DFI is a not-for-profit association that aims to promote understanding and advancement in the deep foundations and excavations construction industry. This is achieved through conferences, publications, and building community engagement. The DFI Educational Trust, established by DFI in 2005, is dedicated to promoting career opportunities within this industry and providing financial support for education to students at high school and college levels pursuing careers in the deep foundations construction field.
The Annual Young Professor Paper Competition hosted by DFI and the DFI Educational Trust supports the connection between academic study and practical application in the deep foundations construction industry. It explicitly encourages submissions on topics like risk assessment, seismic design, ground improvement, and innovation in construction techniques, among others. The competition offers significant rewards, including an invitation for the primary author of the winning paper to present at the DFI Annual Conference on Deep Foundations, accommodation, a travel stipend, publication of the paper, and a library of DFI publications. This initiative not only fosters academic discourse but also aims at advancing practical outcomes and innovations within the deep foundations industry.