IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: Revolutionizing Engineering Departments
🏛 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for engineering departments and institutions seeking to transform undergraduate engineering education. Two- and four-year institutions accredited in the US may apply, including community colleges. Principal investigators must be department chairs or equivalent leaders with authority to drive departmental change; senior leaders (deans, provosts) may lead if chairs cannot support the proposed changes.
All eligible institutions may apply to any track matching their goals. Track 1 (Planning) specifically targets two-year programs, EPSCoR jurisdictions, Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, and institutions expanding diversity in engineering. Tracks 2-4 are open to all eligible institutions.
Projects must focus on transforming undergraduate engineering education through organizational, cultural, structural, or pedagogical changes. Teams typically include students, faculty, staff, and industry partners.
Not the right fit? Find grants for your organization in 5 questions →
Program description
Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (hereinafter referred to as RED) is designed to build upon previous efforts in engineering education research. Specifically, previous and ongoing evaluations of the NSF Engineering Education and Centers Division program and its predecessors, as well as those related programs in the Directorate for STEM Education, have shown that prior investments have significantly improved the first year of engineering students’ experiences, incorporating engineering material, active learning approaches, design instruction, and a broad introduction to professional skills and a sense of professional practice – giving students an idea of what it means to become an engineer. Similarly, the senior year has seen notable change through capstone design experiences, which ask students to synthesize the technical knowledge, skills, and abilities they have gained with professional capacities, using reflective judgment to make decisions and communicate these effectively. However, this ideal of the senior year has not yet been fully realized, because many of the competencies required in capstone design, or required of professional engineers, are only partially introduced in the first year and not carried forward with significant emphasis through the sophomore and junior years.
The Directorates for Engineering (ENG) and STEM Education (EDU) are funding projects as part of the RED program, in alignment with the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) framework and Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) initiative. These projects are designing revolutionary new approaches to engineering education, ranging from changing the canon of engineering to fundamentally altering the way courses are structured to creating new departmental structures and educational collaborations with industry. A common thread across these projects is a focus on organizational and cultural change within the departments, involving students, faculty, staff, and industry in rethinking what it means to provide an engineering program.
In order to continue to catalyze revolutionary approaches, while expanding the reach of those that have proved efficacious in particular contexts, the RED program supports four tracks: RED Planning (Track 1), RED Adaptation and Implementation (Track 2), RED Innovation (Track 3), and RED Innovation Partnerships (Track 4). Two- and four-year institutions are encouraged to submit to any track as appropriate for their goals and context.
RED Planning (Track 1) projects will support capacity-building activities at institutions of special interest to NSF’s mission, specifically two-year engineering-centered programs building transfer partnerships, two-year or four-year institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions, Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)seeking to level the number of degrees acrossof the full spectrum of diverse talent in engineering. Planning projects should provide the support for such institutions to explore the development of a RED Projects in Tracks 2, 3, & 4.
RED Adaptation and Implementation (Track 2) projects will adapt and implement evidence-based organizational change strategies and actions to the local context, which helps propagate this transformation of undergraduate engineering education.
RED Innovation (Track 3) projects will develop new, revolutionary approaches and change strategies that enable the transformation of undergraduate engineering education.
RED Innovation Partnerships (Track 4) projects will achieve the same goals as Track 3 projects across multiple institutions. Of particular interest to this track are projects partnering two-year institutions with other eligible institutions.
Projects in tracks 2, 3, & 4 will include consideration of the cultural, organizational, structural, and pedagogical changes needed to transform one or more departments to ones in which students are engaged, develop their technical and professional skills, and establish identities as professional engineers or technologists. The focus of projects in these tracks should be on the department’s disciplinary courses and program. RED project initiatives are expected to be institutionalized at the end of the funding period.
Proposals are especially encouraged that address areas of increased national interest including but not limited to advanced manufacturing, advanced wireless, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, microelectronics and semiconductors, net zero technologies, sustainability, systems engineering, and quantum engineering.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- NSF PAPPG standard forms (SF-424, NSF cover sheet)
- Project narrative
- Budget and budget justification
- Letter from senior institutional leadership (justifying PI qualifications if not a department chair)
- Institutional commitment letter(s) for partner institutions
- Evaluation plan
Program contact
- 👤 U.S. National Science Foundation
- 📧 grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
- 📞 703-292-4203
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 47.041 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$41,946,862
-
$39,155,237
-
$38,277,956
-
$37,936,436
-
$36,940,111
-
$36,277,271
-
$36,183,087
-
$32,471,912
-
$32,414,114
-
$31,561,058
Top States by Funding
- TX 3 awards $90.6M
- CA 7 awards $85.0M
- IL 5 awards $83.9M
- AZ 2 awards $68.7M
- NC 2 awards $63.3M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 47.041). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $752,230,000 | |
| 2025 | $727,730,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $181,990,000 |
FAQ
Can community colleges apply to this grant?
Yes. Two- and four-year institutions including community colleges accredited and located in the US are eligible. Track 1 is particularly designed for two-year programs building transfer partnerships.
Who can serve as the Principal Investigator?
The PI must be a Department Chair/Head (or equivalent) with authority to lead departmental change. Senior leaders like Deans or Provosts may serve as PI if department chairs cannot support the proposed changes.
What types of projects does this grant fund?
Projects range from planning and adaptation of evidence-based strategies to developing new revolutionary approaches and partnerships. All tracks emphasize organizational and cultural change within engineering departments.
What is the deadline and award range?
The deadline is September 8, 2026 (fixed). Award amounts typically range from $50,000 to $2,000,000 depending on project scope and track.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. Cost-sharing is not required for this grant, making it accessible to institutions with limited matching funds.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Secure strong senior leadership support early. Your PI's institutional authority is critical to demonstrating capacity for the change you propose.
- Align your project scope to the appropriate track: Track 1 for planning, Track 2 for adapting proven strategies, Track 3 for innovation, Track 4 for multi-institution partnerships.
- Include students, faculty, staff, and industry partners in your project design. The grant emphasizes organizational and cultural transformation, not isolated initiatives.
- Document your baseline conditions and set measurable outcomes. NSF will expect evidence that your changes actually transform student engagement and competency development.
- Consider the full student pipeline from first year through senior year. Show how your project closes gaps between introductory and capstone experiences.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Proposals that focus only on curriculum tweaks rather than systemic departmental change often fail. NSF expects revolutionary transformation, not incremental improvements. Applicants without strong departmental or institutional leadership commitment cannot credibly execute multi-year change initiatives. Weak evaluation plans that don't measure impact on student outcomes or departmental culture will undermine competitiveness.
Similar grants
- ROLLING Professional Formation of Engineers — U.S. National Science Foundation
- ROLLING Research in the Formation of Engineers — U.S. National Science Foundation
- CLOSED Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Directorate for STEM Education — U.S. National Science Foundation
- OPEN Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Program — U.S. National Science Foundation
- OPEN Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CyberTraining) — U.S. National Science Foundation