The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) will convene a committee of leading thinkers from such areas as technology, science, business, politics, and entertainment. They will create a ranked list of the grand challenges and opportunities for engineering facing those born at the dawn of this new century. This "blue-ribbon" committee will then look at engineering research and innovation either already being explored or which should be considered that might help address aspects of each challenge.
Input from many sources will be considered, including the NAE membership and foreign associates, engineering societies worldwide, international Frontiers of Engineering attendees, engineering students, MacArthur grantees, Intel Science Search winners, NSF Young Investigator awardees, and the broader public. The committee will be a diverse, balanced, highprofile, international group with both technical expertise and vision. Key, and unique, to this project will be a focus on public outreach. Not only will public input be sought during the deliberative process, but results will be shared through a major event in Washington, D.C., collaboration with one or more major media outlets, and a web site designed with students in mind.
The main goals of this project are: (1) to improve public understanding of how engineering can address current and emerging societal challenges; (2) to excite young people about their potential to contribute to the world's grand challenges through an engineering career; and (3) to uncover examples of engineering research opportunities related to the challenges. Intellectual Merit
Public outreach is a primary goal of this project. The public will be invited to provide input about grand challenges to society that engineering and technology might address in the future. By actively thinking about large-scale enduring challenges and how engineering and technology might meet them, the public will better understand the process of engineering and what issues engineers can address. Outcomes will show, in an engaging way, how engineering is helping people throughout the world. It will illustrate how even some of the most esoteric concepts may prove to have huge impacts on practical issues ranging from global politics to our own bodies.
Broader Impact
Not only will this project contribute to technological literacy by illustrating the impact future technologies may have on our lives, but it will provide a better understand of the engineering profession. It will show the process of developing new technologies and the trade-offs involved. This project will engage people of all ages in a discussion of technological choices, benefits, risks, and values. It will also give the public a clear picture of engineers' roles in society. By using high-profile people to generate specific challenges and opportunities, this project will excite young people about contributing to society something recent surveys have said they want to do. Girls, in particular, are interested in choosing careers that help people. This project will vividly illustrate how engineering can accomplish those goals.
