IREE: Developing Globally Competent Engineering Researchers

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

Purdue University is proposing to establish a robust pilot program that will help identify the critical balance between program cost and quality collaboration. The objective is to pilot and assess selected pathways for a scalable, research-intensive successor to the NSF IREE program that preserves and augments the goals of the inaugural offerings. This project will begin by focusing upon providing recruitment, placement and orientation for a target cohort of approximately 60 NSF grantees who will be traveling for an engineering research experience in the Shanghai region of China. Grantees will be invited to participate in three types of orientations: U.S.-based, China-based and cyber-based. Pre- and post-surveys will be conducted as part of the orientation to assess the economic and professional impact of each. After orientation, participants will conduct research in the Shanghai region as part of one of three placement models: (i) IREE grantees whose international placement was facilitated by the PI; (ii) IREE grantees who conduct research at a group location; and (iii) Other NSF (non-IREE) grantees whose international placement was facilitated by the PI. Once the grantees return, Purdue will host a re-entry conference for participants to gain feedback about their international experience. Through this approach, the Purdue team will pursue the answers to two research questions: (i) Are face-to-face orientations better than online orientations and, if so, are these face-to-face orientations most effective when offered in the U.S. or in the host country? And (ii) How can NSF strike a balance between affordably increasing the scale of its international education/research programs while retaining the quality of each grantee's research/education experience? Potentially Transformative Research: This project treats global engineering competency as an imperative, and uniquely integrates a substantial international research experience with emerging research in engineering education to maximize effectiveness. By defining, offering, and assessing a deliberate portfolio of pathways to prepare for global research experiences, we will provide research-based recommendations for effective programs that will ultimately advance our future science and engineering workforce. The proposed orientation curriculum will also challenge participants to reimagine the boundaries of engineering as they engage the social, cultural, and global dimensions of their work. Intellectual Merit: As global engineering becomes increasingly recognized as integral to professional development, research is needed to determine how to affordably expand these programs without sacrificing research quality. Purdue's Global Professional Practice Programs and the School of Engineering Education will merge their respective expertise to address this "economies of scale" problem. By helping to optimize the number of globally competent engineers, this research will enable productive collaboration on international grand challenges. Broader Impacts: The driving motivation for this project is to ensure global engineering programs such as IREE can have both the broadest and most effective impact possible. Since 2006, three of the PIs have facilitated global engineering experiences for 615 undergraduate and graduate students and established the NSF-funded engineering virtual organization Globalhub.org by leading efforts in the Global Engineering Program (GEP) the Office of Professional Practice (OPP). The unique combination of site-based and cyber-based collaboration will enable our team to explore relevant pathways for providing the highest quality global engineering experience to a large number of participants.