The proposal seeks a Phase II support (second five-year period) for the Center, including support for center personnel, evaluation and research. The proposed Center is a multi-university Center comprised of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (lead), the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Central Florida, and Carnegie Mellon University. It is anticipated that the Center will grow to an 8-university center shortly, with the addition of Brigham Young University, the University of Puerto Rico, the University of Buffalo, and Wayne State within the next few months.
The NSF Multi-university IUCRC for e-Design addresses the science and engineering challenges that limit the evolution of a new product/system design approaches that are essential for efficient, rapid and reliable design and manufacture in a highly competitive global environment. The Center aims to provide timely, high-quality, and cost-effective collaborative research projects and validate them through an Internet based test-bed platform. In addition, the Center plans to disseminate knowledge and methodologies to its members through regular seminars and workshops. The Center for e- Design is dedicated to the vigorous pursuit of state-of-the-art IT enabled tools that can achieve faster or instantaneous product design response times, much faster time to market, better product quality and significantly reduced cost.
The proposed continuation of the e-Design center will improve engineering design processes for its members, and with increased membership and adoption of a shared portfolio approach, further extend its benefit to U.S. industry. The proposed effort will contribute significantly to the successful development and preparation of graduate and undergraduate students across several departments. Students associated with the e-Design Center will receive exceptional career development opportunities, to include laboratory and field studies, attendance and presentations at interdisciplinary conferences and workshops, a design colloquium series, participation in interdisciplinary activities and journal publications, as well as training in the ethical conduct of research. Virginia Tech plans to contribute to the diversity of the Center, with 25% of participating faculty being women, a population traditionally underrepresented in engineering. The PI and other Virginia Tech faculty will continue their long history of recruiting women and minority graduate and undergraduate students.
The Center for e-Design creates and develops new design paradigms and electronic design tools that will assist in generating high quality products and systems at a reduced cost while also reducing the time associated with designing complex engineering products and systems. Center Mission and Rationale The mission of the Center for e-Design is to serve as a nationally recognized center of excellence in design where innovation and creativity are integrated with fundamental principles of science, mathematics, and engineering in the development, testing, and implementation of new methods and technologies for the design of products and systems focused on faster time-to-market, better product quality, and significantly reduced costs. The Center for e-Design focuses its efforts in three major areas to deliver value to its industry/government partners: 1. Fundamental Research focuses on creating methods, tools, and technologies to address industry relevant needs in e-tools-enabled product development and realization including: enabling information infrastructure; new design paradigms and processes; design optimization; visualizing and virtual prototyping. 2. Research Testbed focuses on integration of interdisciplinary research activities to validate developed tools, methods, and technologies. 3. Engineering Education and Technology Transfers, which focus on educating a new generation of engineers and scientists proficient in e-design and rapidly transferring results into usable applications for industry and government. The Center as a whole is alive and well. It is a collaboration of seven universities and currently 23 industry and government members. Center for e-Design information can be found at www.centerforedesign.org The Virginia Tech research site has concluded its participation and is reporting these outcomes: Design processes and methods useful to industry members and the public were developed and reported at Industrial Advisory Board meetings and in design journals and engineering conferences thus furthering the body of knowledge in engineering and engineering design. Three graduate student researchers received PhD degrees working on Center research. Twelve middle school and high school teachers were trained and received valuable experience in how to teach spatial visualization and use 3-D printing in their classrooms as a result of a Research Experience for Teachers. Three undergraduate engineers and scientists worked on a summer research project as a result of a Research Experience for Undergraduates. Positioning them well for graduate school and being effective in the workplace. These graduates and teachers have and will continue to have a significant impact on students and society.
