§ Federal grant opportunity · 20-558
PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF)
U.S. National Science Foundation is accepting applications for PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF). The deadline is November 10, 2026 and the published award range is $200K.
Key facts
- Funder
- U.S. National Science Foundation
- Application deadline
- November 10, 2026
- Award range
- $200K
- Eligibility
- other
- Geography
- United States
- Focus areas
- Science Technology And Other Research And Development
- Opportunity number
- 20-558
Program overview
The PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF) program has two goals: 1) Support research in the Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE), and 2) Increase the community of researchers conducting PFE research. PIs are expected to have little or no experience conducting social science or education research. PFE: RIEF is not intended for established researchers in engineering education or other social science fields to initiate new projects. Those researchers should consider the Research in the Formation of Engineers program ( https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/rfe-research-formation-engineers ). The NSF Engineering (ENG) Directorate has launched a multi-year initiative, the Professional Formation of Engineers, to create and support an innovative and inclusive engineering profession for the 21st Century. Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) refers to the formal and informal education and value systems by which people become engineers. It also includes the ethical responsibility of practicing engineers to sustain and grow the profession. The engineering profession must be responsive to national priorities, grand challenges, and dynamic workforce needs; it must be equally open and accessible to all Americans. Engineering faculty possess both deep technical expertise in their engineering discipline and the primary responsibility for the process of professional formation of future engineers. As such, engineering faculty are in a unique position to help address critical challenges in engineering formation. The Professional Formation of Engineers: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE: RIEF) program enables engineering faculty who are renowned for teaching, mentoring, or leading educational reform efforts on their campus to develop expertise in conducting engineering education research.
How to apply
- Confirm your organization meets the eligibility criteria above.
- Read the full funding opportunity announcement from U.S. National Science Foundation.
- Draft your narrative against the funder's stated priorities and review criteria.
- Submit before November 10, 2026, allowing time for registration and validation.
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