US Frontiers of Engineering

The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering is an annual three-day meeting that brings together 100 of the nation's outstanding early-career engineers (within 12 years of final degree--MS or PhD) from industry, academia, and government to discuss pioneering technical and leading-edge research in various engineering fields and industry sectors.

Stay Informed


The program provides an opportunity for top-notch engineers, early in their careers, to learn about cutting-edge developments in fields other than their own, thereby facilitating collaborative work and the transfer of new approaches and techniques across fields. Through both formal sessions and informal discussions, the meetings have proven an effective mechanism for the establishment of cross-disciplinary and cross-sector contacts among this country's future engineering leaders.

Participation is by invitation following a competitive nomination and selection process.

Symposia List
Symposia Year
    • Sep112024
      Upcoming
      Sep 11 2024 - Sep 14 2024
      The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2024 Symposium will be at the National Academies' Beckman Center in Irvine, California, September 11-14. About 100 outstanding early career engineers will meet for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge ...
      Irvine, California
    • Sep102023
      Post Meeting
      Sep 10 2023 - Sep 13 2023
      The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2023 Symposium will be hosted by the University of Colorado Boulder, September 10-13. About 100 outstanding early career engineers will meet for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: ...
      University of Colorado Boulder
      Boulder, Colorado
    • Sep212022
      Post Meeting
      Sep 21 2022 - Sep 23 2022
      The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2022 Symposium was hosted by Amazon September 21-23 at the Grand Hyatt Seattle. About 100 outstanding early career engineers met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: Microbes - the ...
      Seattle, Washington
    • Sep222021
      Post Meeting
      Sep 22 2021 - Sep 24 2021
      The 2021 US Frontiers of Engineering was held September 22-24 at the National Academies' Beckman Center in Irvine, California. About 100 outstanding early career engineers met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: Investigating the Final ...
      Irvine, California
    • Feb252021
      Post Meeting
      Feb 25 2021 - Feb 26 2021
      **This meeting was rescheduled from September 2020**

      The 2020 US Frontiers of Engineering was held virtually, February 25-26, 2021. About 100 outstanding early career engineers met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: Food for ...
      Virtual
      Virtual
    • Sep252019
      Post Meeting
      Sep 25 2019 - Sep 27 2019
      The 2019 US Frontiers of Engineering was hosted by Boeing in North Charleston, South Carolina, September 25-27. About 100 outstanding early career engineers met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: Advanced Manufacturing in the Age of ...
      North Charleston, South Carolina
    • Sep52018
      Post Meeting
      Sep 05 2018 - Sep 07 2018
      The 2018 US Frontiers of Engineering will be hosted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts, September 5-7. About 100 outstanding early career engineers met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: Quantum Computers, ...
      Lexington, Massachusetts
    • Sep252017
      Post Meeting
      Sep 25 2017 - Sep 27 2017
      The 2017 US Frontiers of Engineering was hosted by United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, Connecticut, September 25-27. About 100 outstanding engineers under the age of 45 met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: ...
      East Hartford, Connecticut
    • Sep192016
      Post Meeting
      Sep 19 2016 - Sep 21 2016
      The 2016 US Frontiers of Engineering was held on September 19-21 in Irvine, California. About 100 outstanding engineers under the age of 45 met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: Pixels at Scale, Extreme Engineering, Water ...
      Irvine, California
    • Sep92015
      Post Meeting
      Sep 09 2015 - Sep 11 2015
      The 2015 US Frontiers of Engineering was held on September 9-11, at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center in Irvine, California. About 100 outstanding engineers under the age of 45 met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: Cybersecurity and Privacy, ...
      Irvine, California
    • Sep112014
      Post Meeting
      Sep 11 2014 - Sep 13 2014
      The 2014 US Frontiers of Engineering was held on September 11-13, at the National Academies' Beckman Center in Irvine, California.  About 100 outstanding engineers under the age of 45 met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: ...
      Irvine, California
    • Sep192013
      Post Meeting
      Sep 19 2013 - Sep 21 2013
      The 2013 US Frontiers of Engineering was hosted by DuPont on September 19-21, at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware.  About 100 outstanding engineers under the age of 45 met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four ...
      Wilmington, Delaware
    • Sep132012
      Post Meeting
      Sep 13 2012 - Sep 15 2012
      The 2012 US Frontiers of Engineering was held September 13-15, 2012, at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan.  About 100 outstanding engineers under the age of 45 met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four ...
      Warren, Michigan
    • Sep192011
      Post Meeting
      Sep 19 2011 - Sep 21 2011
      The 2011 US Frontiers of Engineering was held September 19-21, 2011, at Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA.. About 100 outstanding engineers under the age of 45 met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: Additive ...
      Mountain View, CA
    • Sep232010
      Post Meeting
      Sep 23 2010 - Sep 25 2010
      On September 23-25, the 2010 US Frontiers of Engineering took place at IBM Learning Center in Armonk, New York. About 100 outstanding engineers under the age of 45 met for an intensive 2-1/2 day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas: Cloud Computing, Engineering ...
      IBM Learning Center
      Armonk, New York
    • Sep182008
      Post Meeting
      Sep 18 2008 - Sep 20 2008
      The fourteenth annual US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico in September, 2008.  Chaired by Julia M. Phillips, Director, Physical, Chemical, and Nano Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories, the meeting featured sessions on Drug delivery systems, ...
      Sandia National Laboratories/ University of New Mexico
      Albuquerque, New Mexico
    • Sep242007
      Post Meeting
      Sep 24 2007 - Sep 26 2007
      The thirteenth annual US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium was held in September, 2007, in Redmond Washington.  Chaired by Julia M. Phillips of Sandia National Laboratories, the meeting included sessions on Engineering trustworthy computer systems, Control of protein conformations, ...
      Microsoft Research
      Redmond, Washington
    • Sep212006
      Post Meeting
      Sep 21 2006 - Sep 23 2006
      The twelfth annual US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium was held in September, 2006, in Dearborn, Michigan.  Chaired by Julia M. Phillips of Sandia National Laboratories, the meeting included sessions on Intelligent software systems and machines, Nano/bio interfaces, Engineering ...
      Ford Motor Company
      Dearborn, Michigan
    • Sep222005
      Post Meeting
      Sep 22 2005 - Sep 24 2005
      The eleventh annual US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium was held in September, 2005, in Niskayuna, New York.  Chaired by Pablo G. Debenedetti of Princeton University, the meeting included sessions on ID and verification technologies, Engineering for developing communities, ...
      GE Global Research Center
      Niskayuna, New York
Upcoming Symposium
  • 2024 US FOE
    Irvine, California
    September 11 - 14, 2024
Contact Information

For More Information
or Assistance

E-mail: naefrontiers@nae.edu

Mailing Address

National Academy of Engineering
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001