IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: Revolutionizing Engineering Departments | 24 564

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the NSF RED (Revolutionizing Engineering Departments) grant opportunity?

The NSF opportunity "IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: Revolutionizing Engineering Departments" (RED) supports major, department-level transformation in undergraduate engineering and engineering technology education. The emphasis is on reshaping the culture, structures, and everyday practices of a department so students build technical ability and professional identity across the entire program.

What problem is RED trying to solve in undergraduate engineering education?

RED targets a persistent gap in the "middle" of the curriculum. NSF notes that while improvements often occur in the first year (active learning, early design exposure, professional skills) and the senior year (capstone design as an integrative experience), the sophomore and junior years frequently do not intentionally continue professional formation and integrative thinking. RED aims to make professional formation continuous rather than front-loaded in year one and postponed until capstone.

Is RED focused on individual course redesigns?

No. A defining feature of RED is that it moves beyond isolated course improvements. Proposals are expected to focus on organizational and cultural change at the department level, with changes that become part of how the department permanently functions rather than depending on a single champion or one-off redesign.

What kinds of changes can RED projects support?

The solicitation invites genuinely transformative work, such as rethinking what counts as the "canon" of engineering content, redesigning how courses are structured and connected, changing departmental policies and incentives, building new industry-education collaborations, and creating new departmental organizational models. The common thread is durable change to departmental structures, culture, and practice.

How is RED connected to NSF programs and initiatives?

RED is jointly funded through NSF's Directorates for Engineering (ENG) and STEM Education (EDU). It aligns with the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) framework and the Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) initiative.

What are the RED tracks and how do they differ?

The opportunity is organized into four tracks so institutions can enter at the appropriate stage and scale:

• Track 1: RED Planning - Capacity-building and readiness work to explore, design, and prepare competitive proposals for larger implementation-oriented tracks.
• Track 2: RED Adaptation and Implementation - Adapting evidence-based organizational change strategies that have worked elsewhere and implementing them in a local departmental context.
• Track 3: RED Innovation - Creating and testing new revolutionary approaches and change strategies that could redefine undergraduate engineering education at the departmental level.
• Track 4: RED Innovation Partnerships - Extending Track 3-style innovation across multiple institutions, with special interest in partnerships that include two-year institutions.

Which institutions are especially encouraged to pursue Track 1 (Planning)?

Track 1 is especially aimed at capacity-building for institutions NSF highlights as strategically important to its mission, including two-year engineering-centered programs building transfer partnerships, institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions, Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), and institutions working to increase engineering degrees across the full spectrum of diverse talent.

What is the difference between Track 2 and Track 3?

Track 2 emphasizes adapting and implementing evidence-based organizational change approaches that have already worked in other settings, focusing on local fit and the realities of implementation. Track 3 focuses on developing and testing new, revolutionary approaches and change strategies that could redefine departmental-level undergraduate engineering education.

What is distinctive about Track 4 (Innovation Partnerships)?

Track 4 is designed for multi-institution efforts that extend innovation across more than one campus. NSF notes special interest in partnerships that include two-year institutions working with other eligible institutions, consistent with RED's attention to pathways, transfer, and broader reach.

What are the main expectations for Tracks 2 through 4?

Across Tracks 2-4, NSF expects proposals to directly address cultural, organizational, structural, and pedagogical changes needed to transform one or more departments into environments where students are actively engaged, build technical and professional skills in an integrated way, and develop identities as professional engineers or technologists.

Does RED support add-on experiences outside the core program?

The focus is on the department's disciplinary courses and the overall program, not just add-on experiences. RED is intended to change the "engine" of the program (core curriculum, structures, and norms), rather than adding isolated co-curricular elements without departmental transformation.

What does NSF mean by "institutionalization" in RED?

Institutionalization means the new practices and structures should be embedded by the end of the funding period so they can persist after NSF funding ends. Proposals are expected to show how the work becomes durable and part of the department's ongoing operations.

Who needs to be engaged in a RED project?

RED emphasizes organizational and cultural change, so proposals should show engagement of students, faculty, staff, and external partners (including industry) in redefining what the department aims to produce and how it will operate to achieve those outcomes.

Are projects required to be in certain technical areas?

No. NSF states that projects do not have to be in specific topic areas, but it explicitly encourages proposals aligned with areas of increased national interest. These domains can be used as contexts for rethinking curriculum, professional competencies, industry collaboration, and departmental priorities.

What "areas of national interest" does NSF highlight for RED?

The solicitation encourages alignment with topics such as advanced manufacturing, advanced wireless, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, microelectronics and semiconductors, net zero technologies, sustainability, systems engineering, and quantum engineering.

Who is eligible to apply for this RED opportunity?

Eligibility is limited to accredited US Institutions of Higher Education, including two-year and four-year institutions and community colleges, with a campus located in the United States, applying on behalf of their faculty.

Can work be funded at an international branch campus of a US institution?

Potentially, yes. If a proposal involves funding work at an international branch campus (including through subawards or consultants), the proposal must clearly explain the benefit of doing work at that location and justify why the activities cannot be done at the US campus.

Who must serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on a RED proposal?

For all tracks, the PI must be the Department Chair/Head (or equivalent) of the department being transformed, and the PI must have real authority to lead the change process.

Can someone other than the department chair/head serve as PI?

Yes, in a specific situation. If the chair/head role does not have enough responsibility or leverage to drive the proposed scope of change, a dean, provost, or other senior leader may serve as PI, but only if they will actively lead the project.

Is a letter of support required for the PI leadership role?

Yes. The PI's qualifications and authority are expected to be supported through a required letter from senior institutional leadership.

What expertise does NSF recommend including on the leadership team?

NSF recommends a leadership team that includes expertise in engineering education research and organizational change, reflecting that RED is as much about change management and institutional behavior as it is about curriculum design.

How much funding is available per award?

The listed award ceiling is $2,000,000.

How many awards does NSF anticipate making?

NSF anticipates approximately 19 awards.

What are the CFDA/Assistance Listing numbers associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA/Assistance Listing numbers provided are 47.041 and 47.076.

What is the application closing date listed for this opportunity?

The listed closing date is September 10, 2024.

What is the main takeaway for departments considering RED?

RED is designed for departments that want to redesign how their program works at a fundamental level, with evidence-informed, locally grounded changes that are durable enough to become the department's new normal and that support continuous professional formation across the full undergraduate experience.