The IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (IUSE/PFE: RED) program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), seeks to radically transform undergraduate engineering education. Managed by the NSF’s Directorate for Engineering (ENG) and Directorate for STEM Education (EDU), this initiative builds on earlier efforts that improved the freshman and senior years of engineering curricula but aims to address the often-overlooked middle years. The program supports structural, cultural, and pedagogical changes within engineering departments to foster inclusive, innovative, and holistic professional development for engineering students.

The RED program supports four distinct tracks. Track 1 (Planning) offers up to $75,000 annually for two years to help select institutions build capacity for future RED proposals. This track targets two-year institutions, those in EPSCoR jurisdictions, PUIs, and MSIs. Track 2 (Adaptation & Implementation) supports efforts to adapt proven change strategies to local contexts with awards up to $1 million over five years. Track 3 (Innovation) funds revolutionary departmental changes with budgets ranging from $1 million to $2 million over five years. Track 4 (Innovation Partnerships) supports multi-institution collaborations with awards between $1.5 million and $2.5 million for five years. A total program budget of $7 million to $8 million is anticipated, with 13 to 19 awards expected depending on the track.

Eligible applicants must be accredited two- or four-year Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) located in the United States. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a department chair or senior leader capable of leading change efforts in programs where a significant number of students graduate with a bachelor’s in engineering or technology. Track 1 eligibility is limited to institutions meeting specific criteria such as serving transfer students or being designated as MSIs or PUIs. Letters of intent and preliminary proposals are not required, but a concept outline is recommended for Track 1 applicants and must be submitted 30 days before the deadline.

Proposals must include detailed project descriptions, vision statements, rationale for revolutionary change, specific actions aligned with a theory of change, anticipated barriers, advisory and evaluation plans, and dissemination and sustainability strategies. Proposals should be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov and comply with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

The upcoming deadlines for proposal submission are September 10, 2024, and April 8, 2025. Future deadlines will continue annually on the second Tuesday of April and September. For all tracks, NSF emphasizes the inclusion of diverse perspectives, partnerships with two-year colleges, and proposals addressing national priorities such as AI, sustainability, and quantum engineering.

For additional information, applicants can contact Alice L. Pawley at apawley@nsf.gov or (703) 292-7286, Christine Delahanty at cdelahan@nsf.gov or (703) 292-8492, or Matthew A. Verleger at mverlege@nsf.gov or (703) 292-2961. More information is also available on the NSF website.