NCE Grand Challenges Scholars Program

Newark College of Engineering has recently launched Grand Challenges Scholars Program based on the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) – Fourteen Grand Challenges for Engineering (http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/challenges.aspx). The NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering, created in 2008, presented an aspirational vision of what engineering needs to deliver to all people on the planet in the 21st century. In just 15 words, the vision it calls for is:

The NCE Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP) offers NJIT students a unique opportunity to contribute towards meeting one or more of the fourteen grand challenges for engineering while meeting program competencies – multidisciplinary, talent (research/creative), business/entrepreneurship, and global dimension (multicultural and social consciousness). Students will pick from one of the four themes outlined for NJIT and tie it in their work towards meeting the competencies. NJIT picked Sustainability, Health, Security, and the Joy of Living as the four themes from which students can pick one. The program competencies and themes are central to NJIT’s core values, namely, Excellence, Integrity, Civility, Social Responsibility, Diversity, and Communication. Although the program serves primarily students of engineering and science, it has additional impact on community beneficiaries outside of NJIT.

Among the activities organized by the program are student projects within NJIT and the school’s external environment (especially the neighborhoods of Newark, New Jersey). These projects are meant to achieve the following goals:  

1. Improve understanding of engineering and the engineering design process by all constituents 

2. Articulate the societal impact of engineering and exemplify it by activities that benefit the NJIT environment and the public in general 

3. Develop understanding and field experience with elements of management, business, budgeting and entrepreneurship associated with engineering projects

4. Provide participants with a window toward activities in disciplines other than their own

5. Strengthen the bonds between NJIT and its neighboring communities using engineering projects as a vehicle.

This is a major undertaking at NCE. Several new courses and opportunities have been developed for GCSP students to benefit from and more will be added as needed. In addition, students will have the opportunity to engage with NCE research faculty whose research areas overlap with one or more of the fourteen grand challenges of engineering. The program was launched in spring 2020 with an inaugural cohort of 12 students and 17 additional students joined in Spring 2021.

Fourteen Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century

Program Themes

• Sustainability
• Health
• Security
• Joy of Living 

Program Competencies

• Talent (Research/Creative)
• Multidisciplinary
• Viable business/entrepreneurship
• Global Dimension
  • Multicultural understanding
  • Social consciousness

Program Benefits

• Recognition on the NAE website.
• GC Scholar status will be identified on the official NJIT transcript (through the Engineering Grand Challenges Minor).
• Certificate of completion and a graduation medal will be awarded annually.
• Each participating class will work together with the Grand Challenges Scholars Club to design and 3-D print a special memento in the NJIT makerspace, to be given to the students on the successful completion of the program. 

Engineering Grand Challenges Minor at NJIT

GCSP Requirements and Application Process

Nominated and eligible students are invited to an information session during fall semester. Students will learn about the program and the application process.

• Students must submit a letter of interest stating why they are interested in the program. Additionally, a letter of support is needed from the student’s FED 101 instructor (or from the instructor of equivalent first year course in the student’s major). 

• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (In some special cases, students with a GPA >2.5 will also be considered) must be maintained. 

• Selected students must register for ENGR290: Perspectives of the Grand Challenges and receive the satisfactory grade.

• Make satisfactory progress towards completing the GCSP including completion of all required elements and successfully complete all GCSP courses (D or better grade in each course).

• The GCSP steering committee will evaluate all applications on the basis of students meeting the program requirements, quality of the letter of interest as well as the support letter(s). 

• The GCSP director will identify reviewers from among the committee based on applicants major and the grand challenge(s) they are interested in. FED101 instructors will recommend students for the program and these students will be invited to an information session and will be encouraged to submit an application. 

Steering Committee

The steering committee established in Spring 2020 has the following members:

Contact Information