Engineering Education and Centers Division program and its
predecessors, as well as those related programs in the Directorate for STEM Education, have shown that prior investments have significantly
improved the first year of engineering students’ experiences, incorporating engineering material, active learning approaches, design
instruction, and a broad introduction to professional skills and a sense of professional practice – giving students an idea of what it means to
become an engineer. Similarly, the senior year has seen notable change through capstone design experiences, which ask students to
synthesize the technical knowledge, skills, and abilities they have gained with professional capacities, using reflective judgment to make
decisions and communicate these effectively. However, this ideal of the senior year has not yet been fully realized, because many of the
competencies required in capstone design, or required of professional engineers, are only partially introduced in the first year and not carried
forward with significant emphasis through the sophomore and junior years.
The Directorates for Engineering (ENG) and STEM Education (EDU) are funding projects as part of the RED program, in alignment with the
Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) framework and Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) initiative. These projects are
designing revolutionary new approaches to engineering education, ranging from changing the canon of engineering to fundamentally altering
the way courses are structured to creating new departmental structures and educational collaborations with industry. A common thread across
these projects is a focus on organizational and cultural change within the departments, involving students, faculty, staff, and industry in
rethinking what it means to provide an engineering program.
In order to continue to catalyze revolutionary approaches, while expanding the reach of those that have proved efficacious in particular
contexts, the RED program supports three tracks: RED Innovation, RED Adaptation and Implementation and RED Two-Year. This solicitation is limited to the Two-Year track. RED Two-Year projects will develop radically new approaches among multiple two-year institutions to expand
the path to engineering and engineering technology four-year programs from two-year institutions with programs such as pre-engineering,
engineering and engineering technology. Projects will include consideration of the cultural, organizational, structural, and pedagogical changes
needed to transform the department to one in which students are engaged, develop their technical and professional skills, and establish
identities as professional engineers. The focus of projects should be on the department’s disciplinary courses and program. RED project
initiatives are expected to be institutionalized at the end of the funding period.
More Information
https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23553/nsf23553.pdf
Submission Limits
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 2
An eligible institution may submit a maximum of two proposals.
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1
An individual may be the PI or Co-PI for only one proposal
Cost Sharing:
None
Deadlines
Internal Notice of Intent |
Mar 3, 2023 |
Notification of Internal Competition |
Mar 4, 2023 |
Internal Pre-proposal |
Mar 17, 2023 |
Results of Internal Competition |
Mar 31, 2023 |
Agency Notice of Intent/Pre-proposal |
N/A |
Agency Proposal |
May 10, 2023
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