GRAND CHALLENGES
RESOURCE CENTER
Grand Challenges are important, unsolved problems that have widespread impact. The Grand Challenges Resource Center is a curation of past IQP work organized by challenge. While designing their own IQPs with their advisors, students should look here for insight into past work.
GRAND CHALLENGES RESOURCES
Explore resources and projects
working with indigenous communities
It is important for non-indigenous people working with indigenous communities to recognize how powerful and destructive Western science has often been for indigenous peoples and to be conscious of not misappropriating indigenous concepts.
Improving Gender Equality
The issue of gender inequality is still prevelant. These projects support equality by identifying opportunities and resources for women, and sharing female perspectives.
Providing access to clean water
Many communities experience clean water scarcity. As a resource essential to sustaining human life, developing solutions for improving clean water accessibility is a crucial engineering task.
Understanding worcester's foodscapes
Urban agriculture has the potential to improve food security in the city of Worcester. Potential sites for food production have been identified and policy decisions regarding food, health, and city planning have been informed.
Fighting food insecurity
In these projects, students work with organizations to fight food insecurity by increasing food recovery, managing food waste, and promoting food sovereignty.
Preserving and Promoting art and culture through technology
Technology can enhance existing museum exhibits by increasing visitor engagement and allowing museums to showcase artifacts that can not be physically put on display using virtual reality technology.
supporting food production networks
There has been an increased demand for local food across the United States. These projects promote healthy, local agriculture by helping to create direct-to-consumer avenues for local food suppliers or farms.
Design for sustainable food future
Bioshelters and greenhouses use energy saving designs to improve the sustainability of local food production systems, address food security issues in low income neighborhoods, and foster community development.
Identifying renewable energy resources
As the harmful effects of climate change escalate, engineers must search for more sustainable sources of energy. The feasibility of renewable energy sources must be evaluated for different locations to find practical solutions.
Building Sustainable Infrastructure
Many communities experience clean water scarcity. As a resource essential to sustaining human life, developing solutions for improving clean water accessibility is a crucial engineering task.
Enhancing stem education
Introducing science, technology, engineering and math in primary education is important for increasing exposure to engineering materials, creating more interest in science, and developing critical skills early in life.
communities monitoring and understanding microplastics
The chemical properties of plastic make it a threat to marine biodiversity when it is improperly disposed of. Creating a monitoring method to track changes in microplastic pollution is a first step in supporting healthy marine ecosystems.
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