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Today, the US National Academy of Engineering issued  the "Engineering Grand Challenges "

for the 21st  century. Here is the announcement:

Dear Colleagues,

The NAE asked a diverse and international group of amazingly accomplished and innovative engineers and related scientists and medical doctors to suggest a modest number of grand challenges for 21st century engineering -- challenges that if met would improve the human condition and that they believed could actually be accomplished in the next few decades.   Some are imperative to ensure survival of life on earth, some will make us more secure against both natural and human threats, and all will improve quality of life in our nation and world.

I hope that you will take a look at the MSNBC coverage of the public release of Engineering Grand Challenges, and especially view the brief but powerful video:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23175788/

NAE’s home page also has links to the Engineering Grand Challenges website, which contains the committee’s excellent write-ups of each challenge.  It is also highly interactive to engage the public as well as our members. Here is a direct link:

http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/

We are also posting on YouTube.

We hope these Grand Challenges will inspire the public, policy makers, and especially boys and girls looking ahead to their lives and careers.  We hope that the Challenges will increase awareness of what engineers do and can do.  The Challenges also carry a message that in the 21st century science, engineering, and medicine are highly interdependent and frequently blending together in many ways, and that most of our engineering challenges require a global perspective.

If the recommendations of the National Academies' report Rising Above the Gathering Storm are implemented our nation will be better positioned to meet these Grand Challenges.  We should all work to carry this message to the presidential candidates and to the Congress.

During National Engineer’s Week we established an outstanding website, Engineer Your Life, to provide very lively and helpful information to young women about engineering careers.  

http://www.engineeryourlife.org/

As always I welcome your comments and hope that you will make good use of these tools.

C. Vest, President of NAE