NSF PFE Professional Formation of Engineers Funding Opportunity PD 26-1341

Synopsis

The Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) initiative integrates engineering research and education to improve and expand the nation’s engineering workforce. PFE is defined as the formal and informal processes and value systems by which people become engineers. The goal of PFE is to create an ethical engineering workforce with a global outlook and the ability to adapt to the rapidly evolving technical environment. This will help build a future engineering workforce with the skills to compete in the global marketplace, support emerging technologies, and grow U.S. industry.

PFE supports projects in the ENGINEER program relating to future and current engineers’ training and education in many contexts, including formal classrooms, informal maker spaces, clubs and co-curricular activities, and workplaces. Such training encompasses cooperative education and internships, community-based experiences, and research labs. It also involves many scales of analysis, from mentor/mentee relationships to large-scale online learning and professional development experiences. Engineers must develop and maintain these learning opportunities with clear pathways to and through the profession. Such pathways include formal and informal education, apprenticeships, credentialing, and licensure, and consider relationships with other professionals, technical workers, and community members. Finally, such opportunities include transitions across and within academia and industry. To understand and improve this system requires expertise in both engineering and the social sciences.

Program contacts

Awards made through this program

Browse projects funded by this program

Map of recent awards made through this program

Related programs

• Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
• PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF)
• IUSE/Professional Formation of Engineers: Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (IUSE/PFE: RED)
• Broadening Participation in Engineering (BPE)
• Research in the Formation of Engineers (RFE)

Organization(s)

• Directorate for Engineering (ENG)
• Division of Engineering Education and Centers (ENG/EEC)

Upcoming due dates

Full proposal accepted anytime

Program guidelines

Apply to PD 26-1341 as follows:

Full proposals submitted via Research.gov: NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide proposal preparation guidelines apply.

Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines apply. See Grants.gov Proposal Processing in Research.gov for more information.

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Published:

April 17, 2026