Grand CHALLENGE Scholars Program

In 2008 The National Academy of Engineering created 14 Grand Challenges for Engineers. These challenges are an aspirational vision of what engineers hope to achieve in the 21st century. In short the vision calls for:

“Continuation of life on the planet, making our world more sustainable, secure, healthy, and joyful.”

With the creation of these 14 Grand Challenges the National Academy of Engineers sparked a global movement led by students, policy makers, and researchers alike to engineer a better world. After a decade since their publication these Grand Challenges continue to capture the imagination and interest of millions and especially of young engineering students.

In 2015 the University of Idaho became one of the first engineering colleges in the nation to develop a program specifically geared at preparing students to address the 14 Grand Challenges put forth by the National Academy of Engineers. In particular, they committed to a decade long initiative to graduate more than 150 “UI Grand Challenge Engineers” prepared with the unique combination of skills, motivation, and leadership to address the Engineering Grand Challenges. The National Academy of Engineers has identified five core competencies that a student must develop to prepare them to address the 14 Grand challenges. In brief these are:

1. Talent Competency: mentored research/creative experience on a Grand Challenge-like topic
2. Multidisciplinary Competency: understanding multidisciplinarity of engineering systems solutions developed through personal engagement
3. Viable Business/Entrepreneurship Competency: understanding, preferably developed though experience, of the necessity of a viable business model for solution implementation
4. Multicultural Competency: understanding different cultures, preferably through multicultural experiences, to ensure cultural acceptance of proposed engineering solutions
5. Social Consciousness Competency: understanding that the engineering solutions should primarily serve people and society reflecting social consciousness

As of April 2018, 49 US Engineering colleges have Grand Challenge Scholars Program approved by the National Academy of Engineering with another 73 in development. Internationally, 7 universities have operational programs with 26 more currently being developed. The number of Grand Challenge Scholars Programs in the US and abroad has tripled in the last year.

One unique feature of the the Grand Challenge Scholars Program at the University of Idaho is the opportunity for students to be mentored by members of the Idaho Academy of Engineers. The unique academy is composed of senior engineers deeply connected to Idaho’s strong legacy of global engineering impact, and who have made substantial contributions to engineering achievement, leadership, education. These leaders have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to improving our world through achievement, high ethical standards and innovation and are excited to help our young Grand Challenge Scholars students do the same.