ERC History

Search
Skip to content
  • HomePage
    • Front Matter
    • Chapter 1: ERC Program Origins
    • Chapter 2: ERC Program at Startup
    • Chapter 3: ERC Generations -1 to -3: How they Evolved
    • Chapter 4: University Perspective: Formulating, Operating, and Sustaining an ERC
    • Chapter 5: Research
    • Chapter 6: Industrial Collaboration and Advancing Technology
    • Chapter 7: Education and Outreach Programs
    • Chapter 8: Evolution of the ERC Leadership Teams and Post-ERC Careers
      • Center Director Experience Essays Links
    • Chapter 9: NSF Program Management
    • Chapter 10: Major Impacts on Academic Engineering
    • Chapter 11: Impacts on Engineering Research and Technology
    • Chapter 12: Perspectives & Lessons Learned

Center Director Experience Essays Links

University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials (UWEB): Excitement, Innovation, Exasperation, Investment, Opportunities (EIEIO)

Experiences and Learnings from the ERC program

Personal perspective – “looking back”

Leading Magnetics R&D in Academia

My ERC Experiences: Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems

The NSF Engineering Research Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology:  A Director’s Retrospective

The NSF Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems:  A Director’s Retrospective

Perspectives on Leading the CIAN ERC

  • Home
  • Front Matter
    • Preface
    • Acknowledgements
  • Chapter 1: ERC Program Origins
    • Section 1-A: The Historical Context
    • Section 1-B: NSF Pressed to Address National Needs and Competitiveness of Industry
  • Chapter 2: ERC Program at Startup
    • Section 2-A: Initial Formulation of Program Goals and Key Features
    • Section 2-B: Staffing Up
    • Section 2-C: Inventing New Processes at NSF
    • Section 2-D: Energizing the Community Inside and Outside NSF
    • Section 2-E: Did the Class of 1985 Succeed in Starting a “Revolution” on their Campuses?
    • Section 2-F: Lessons Learned From Start-up
  • Chapter 3: ERC Generations -1 to -3: How they Evolved
    • Section 3-A: Gen-1 ERCs and the Evolution of the ERC Construct
    • Section 3-B: Gen-2 ERCs
    • Section 3-C: Gen-3 (Class of 2008– )
  • Chapter 4: University Perspective: Formulating, Operating, and Sustaining an ERC
    • Section 4-A: Stephen W. Director: Thoughts on the ERC Program
    • Section 4-B: Allen Soyster Interview: A Dean’s Perspective
    • Section 4-C: Center Director Perspective
    • Section 4-D: Operating the Center
    • Section 4-E: Sustaining the Center Post-Graduation
  • Chapter 5: Research
    • Section 5-A: Gen-1 (1985–1990)
    • Section 5-B: Gen-2 (1994-2006)
    • Section 5-C: Gen-3
    • Section 5-D: Special Topics that Span the Generations
    • Section 5-E: Lessons Learned
  • Chapter 6: Industrial Collaboration and Advancing Technology
    • Section 6-A: NAE and White House Guidelines
    • Section 6-B: Building Sustained Partnerships with Industry
    • Section 6-C: Membership and Involvement: The Early Years – Gen-1 (1985-1990)
    • Section 6-D: Strengthening the Model in Gen-2: 1994-2000
    • Section 6-E: Transforming the Model for the 21st Century (Gen-2 & Gen 3): 2001–2014
    • Section 6-F: Exemplary ILOs
    • Section 6-G: ERC Students and Faculty Who Achieved Notable Success in Industry
  • Chapter 7: Education and Outreach Programs
    • Section 7-A: NAE and White House Guidelines
    • Section 7-B: Start-up: 1985–1990 (Gen-1)
    • Section 7-C: Broadening the Role of Education in ERCs: 1990-2000
    • Section 7-D: Transforming the Model for the 21st Century: (Gen-2 & Gen 3): 2001–2014
    • Section 7-E: Exemplars
  • Chapter 8: Evolution of the ERC Leadership Teams and Post-ERC Careers
    • Section 8-A: Leadership Team Structure
    • Section 8-B: ERC Leaders Who Achieved Higher-level Academic Administrative Positions
    • Section 8-C: ERC Researchers Who Achieved National High-Level Recognition as Innovators
    • Section 8-D: ERC Leaders Who Attained Success in Industry
    • Section 8-E: ERC Participants Who Achieved Prominent Positions in Government
  • Chapter 9: NSF Program Management
    • Section 9-A: Overall Program Management System
    • Section 9-B: Program Oversight System
    • Section 9-C: Evolution of Program Announcements, Review, Awards, and Agreements
    • Section 9-D: Post-Award Oversight System
    • Section 9-E: Program Budgets/Center Funding
    • Section 9-F: Center Life Span
    • Section 9-G: Configurations of ERCs Over Time
    • Section 9-H: NSF Staff Leadership and Structure: “The Courage to Change the World”
    • Section 9-I: ERC Program Management vis-à-vis Higher NSF Management
    • Section 9-J: Community-building and Program Communications
    • Section 9-K: External Information Dissemination
    • Section 9-L: Diversity Policy, Strategy, and Results
    • Section 9-M: ERC Program Evaluations/Assessments
    • Section 9-N: Lessons Learned
  • Chapter 10: Major Impacts on Academic Engineering
    • Section 10-A: ERCs by the Numbers
    • Section 10-B: Culture Change in Engineering Stimulated by the ERC Program
    • Section 10-C: Impacts on Engineering Education
    • Section 10-D: Conclusions
  • Chapter 11: Impacts on Engineering Research and Technology
    • Section 11-A: Innovative Systems Platforms and Their Impacts
    • Section 11-B: Technology/Innovation Achievements and Impacts
    • Section 11-C: Industrial/Economic Impacts
    • Section 11-D: Perspective
  • Chapter 12: Perspectives & Lessons Learned
    • Section 12-A: Motivation
    • Section 12-B: Delivering on the Challenge
    • Section 12-C: Innovative Program Management Tools
    • Section 12-D: Has the ERC Construct Succeeded?
    • Section 12-E: Lessons Learned by Graduated ERCs
    • Section 12-F: Guidance for Start-up ERC-like Programs
    • Section 12-G: Validation
Suggested citation: Preston, Lynn and Courtland Lewis (2020). Agents of Change: NSF's Engineering Research Centers--A History. Potomac, MD: Lynn Preston Associates LLC.
Proudly powered by WordPress