2006 ERC Annual MeetingNovember 29, 2006

Student Leadership Council Retreat

Lynn PrestonLeader of the ERC Program and

Deputy Division Director

Division of Engineering Education and Centers

National Science Foundation

Driving Forces for the NSFEngineering Research Centers Program

Continual innovation is need to keep U.S. industry ahead foreign competitors strength in engineers is wide-spread globally

Globalization is shifting routine engineering jobs offshore, US engineers need to be at the forefront of innovation

Engineering must involve a more diverse spectrum of faculty and students to capture the genius of all people for engineering

Integration of fundamental research with systems and engineering practice produces more competitive engineering graduates

Partnerships between academe and industry speed knowledge/technology transfer and prepare a more competitive future workforce

Engineering Research Centers ProgramGuiding Goals

Create and sustain an integrated, interdisciplinary research culture in partnership with industry to: Advance fundamental engineering knowledge and

engineered systems Educate a globally competitive and diverse

engineering workforce

Key Features of an ERC(A Forcing Function for Culture Change in

Academe)

Long-term, strategic vision for a transforming engineered systems Strategic plan to realize the systems vision Integrated, cross-disciplinary research program, encompassing

fundamental to systems research and proof-of-concept testbeds Education program teams undergraduate and graduate students and

integrates research findings into curricular materials for students and practitioners

Pre-college Outreach motivates students to study engineering and infuses engineering concepts into the pre-college classroom

Partnership with industry and other practitioners formulates, evolves, and strengthens the ERC and speeds technology transfer.

How ERCs Prepare Graduates to be Leaders

Experience in a cross-disciplinary, team oriented culture Experience integrating knowledge and technological innovation Opportunities for project management Opportunities to develop communication skills through

presentations to industry and NSF site visitors Internships in industry and close contact with potential employers Experience explaining engineering concepts to students and

teachers, important for future communications challenges Student Leadership Councils prepare SWOT* analyses of the

performance of their ERCs, communicate impact of ERC on students to ERC “management” and NSF, good training for management

*Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

Comparisons by Member Firms of Performance of ERC Graduates With Non-

ERC Hires

Overall Preparedness to Work in Industry

Breadth of Technical Knowledge

Ability to Work in InterdisciplinaryTeams

Contribution to Firm's Technical Work

Depth of Technical Knowledge

Ability to Integrate Knowledge and Technology to Solve Problems

Ability to Develop Technology

65 70 75 80 85 90%

PerformanceDimension

Percentage of ERC member firms’ representatives rating the former ERC students/graduates hired by their firm as “Better Than” or “Much Better Than” equivalent hires without ERC experience.

SRI International, “Impact on Industry of Interactions with Engineering Research Centers, Dec 2004

Role of an ERC Student Leadership Council

Organizes student activities to fulfill the goals of ERC Program Manages a SWOT analysis process to determine how well the ERC is

achieving its goals from a student perspective Meets with the Director and others on ERC Leadership team to convey the

SLC’s SWOT and determine how to deal with weaknesses/threats Works with the other members of the ERC Leadership team to improve the

ERC Meets with NSF site visit teams to present the SLC’s SWOT, discuss the

strengths and weaknesses of the ERC, and report on progress Works with Education Director to manage student involvement in pre-college

activities Works Industrial Liaison Officer to manage student involvement with

industry/practitioners Facilitates student social activities to build a cohesive ERC team

The SLC SWOT Analysis Process

An Industry Tool for Strategic Improvement:

S - Strengths (Major)W - Weaknesses (Major)O - Opportunities (New Dimensions)

T - Threats (Internal to the ERC)

Student SWOT Analysis Joins ERC Students & NSF in Partnership to

Strengthen an ERC

ERC Program uses post-award oversight to strengthen the ERCs and terminate weak centers

Annual and renewal reviews through NSF site review teams are the primary source of information on the progress of an ERC

Students meet with the site visit team to provide feedback on the progress of the ERC

Student SWOT analysis is the tool for this feedback to NSF and an organized mechanism for feedback to the ERC’s leadership team

SWOT Analysis Process

The SLC members convene ERC students to carry out a SWOT analysis, some do it online

Private meeting of the students Students analyze the strengths of the ERC’s Key

Features (Vision, Strategic Plan, Research, Education, Industrial Collaboration, Leadership & Team, Mgt., Equipment/ Space)

Determine the major strengths Determine the major weaknesses Determine if the ERC is missing opportunities to

capitalize on its strengths to deliver innovations in some key features

Determine if there are any serious weaknesses internal to the ERC that will be threats to its ability to fulfill its vision and goals

SWOT Analysis Process/Format

Narrow down to key key Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

Put them in priority order under each category Prepare four viewgraphs (one for each category,

i.e. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)

Prepare a brief written report with more detail on the bullets, this is for the ERC’s Leadership team

Communicate SWOT findings to the ERC leadership team and to the NSF site visit team during the annual review

To update annually, show progress achieved in dealing with the prior SWOT findings