9521590 Shah This award provides funding to conduct a workshop on engineering design. The field of engineering design to date has failed to coalesce around a coherent design theory. Yet engineering design is an intense activity of engineering, responsible for the bulk of the value added for the profession. This workshop will bring together about 50 individuals who are experts in engineering design and related fields to discuss the possibility of obtaining a theory of design and to set research funding priorities toward this goal. The workshop will be conducted over a period of three days, and it will result in a written document that is intended to serve as the basis for setting research directions and priorities in the NSF Design and Integration Engineering program. Engineering design is crucial to the entire technological enterprise of the nation. Advances in the theory of engineering design will impact virtually every industry. The teaching of engineering design is also crucial to the economic health of the nation. If successful, this workshop could have a significant impact on the conduct of engineering design and the engineering education.
