Thanks to the generosity of our donors who understand the importance of unrestricted giving, the IEEE Foundation was able to commit support from its General Fund to the following special initiatives in 2008.

Solar Bug Tugs – US$3,000
Fayetteville Public Library and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
This grant supports a program to bring pre-university students ages 10 to 18 in Fayetteville, Arkansas together with students from the University of Arkansas to learn more about engineering and solar power. Eight teams of youth partnered with college students will work together to build a solar powered amphibious vehicle to compete in a race at the Fayetteville Public Library. The goal of this project is to engage pre-university students in a hands-on activity that will increase their interest and understanding of solar power and the field of engineering.

Technologies that Connect to Life Project Contest – US$29,464.11
IEEE Turkey Section Student Branches
The goal of the Technologies that Connect to Life Project Contest (TCL) is to raise the awareness amongst university students in about the needs of people with disabilities. TCL will use the grant provided by the IEEE Foundation to launch a contest that will recognize and reward the best senior projects that use science and technology to improve the daily lives of people with disabilities. Projects will be judged and eliminated in two phases, and the top three projects will be announced and awarded prizes during a June 2008 ceremony.

Palm Bay Charter Technology Development Program – US$4,000
Palm Bay Community Charter School, Palm Bay, Florida, USA
This grant will help support the Technology Student Association (TSA) at Palm Bay Community Charter School for the next three years. The purpose of the TSA is to establish and maintain an educational program for students ages 5 to 14. The program will expose them to technology at an early age, promoting their interest in engineering and related fields in the future. The first project, to be completed in 2008, is to build and operate a Lego Mindstorms NXT robot. The students will be assisted by adult teachers, IEEE local chapter members and volunteers.

Re-house NMAH Electricity Collections, Final Phase – US$47,440.56
Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.
In 1999, staff and volunteers of the National Museum of American History’s Electricity Collections began a multi-faceted program to inspect, digitize and inventory its holdings, which have been stored on open shelves since the 1960’s. To properly preserve these important historical artifacts, it is important to house them in cabinets and not on shelves. This grant will purchase eighteen new cabinets and provide the much needed storage space for these artifacts. The artifacts include objects from Edison’s Menlo Park lab, early magnetic recording devices, electrical appliances, and other items of interest to the IEEE membership.

Engineering Exploring Program Robotics Project – US$1,200
Engineering Exploring Program at Lockheed Martin, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
The Engineering Exploring Program at Lockheed Martin is an extra-curricular activity for students ages 14 to 18 from the Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA area who have an interest in computers, robotics, rockets, and engineering. Working in teams, teenagers in the program create an autonomous robot and compete in two events against teams from around the United States and the world at the Botball competition. Recently, this activity has experienced a significant increase in participation. This grant will provide the means for a third team to participate in the Botball Educational Robotics Program.

Problem Solving Web Forum – US$20,000
IEEE Lebanon Section
This project will fund the creation of a web forum for students (at all levels) and their instructors to share math and science problems, solicit solutions and comments, and collaborate via the Internet. The site will be designed to allow students from around the globe to post problems and solutions as well as discuss problems. It will also provide a set of problems that instructors can use in their course work or to challenge students.

Towards University – US$7,245
Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey
Towards University will introduce high school students in Turkey to engineering as a possible career choice. The program has two parts. In the first part, representatives from Bilkent University will visit high schools around Turkey speaking to over 2,000 students about engineering and college. In the second part of the program, 50 students selected from high schools around Turkey will visit Bilkent University to experience university life and participate in labs, workshops, conferences, tours and games.

Workshop Robotics at School – US$30,000
IEEE Morelos Section
This grant will support the promotion and understanding science and engineering in schools across Mexico through a “learning through play” robotics project. The project will begin with the creation of training packages explaining the project which will be delivered to secondary education teachers and students. The next part of the project will center on the schools building the robots. The culmination of the project will be a conference organized to present the robots and results from the projects.

IEEE emeritbadges.org Project – US$30,000
IEEE Richmond Section
The mission of the IEEE emeritbadges.org Project is to provide a global non-discriminatory pre-university technology education program for boys and girls. This grant will partially support the IEEE emeritbadge.org Project’s activities during the years 2008 through 2010. Activities to be undertaken include hosting booths at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree and the 2008 Girl Scout National Council Session/ 51st Convention, developing instructional materials and kits for Boy and Girl Scouts and improving the emeritbadges.org website.

IEEE Medal of Honor - US$60,000
IEEE
Established in 1917, the IEEE Medal of Honor is the highest award bestowed by the IEEE. The Medal celebrates and honors an exceptional engineer who has dedicated his/her life to improving the world by recognizing a singular achievement or an extraordinary career in the fields of interest of the IEEE. The award consists of a gold medal, bronze replica, certificate and honorarium.

IEEE Founders Medal - US$15,000
IEEE
This award recognizes that leadership is as important to professional progress as technical ability. Established in 1952, the IEEE Founders Medal is awarded for major contributions in the leadership, planning and administration of affairs of great value to the electrical and electronics engineering profession. The award consists of a gold medal, bronze replica, certificate and honorarium.

IEEE Haraden Pratt Award - US$9,000
IEEE
Named in honor of Haraden Pratt, an exceptional IEEE volunteer who gave 31 years of dedicated and distinguished service to the IEEE, this Award recognizes outstanding service to the Institute. The IEEE Haraden Pratt Award consists of a bronze medal, certificate, and honorarium.