US Frontiers of Engineering
Abstract
The US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium is a 2‐1/2‐day meeting convened annually since 1995 by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The program brings together outstanding engineers (ages 30‐45) from industry, academia, and government to discuss pioneering technical work and leading‐edge research in various engineering fields and industry sectors. Frontiers of Engineering was initiated to provide an opportunity for top‐notch engineers, early in their careers, to learn about cutting‐edge developments in fields other than their own, thereby facilitating collaborative work and the transfer of new approaches and techniques across fields. Through both formal sessions and informal discussions, the meetings have proven an effective mechanism for the establishment of cross‐disciplinary and cross‐sector contacts among future engineering leaders. Approximately 100 engineers attend each year’s meeting, with about 45 from industry, 45 from academia, and 10 from government labs or other entities. Participants are invited to attend following a two‐stage competitive selection process and must possess the following characteristics: be between the ages of 30 and 40 or 45; have demonstrated accomplishment in engineering research and technical work with recognizable contributions to advancing the frontiers of engineering; be interested in engineering developments in other fields and able to consider how advances, techniques, and approaches in those areas relate to the nominee s own field; have potential to be future leaders in the US engineering endeavor. An organizing committee, consisting of distinguished engineers in the same age cohort and appointed by the President of NAE, is responsible for planning the symposium, including selecting topics and speakers. Topics covered at the meeting vary from year to year, with the constant being that presentations are on leading edge engineering developments. The topics at these meetings have included, among others: additive manufacturing, vehicle electrification, engineering sustainable buildings, neuroprosthetics, drug delivery systems, nano/micro photonics, climate engineering, semantic processing, cloud computing, cybersecurity and privacy, optical and mechanical metamaterials, forecasting natural disasters, and engineering the search for Earth‐like exoplanets. Each talk is followed by ample time for questions and lively discussion of the material presented. Break‐out sessions allow for smaller‐group discussion of participants’ research or relevant engineering policy issues. The topics for the 2016 US Frontiers of Engineering meeting are: Pixels at Scale: High‐Performance Computer Graphics and Vision, Technologies for Understanding and Treating Cancer, Water Desalination and Purification, and Extreme Engineering: Extreme Autonomy in Space, Air, Land, and Water. In addition to the contacts established and maintained by individual participants, ongoing contact among Frontiers participants is supported through several mechanisms, including a Frontiers website with features on FOE alumni, a directory, and alumni news blog; receipt by all alumni of each year’s symposium publication; and invitation to serve as organizers or speakers of subsequent symposia. Grants are awarded to individuals who meet at the symposium and develop a joint interdisciplinary research project.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2016
- Source ID
- HR00111510006
Entities
People
- Janet Hunziker
Organizations
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- National Academy of Sciences