Organizational Change in the Professional Formation of Engineers

The Organizational Change in the Professional Formation of Engineers (ENGINEER:OC) area supports research and activities that revolutionize the professional formation of engineers at scale. This effort helps NSF expand access to high-quality engineering education and workforce development pathways for all. Projects should take place at organizations that support the professional formation of engineers, including higher education institutions and other academic, informal, center-based, or workplace-based engineering or engineering technology programs. Investigators should propose projects along one of two types: innovation projects, and adaptation/implementation projects. Innovation projects develop and apply new cultural or curricular innovations at a particular setting, while adaptation/implementation projects build on past work to adapt existing models to new contexts. The key aspects of this opportunity include: • Supporting research and activities that revolutionize the professional formation of engineers • Expanding access to high-quality engineering education and workforce development pathways • Proposing projects at organizations that support the professional formation of engineers • Focusing on innovation and adaptation/implementation projects • Developing and applying new cultural or curricular innovations • Adapting existing models to new contexts