The NAE Grand Challenge Scholars Program must include a research experience related to one of the 14 NAE Grand Challenges. View a list of the 14 Grand Challenges.
A student can fulfill this requirement by:
- Completion of an undergraduate research experience with a UT faculty member in his/her laboratory, with a Grand Challenge theme. This experience will be arranged under the rules for engineering independent study courses, that is, a written scope of work document is prepared at the beginning of the project and agreed to by both the student and research mentor. The student may receive technical elective course credit for this work, although the GCSP advisor can approve alternative arrangements that are acceptable to both the student and research mentor. The GCSP advisor will assist the student in making arrangements for the research experience. This experience must result in a mentor approved paper or poster, and student presented results, either at EUReCA (Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement, UT’s annual poster competition for undergraduate research), Undergraduate Research Symposium, or other professional presentation format approved by GCSP advisor.
- Or, completion of an independent design or entrepreneurship project with a Grand Challenge theme. Project must have a mentor who is a UT professor. As above, a mentor approved paper or poster is the end result, and professional presentation of results is expected. In this case, the GCSP advisor must also approve the subject of the project and presentation format.