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NAE Grand Challenges!

The Grand Challenges were first introduced by the NAE in 2008 and are divided into four broad themes. Students are welcome to pursue one of the 14 identified Grand Challenges, but are also encouraged to engage with a theme broadly to identify a unique or unlisted challenge they feel passionate about.

Sustainability

  • Making solar energy economical
  • Providing energy from fusion
  • Developing carbon sequestration methods
  • Managing the nitrogen cycle
  • Providing access to clean water

Security

  • Securing cyberspace
  • Preventing nuclear terror
  • Restoring and improving urban infrastructure

Health

  • Engineering better medicines
  • Advancing health informatics
  • Reverse engineering the brain

Joy of Living

  • Enhancing virtual reality
  • Advancing personalized learning
  • Engineering the tools of scientific discovery
Published on January 13th, 2025Last updated on January 30th, 2025