PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF)

The PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF) program has two goals: 1) Support research in the Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE), and 2) Increase the community of researchers conducting PFE research. This program enables engineering faculty who are renowned for teaching, mentoring, or leading educational reform efforts on their campus to develop expertise in conducting engineering education research. The program is specifically designed for engineering faculty with little or no experience conducting social science or education research, allowing them to initiate research projects in professional formation of engineers while being mentored on social science research approaches. Professional Formation of Engineers refers to the formal and informal education and value systems by which people become engineers, including the ethical responsibility of practicing engineers to sustain and grow the profession. The program aims to create an innovative and inclusive engineering profession for the 21st Century that is responsive to national priorities, grand challenges, and dynamic workforce needs.