PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF)

The summary for the PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF) grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the U.S. National Science Foundation, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.
PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF): The PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF) program has two goals: 1) Support research in the Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE), and 2) Increase the community of researchers conducting PFE research. PIs are expected to have little or no experience conducting social science or education research. PFE: RIEF is not intended for established researchers in engineering education or other social science fields to initiate new projects. Those researchers should consider the Research in the Formation of Engineers program (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/rfe-research-formation-engineers). The NSF Engineering (ENG) Directorate has launched a multi-year initiative, the Professional Formation of Engineers, to create and support an innovative and inclusive engineering profession for the 21st Century. Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) refers to the formal and informal education and value systems by which people become engineers. It also includes the ethical responsibility of practicing engineers to sustain and grow the profession. The engineering profession must be responsive to national priorities, grand challenges, and dynamic workforce needs; it must be equally open and accessible to all Americans. Engineering faculty possess both deep technical expertise in their engineering discipline and the primary responsibility for the process of professional formation of future engineers. As such, engineering faculty are in a unique position to help address critical challenges in engineering formation. The Professional Formation of Engineers: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF) program enables engineering faculty who are renowned for teaching, mentoring, or leading educational reform efforts on their campus to develop expertise in conducting engineering education research.
Federal Grant Title: PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF)
Federal Agency Name: U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant Categories: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Type of Opportunity: Discretionary
Funding Opportunity Number: 20-558
Type of Funding: Grant
CFDA Numbers: 47.041
CFDA Descriptions: Information not provided
Current Application Deadline: November 10th, 2026
Original Application Deadline: November 10th, 2026
Posted Date: September 1st, 2026
Creation Date: September 1st, 2026
Archive Date: December 10th, 2026
Total Program Funding: $3,000,000
Maximum Federal Grant Award:
Minimum Federal Grant Award: $200,000
Expected Number of Awards:
Cost Sharing or Matching: No
Last Updated: September 1st, 2026
Applicants Eligible for this Grant
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification.)
Additional Information on Eligibility
*Who May Serve as PI: The PFE: RIEF program is designed to expand the community of engineering faculty equipped to conduct research in professional formation of engineers. At least one (co) PI must be a member of an engineering department AND not have received engineering education or professional formation funding through EEC in the last three years. Submissions from faculty with active disciplinary research programs, or faculty seeking a shift in their research focus, are especially encouraged. The program is not intended to create an additional funding channel for researchers with expertise in social science or education research; such researchers should apply to the Research in the Formation of Engineers program (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/rfe-research-formation-engineers), or other related NSF opportunities.
Link to Full Grant Announcement
NSF Publication 20-558
Grant Announcement Contact
NSF grants.gov support
[email protected]
If you have any problems linking to this funding announcement, please contact the email address above.
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