The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The initiative seeks to deepen understanding of the formal and informal processes through which people become engineers, emphasizing ethical practices and the profession's responsiveness to national priorities and workforce needs. It encourages introductions to engineering across various ages and stages, nurturing deep technical skills, developing professional identities, and encouraging acculturation within engineering standards and norms. The Research in the Formation of Engineers (RFE) program aims to transform the engineering formation system by funding Research Projects that explore fundamental aspects of professional formation and Design and Development Projects that innovate on processes of becoming an engineer. Projects should demonstrate potential broad impacts and propose mechanisms for translating research outcomes into widespread practice. Through focusing on areas such as lifelong learning, education research impacts, culture change, education at various levels, transitions between education levels, the engineering-public relationship, and the integration of emerging technologies, the initiative supports comprehensive research and development efforts to create inclusive and responsive engineering education and practice landscapes.