Grand Challenge Scholars

Program requirements

The Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP) at the University of Delaware is similar to a major or minor course of study designation. A student may apply to GCSP at the time of admission or may elect to join GCSP anytime during their undergraduate tenure. To be designated as a Grand Challenge Scholar, a student must have satisfied the five curricular components outlined by the national NAE Grand Challenge Scholars Program. These requirements are provided in more detail in the Detailed Program Requirements section. They are:

1. Grand Challenge Project
2. Interdisciplinary Curriculum
3. Entrepreneurship
4. Global Dimension
5. Service Learning

Grand Challenge Project

The purpose of the Grand Challenge Project (GCP) is for the scholar to engage in novel, in-depth work related to the Grand Challenges. To satisfy this requirement, a student must engage with the same project, focused on a Grand Challenge area (Healthcare, Security, Sustainability, and/or Joy of Living), for a substantive time period during their upperclassmen years. The GCP is intended as a capstone experience within the GCSP program and may be satisfied through one of these mechanisms:

Capstone: One of the following capstone (senior) engineering design experience courses at 400-level or above that aligns with one or more Grand Challenge areas (minimum 3 credit hours).

BMEG 450 - Biomedical Engineering Design Credit(s): 6
CHEG 432 - Chemical Process Analysis Credit(s): 3
CIEG 461 - Senior Design Project Credit(s): 2 * complete for 4 credits.
CIEG 491 - Senior Design - Construction Engineering Credit(s): 4
CISC 475 - Software Engineering Principles and Practices Credit(s): 3
CISC 499 - Computer Science Senior Design Project II Credit(s): 3
ELEG 498 - Senior Design I Credit(s): 3
MEEG 401 - Engineering Senior Design Credit(s): 6
MSEG 401 - Design of Materials and Their Application Credit(s): 6
or
Independent Study: 6 credit hours of independent study in the following prefixes: BMEG, CHEG, CIEG, CISC, ELEG, MEEG, MSEG (366 or 466 level), with UD faculty on the same research project that aligns with a NAE Grand Challenge area.
or
Internship: two winter/summer internships that align with a NAE Grand Challenge area, to be approved by the advisor.

Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Given that the Grand Challenges themselves are inherently interdisciplinary, GCSP students must complete a minimum amount of coursework that involves interdisciplinary technical expertise and collaboration.

First Year Experience

2 credit hours of Introduction to Engineering, which inherently requires substantive interdisciplinary collaboration related to Grand Challenges.

EGGG 101 - Introduction to Engineering Credit(s): 2

Additional Coursework

3 credit hours of 300 or 400 level coursework that involves interdisciplinary, project-based teamwork on Grand Challenge issues.

One of the following:

ANTH 382 - Capitalism and Culture Credit(s): 3
ART 307 - Interaction Design Credit(s): 3
CISC 374 - Educational Game Development Credit(s): 3
LEAD 300 - Leadership, Creativity, and Innovation Credit(s): 3
LEAD 411 - Topics in Leadership Dynamics Credit(s): 1-6
MEEG 482 - Clinical Biomechanics Credit(s): 3
MEEG 483 - Orthopaedic Biomechanics Credit(s): 3
MISY 350 - Business Application Development II Credit(s): 3

Entrepreneurship

GCSP students must build awareness and experience in entrepreneurship, defined as the commercialization of a product, process, service, through formal coursework and experiential learning. GCSP students may extend other GCSP core requirements, such as the GCP, into their entrepreneurial experience. The requirements for the entrepreneurship component are:

Coursework

APEC 316 - Economics of Biotechnology and New Technologies Credit(s): 3
or
CISC 356 - Intellectual Property in the Digital Age Credit(s): 3
or
3 credit hours of 300 or 400 level coursework with ENTR course designation.

Additional Requirements

Independent Study: 3 credit hours of independent study in the following prefixes: BMEG, CIEG, CHEG, CISC, ELEG, MEEG, MSEG (366 or 466 level),

Internship: one summer/winter internship, involving active commercialization efforts of new technology in one of the four Grand Challenge areas. Capstone (Senior) engineering design may count towards this requirement so long as the faculty instructor certifies that the project involves a commercialization effort. Please note that a student’s Senior Design project cannot count for both GCP and Entrepreneurship requirements, unless Senior Design is taken as an honors course with an additional individual contribution to the project.

Global Dimension

GCSP students must engage with organizations and/or research and service projects outside of the US. To fulfill this requirement, students must complete:

At least two years of active involvement in student organizations or established Non-Government Organization’s (NGO) that engage with communities outside of the US, e.g., Engineers Without Borders, Red Cross. Student must provide evidence of active involvement as a written statement endorsed by organizational leadership.

Independent Study: 3 credit hours of independent study in the following prefixes: BMEG, CIEG, CHEG, CISC, ELEG, MEEG, MSEG (300 or 400 level), on faculty-supervised research that engages with communities outside of the US.

Internship: one summer/winter internship that engages with communities outside the US. Student must submit a statement describing engagement, which is to be endorsed by the advisor.

Service Learning

GCSP students must also commit to serving their local community, that is, in proximity to UD. To fulfill this requirement, students must complete:

Participation in a faculty directed community-based research project.

At least two years of active involvement in student organizations or established NGO’s that engage with underserved communities in proximity to UD. Student must provide evidence of active involvement as a written statement endorsed by organizational leadership.