This report provides comments and opinions from National Science Foundation (NSF) officials on proposed agency budget cuts which could affect three NSF Directorates: Science and Engineering; Biological, Behavioral, and Social Sciences; and Scientific, Technological, and International Affairs. Specific topics discussed focus on personnel levels,…

A bibliography on sources related to the structuring of the physical environment has been developed based on professional and classroom experience. This initial selection of journals, books, and unpublished papers gives an overview of man and the environmental conditions which are part of his daily living pattern. Information leading to design…

Promotes the use of a practicum technique in which senior engineering level students work on typical company problems in a laboratory setting. Offers suggestions on how to solicit and organize such a university-industry course. (RT)

Traces the changes in the nuclear energy field since World War II, citing distinct periods of growth in the nuclear industry, as well as downtrends. Analyzes the reasons for the changes in public support for nuclear energy and the impact upon careers in the field. (TW)

Describes a course on artificial intelligence (AI) in process engineering taught at Columbia University to chemical engineering students, using an AI methodology known as Knowledge-Based Expert Systems (KBES). Provides a description of the course, the lecture topics, and a synopsis of some of the student projects. (TW)

Laboratory instruction in engineering disciplines in recent years has been adversely affected by a variety of structural problems making it increasingly difficult to provide students with adequate hands-on lab experience on par with the ever expanding requirements of the technical job market. As a possible approach to deal with some of the…

The data presented in the statistical tables in this document represent all categories of direct Federal Science and Engineering (S&E) support to institutions of higher education in the United States. The 15 federal agencies included provided virtually all funding for S&E Research and Development (R&D) at universities and colleges. In addition,…

The data presented in this report were compiled from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) fiscal year 1993 Survey of Scientific and Engineering Expenditures at Universities and Colleges. Surveyed are science and engineering expenditures for separately budgeted research and development. Terms used in institutional accounting procedures are…

The data presented in this report were compiled from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) fiscal year 1994 Survey of Scientific and Engineering Expenditures at Universities and Colleges. Surveyed are science and engineering expenditures for separately budgeted research and development. Terms used in institutional accounting procedures are…

This paper describes a qualitative study regarding the problem of retaining students in college engineering programs where roughly 50% of students drop out. The study focuses on interviews of students who participated in the pre-engineering program at Auburn University in Alabama. Twenty-four students were interviewed representing the sub-groups…

This report presents the results of a review of engineering programs offered at the universities governed by the Board of Regents of the State University System of Florida conducted by a team of engineering consultants. It begins with comments on recent and current trends in engineering employment and education, followed by a discussion of several…

Data in the tables of this publication were derived from the Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, Volume 44, for Fiscal Years 1994-96. They reflect research and development (R&D) funding levels reported by 32 Federal agencies from February through November 1995. R&D totals in the tables are given in both outlays and obligations.…

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) Program is a major effort by NSF to encourage improvements in science, mathematics, and engineering education through comprehensive systemic changes in the educational systems of the states. The SSI Program represents a strategy to strengthen the infrastructure for…

A literature review and two major studies discovered four approaches to job design, each geared toward different sets of outcomes for individual employees and organizations. The motivational approach tries to design jobs to provide the worker with autonomy and the opportunity to make decisions about how or in what order tasks are done. The…

The discipline of software engineering can be extended in a natural way to deal with the issues raised by a systematic approach to the design of human-machine interfaces. The user should be treated as part of the system being designed and projects should be organized to take into account the current lack of a priori knowledge of user interface…