UEF Updates

We’ve been grateful to UEF for the grants we’ve received for Engineer Your Life, Design Squad outreach and, more recently, Dream Big. There are few foundations focused on engineering, and even fewer that recognize the value of empowering engineers to promote the profession. More than simply providing financial support, UEF grants provide the catalyst for collaboration that helps these programs succeed.”

Jane Howell Lombardi, Director, Communications, American Society of Civil Engineers

UEF Updates

Stay up to date on news, events and other announcements from the United Engineering Foundation. 

If you would like to have something posted as it relates to your UEF-funded program, please contact Pat Natale at director@unitedengineeringfnd.org

March 2017

The 50K Coalition Launches Website

The 50K Coalition is a collaborative of more than 40 organizations focused on a bold national goal: to produce 50,000 diverse engineering graduates annually by 2025. The coalition was formed by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the nation’s preeminent diversity engineering organizations, which collectively serve more than 85,000 pre-collegiate, collegiate and professional members. The expertise and more than 188 years of collective experience of the coalition’s founding organizations perfectly position them to tackle the coalition’s goal.

Visit the Site

September 2016

UEF BOD Meeting

Attended the United Engineering Foundation BOD meeting in NYC. Meeting held in IEEE’s 3 Park Avenue offices. UEF was founded in 1904 and includes 5 founding engineering societies: AIChE, AIME, ASME, ASCE and IEEE. Picture shows outgoing UEF President Ian Sadler, UEF Executive Director Patrick Natale and President Bob Stevens. “I’m so honored to be the UEF President.”

Dr. Robert Stevens, PE, is ASCE 2015 President. Bob has served as an UEF Trustee since 2015.

December 2015

2017 UEF Grants Announcement

Because of your position in the engineering community I am calling your attention to the cycle that the United Engineering Foundation (UEF) plans to follow in 2016 for the selection of grants for calendar year 2017.

Read More…

September 2015

David L. Belden Retirement

DAVID L. BELDEN, P.E., Ph.D., former executive director, United Engineering Foundation (Potomac Falls, VA.).

Dr. Belden  retired from an amazing career spanning more than 50 years, he has made distinguished contributions to the engineering profession and is recognized as one of the major leaders in the engineering association community.

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    In 2002, Dr. Belden began serving as the executive director of the United Engineering Foundation, an organization founded in 1904 with a grant from Andrew Carnegie.  Comprised of five members— American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)—the Foundation’s primary mission is to support engineering and education by, among other means, making grants.

    Prior to joining the UEF, he served as the Executive Director of ASME in 1987 to 2002. Belden also served as the executive director and member of the board of trustees of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) for 11 years.

    Belden retired from the United States Air Force as a colonel in 1976 after a distinguished  22-year career.  His military decorations include the Legion of Merit; and Meritorious Service, Air and Commendation medals.

    Belden received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, in 1961.  He attended Stanford University, California, and earned a master’s degree in industrial engineering in 1963 and his Ph.D. in 1969.  He holds an honorary Sc.D. from Manhattan College, New York. He is an Honorary Member of ASME, a Fellow of IIE.  Belden is a registered professional engineer in California.

UEF 2016 Grants

DiscoverE
$77,000 to DiscoverE, to strengthen and expand DiscoverE’s suite of hands-on activities, career resources, and online trainings to help volunteers and educators effectively engage K-12 students in engineering.

Engineering Public Policy Symposium
$28,000 to ASME for a collaborative effort among a large number of engineering societies including ASCE, AIChE, AIME, ASME and IEEE-USA to host an Engineering Public Policy Symposium in 2016.

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    Dream Big! Engineering Wonders of the World
    $337,000 to ASCE, to build an engineering outreach program targeted towards informal educators at science centers and museums as a critical component of Dream Big! Engineering Wonders of the World an IMAX film and educational project.

    Engineering for Change
    $250,000 to ASME, IEEE and Engineering for Change (with a large group of participating societies) to support the next phase of development efforts for Engineering for Change Solutions Library 2.0.

    National Society of Black Engineers
    $82,000 to the National Society of Black Engineers, to support The 50K Coalition host a two-day convening to promote diversity in the Field of Engineering.

UEF 2015 Grants

Dream Big: Engineering Wonders of the World – IMAX film
$95,000 – Convene an Educational Symposium in Washington, DC to bring together educational staff from science centers and museums nationwide, as well as representatives from national and chapter-level engineering organizations to:

  • increase professional capacities to communicate engineering messages and concepts to the public,
  • iterate the development of the outreach programs, and
  • inform the creation of a toolkit to increase the capacity of all science centers to communicate
  • effectively about engineering.
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    Engineering Public Policy Symposium
    $28,000 – Approximately 100 leaders from over 40 engineering organizations – including the President, President-Elect and Executive Directors from the sponsoring organizations – attended the event which address important public policy issues facing society.

    Development of an Engineering Intersociety Web Platform
    $124,000 – Support the launch of the IEEE Global History Network (GHN) to accommodate pan-engineering content and recruit other engineering societies to join in this endeavor, in order to move toward the vision of a true pan-engineering site.

    DiscoverE Educator Recognition Platform
    $68,750 – DiscoverE (National Engineers Week) Increase program participation in the DiscoverE Educator Awards among educators, engineers, and college engineering students, while increasing the public awareness of these amazing educators that are inspiring kids to discover engineering.

    Creating an Engineering Competency Model
    $50,000 – Developing an engineering competency model was identified as a key priority by the American Association of Engineering Societies’ (AAES’) Lifelong Learning Working Group (“working group”) to help educators, employers, professionals and future engineers understand the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the workplace.

    Engineering for Change Projects
    $100,000 – Support development efforts for E4C’s three signature programs and the E4C 2.0 website. These three signature programs include: the E4C Webinar Series, the E4C Appropriate Solutions Evaluation Program (ASEP), and the E4C News Plus program.

    Designing for Disaster Teaching Kit
    $74,400 – National Building Museum – The nationwide dissemination of an engineering-centered “Designing for Disaster Teaching Kit,” created with UEF funds in 2013. Elevating, enriching, and expanding STEM opportunities for students throughout the United States, the teaching kit inspired by an eponymous exhibition that opened at the Museum in 2014, charts the impact of natural disasters, casts teens in the role of forensic engineers, and offers vivid examples of how engineers and designers directly engage with their communities to help save lives.

    “The Next MacGyver” Potential Screenplay
    $147,850 – National Academy of Engineering – The project sought ideas for a scripted television show featuring a female engineer character in a leading role. The goal of the competition is to create a TV series that inspires young people, especially women, to pursue careers in engineering.

    Engineering Strategies for a Sustainable Food Supply Chain
    $62,000 – Develop a workshop to address the global inefficiencies of the food supply chain. These inefficiencies lead to vast amounts of food loss and waste, with associated losses in natural, energy, and water resources, while resulting in adverse environmental and climate impacts. The solutions to these problems will need to be multi-faceted, with engineers playing a lead role in advancing the technological breakthroughs that will create economic drivers.

UEF 2014 Grants

Engineering Public Policy Symposium

Dream Big: Engineering Wonders of the World – IMAX

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    Development of an Engineering Intersociety History Web Platform

    Invenciones de la Inventiva ‘ “Engines of Our Ingenuity

    Enhancing Engineering for Change – Webinar Series

    Sustainable Energy R&D for Unconventional Oil & Shale Gas Production

    Land Divided, World United, Building the Panama Canal Centennial Website

UEF 2013 Grants

Engineering Public Policy Symposium

Engineering for Change: Acceleration, News & Networking

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    Engineering Solutions to Major Water Challenges Workshop

    United Web Platform for History of Technology & Engineering

    Inspire Innovation: National Engineers Week Toolkit

    Designing for Disaster Youth Curriculum Program Kit

    Bridging the Climate Change/Engineering Gap Webinar

    Professional Responsibility & Standards of Practice Ethics Video

    Implementation of AAES & Engineering Societies Planning

    Emerging Leaders Alliance Program Sustainability

    Engines of Our Ingenuity Continued Development

UEF 2012 Grants

Exploration of Impact of STEM Funding

Development of a Shared Vision for Engineering Societies

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    WGBH – Design Squad: Informal Pathways to Engineering

    NAE “Changing the Conversation” Effectiveness Study

    Engineering for Change (E4C) Projects

    Engineering Public Policy Symposium

    Sustainability Metrics and Assessment Techniques

    Invenciones de la Inventiva – “Engines of Our Ingenuity” Development