These efforts integrate new knowledge across disciplines, accelerate technology development, and improve the capabilities and diversity of engineering graduates entering the technical workforce. EEC's centers promote partnerships among researchers in different disciplines and between industry and universities. They focus on integrated engineered systems and produce technological innovations that strengthen the competitive position of industry. Their graduates are well-rounded, professionally oriented engineers with a global outlook, experience in technological innovation, and the ability to assume leadership roles in industry, academe, and government. These efforts have infused knowledge of emerging technology into the curriculums across the country and have provided models for systemic reform of the engineering curriculum that have included freshman-year experience with design and product development.
All efforts promote the diversity of the engineering workforce.
ERC's integrate research and education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, producing curriculum innovations derived from the strategic focus of ERC's on engineering systems research. ERC's build partnerships with industry, develop shared infrastructure, and increase the capacity of engineering and science graduates to contribute to U.S. competitiveness. They are supported for up to 10 years to allow the long-term perspective in engineering research and education that is required to produce new technologies and innovative products and services. The centers are university-based but catalyzed by a small investment from NSF and primarily supported by industry members. Center research projects are conducted primarily by graduate student engineers, thereby developing students who know how to conduct industrially relevant research as well as communicate their findings effectively.