Engineering for One Planet (EOP) strives to equip all engineers with the skills, knowledge, and understanding they need to protect and improve our planet and our lives.
This month, we’ve been celebrating World Engineering Day (March 4) by recognizing the vital role that engineers play in creating a sustainable future. Read this piece about EOP by Cindy Cooper in The Lemelson Foundation’s “Invention Notebook,” and visit us on LinkedIn to see how engineering is critical to achieving every one of the SDGs — as well as to stay up-to-date on all the latest EOP news.
FUNDING & AWARD OPPORTUNITIES
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)-Lemelson Initiative on Environmental and Social Sustainability in Engineering Education is funding EOP-related projects. Those submitted by April 30 will be considered for the current fiscal year. Click here to apply.
The inaugural “ABET and The Lemelson Foundation Engineering for One Planet (EOP) Innovation in Sustainability Award” is accepting applications through April 20. Click here for the nomination kit.
In January, NSF announced the launch of a new $16 million program to help ensure that the development of new technologies consider community and societal wellbeing and mitigate potential harmful effects. The Responsible Design, Development and Deployment of Technologies (ReDDDoT) is a collaboration with five philanthropic partners that will fund projects from multidisciplinary, multi-sector teams that examine and demonstrate responsible design — which is a good potential alignment with EOP-related projects. The deadline is April 8 for proposals. Learn more here.
New Resources
Last month, VentureWell released the EOP Strategic Roadmap (Roadmap) that outlines a vision of how EOP can expand its reach and influence over the next five years.
Based on input from a wide range of community stakeholders, the Roadmap provides guidance on how to reimagine curricula, foster leadership and advocacy, and build a collaborative ecosystem for ensuring all engineering supports a sustainable future. Click here to download it.
A new Sustainability Toolkit was launched by the UK’s Engineering Professors Council (EPC), in collaboration with Siemens, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and Engineers Without Borders – UK. It’s designed to be an open source global resource to assist engineering educators in integrating sustainability-related content into their teaching. Click here to access the Toolkit.
To celebrate the launch of the Sustainability Toolkit, the EPC will host a free webinar on March 18th — open to EPC members and non-members. Additionally, be on the lookout for a series of events that showcase the Toolkit!
Project Drawdown has created guides to help turn every job into a climate-related job. They’ve created a special resource for engineers on how to help make sustainability the industry standard.
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is offering a new resource for faculty seeking to integrate sustainability concepts in their curricula. Applications are open for its Global Sustainability Across the Curriculum Program Development Support Group. Launching in July, it will provide training on how to navigate through key steps — like building a leadership team, securing financial support, and attracting other faculty participants — as well as potential for faculty stipends. Apply here by April 12.
In the News
The Lemelson Foundation announced seven new grantees for EOP, representing higher education institutions across the country who will be putting EOP into practice. Read more about them here.
This sustainably-minded middle school inventor was featured in The Lemelson Foundation’s Invention Notebook. As part of his science fair, Adyant Bhavsar developed a device using a renewable energy source to help monitor wildfires in remote areas. He was awarded the 2023 Lemelson Award for Invention at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge run by Society for Science. Read the article here.
EOP Was There!
EOP at 2024 ASEE’s CIEC Conference
EOP’s Pilot Grant Program was awarded the ASEE Excellence in Engineering Education and Collaboration award at ASEE’s Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration (CIEC). Cindy Cooper accepted the award on behalf of EOP, The Lemelson Foundation, and the five pilot grantees and trailblazing faculty who achieved amazing results implementing the EOP Framework: Arizona State University, Oregon State University, University of Central Florida, University of Maryland, and Villanova University.
Join Us at Upcoming Events
EOP at 2024 VentureWell OPEN
EOP will present a session at this year’s VentureWell OPEN on March 19. Speakers from VentureWell, The Lemelson Foundation, and the American Society for Engineering Education will present EOP’s Strategic Roadmap, as well as emerging experiences from engineering faculty who have used the EOP framework in their teaching. Learn more about this OPEN session and others here.
EOP at the 2024 ASEE PNW Section Conference
Cindy Anderson, EOP Strategy Consultant, will present about the EOP initiative and resources at the ASEE Pacific Northwest (PNW) Section Conference at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, from March 27-29 where the theme of the conference is Indiginzing Engineering Education. Learn more at: ASEE PNW
EOP at the 2024 ABET Symposium – Registration open!
Join us at the ABET Symposium in Tampa, FL, from April 4-5, where Cindy Anderson will lead a workshop about EOP teaching resources that are accessible to all. Register today at: ABET Symposium
EOP at the 2024 IISE Annual Conference – Canada
Catch Cindy Anderson in Montreal, Quebec, from May 18-21 at the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Annual Conference. This is EOP’s inaugural participation in an IISE event and offers the chance to engage with a large audience of professional industrial and systems engineers. Learn more and register at: IISE Annual Conference
EOP at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference – Register today!
Many EOP Network participants and EOP grantees will be at the ASEE 2024 Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon from June 23-26. If you haven’t registered to attend, there is still time! Register today here.
Take Action
Become an EOP Signatory
Have you become an EOP Signatory yet? It only takes five minutes to show your public support. If you need inspiration, see what others members of our community are saying at EOP Signatories – Engineering For One Planet. You might even get profiled on LinkedIn!
Commemorate Global Engineering Day this month by adding your voice as an EOP Signatory.