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The FY 2002 Budget Request for the Engineering Education
and Centers Subactivity is $107.48 million, equal to the FY 2001
Current Plan.
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 2000
Actual |
FY 2001
Current Plan |
FY 2002
Request |
Change |
Amount |
Percent |
Engineering Education and Centers |
98.40
|
107.48
|
107.48
|
0.00
|
0.0%
|
Total, EEC |
$98.40
|
$107.48
|
$107.48
|
$0.00
|
0.0%
|
The Engineering Education and Centers
(EEC) Subactivity supports the collaboration of interdisciplinary
teams of faculty, students, and industry engineers to produce new
engineering knowledge and the educational programs needed to prepare
future generations of engineers capable of rapid technology innovation.
The subactivity invests in individuals, centers, groups, and coalitions
of investigators to: integrate academic and industrial research
approaches to advance cutting-edge knowledge, technology, and education;
reshape engineering curricula to bring knowledge of the latest breakthroughs
in science and technology to full-time students and practicing engineers;
implement new educational technologies to give students greater
flexibility in how, where and when they learn; promote partnerships
among academe, industry, and the public sector across disciplines
and between research and education; and attract talented students
from diverse backgrounds to the engineering profession and enable
them to develop rewarding and productive careers.
In FY 2002, EEC will provide $62.32 million for Engineering
Research Centers and Groups, $5.99 million for Earthquake Engineering
Centers, $5.18 million for Industry/University Cooperative Research
Centers and $900,000 for State/Industry University Cooperative Research
Centers. Support for centers and groups develop long-term, interdisciplinary
partnerships between academe and industry to advance knowledge and
technology and produce engineering graduates to lead industrial
innovation
In FY 2000, the 53 I/UCRCs worked closely with industry
to develop enabling technologies needed to effectively manage the
electric power grid, improve manufacturing processes and information
technologies, and innovate new product lines. EEC provides seed
funds and program guidance to these highly leveraged centers, with
States joining in many partnerships to expand the focus to include
local economic development.
Engineering Research Centers (ERC) produce significant
knowledge, technology and educational advances that strengthen industry
and prepare a science and technology workforce that is capable of
innovating in new fields of technology. Students are being prepared
for careers in bioengineering, advanced multimedia, manufacturing,
electronics and electronic packaging, and environmentally benign
semiconductor manufacturing through curricula designed to integrate
knowledge with technological innovation and industrial practice.
The cross-disciplinary research experience and exposure to industrial
practice prepares ERC students to take on leadership roles in industry
early in their careers. For example, the ERC for Particle Science
and Technology at the University of Florida focuses on the synthesis
of new classes of nano-particulate materials. The Center collaborated
with the School of Pharmacy to produce drug particles coated with
a polymer layer 1000 times thinner than a human hair. The coated
drug is delivered through a slow release asthma inhaler, which reduces
the risk for an overdose. The ERC has collaborated with a spin-off
company, Nanosphere, Inc., to develop these designer-coated asthma
inhaler drugs for timed release and initial animal experiments have
been very positive.
The three Earthquake Engineering Research Centers
bring together multi-institutional teams of investigators to provide
the knowledge and technology base for industry and public agencies
to build and retrofit structures and other infrastructure to prevent
damage from earthquakes. These centers take a system approach integrating
engineering, seismological, and societal response knowledge. The
centers integrate research and education and develop partnerships
with industry and the public agencies responsible for earthquake
hazard mitigation at the regional, state, and local levels. These
centers are producing structural design models and earthquake hazard
mitigation technology for buildings and transportation and lifeline
systems and engaging designers and policy-makers in the development
of hazard mitigation strategies for communities with earthquake
risks.
EEC-funded educational innovations and human resource
development programs attract students to engineering and give them
the capacity to learn, lead, and innovate throughout their careers.
Experiments are being conducted to expose students to the challenges
and rewards of engineering at the pre-college and undergraduate
levels and successful engineering education innovations are being
disseminated to and adopted by a broad range of universities. Efforts
are also directed at attracting underrepresented groups to engineering
careers and increasing retention and graduation rates. Specific
programs include the Engineering Education Coalitions, Combined
Research-Curriculum Development and the Action Agenda for Engineering
Curriculum Innovation. Programs for education and training, including
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Integrative Graduate Education
and Research Training, and the Graduate Research Fellowship programs
are supported.
The FY 2002 Budget Request for EEC is $107.48 million,
level with the FY 2001 Current Plan. The FY 2002 budget reallocations
within the base will support increases in the following activities:
$1.0 million to establish the first Research
Experiences for Teachers (RET) site, a component of the REU program.
This site will allow K-12 teachers to experience an extended university
residency, working with faculty and students to conduct engineering
research;
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