This report responds to a National Science Foundation (NSF) request to provide advice on developing Engineering Research Centers, which NSF described as "on-campus centers that would house cross-disciplinary experimental research activities." In addition to conducting such research, the principal purposes of the centers are to provide a…

This report presents ten recommendations for the radical reconstruction of undergraduate education at research universities in the United States offered by a national commission. Background information is provided in the first three chapters. An overview notes that undergraduates at research universities too often have been shortchanged and that a…

Contains the text of an interview with the director of the Engineering Research Center (ERC) at the University of Delaware. Discusses interdisciplinary engineering research and its effects on traditional academic engineering. Describes the development and progress of the Delaware ERC, including eight recommendations for developing and operating…

Discusses the National Science Foundation's program to establish Engineering Research Centers (ERCs). States that this effort has provided a new impetus to interdisciplinary research efforts on university campuses. Claims that the concept of bringing together industry, academia, and government is necessary in addressing engineering research and…

Reports on the recommendations made by House Representative Don Fuqua (Florida), outgoing chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, regarding science policy in the United States. Includes issues such as research funding, the role of the universities, and the need to develop diverse energy sources. (TW)

This document explores the mission, goals, and underlying philosophy of the National Center for Science Teaching and Learning (NCSTL). The reform of the U.S. educational system, especially in the area of science education, will require a thorough examination of noncurricular, external factors affecting science education. In order to bring about…