ACEC Kansas is proud to announce that the ACEC Research Institute has awarded $30,000 in scholarships to students in Kansas this year. The scholarships, made possible by generous donors, aim to make engineering careers more accessible to students and address the engineering workforce shortage facing the industry.

Scholarship winners this year were:

• Gwyn Roberts, Kansas State University
  IMEG Engineering Scholarship, $10,000
• Eric Perez Galeana, Kansas State University
• • NCEES Professional Licensure Scholarship, $5,000
  • Kimley-Horn Diversity in STEM Scholarship, $5,000

Mike Carragher, chair of the ACEC Research Institute, highlighted the importance of these scholarships in encouraging the next generation of engineers. “The ACEC Research Institute is committed to supporting students who are passionate about engineering but may face financial challenges. By providing these scholarships, we are investing in the future of our profession and ensuring that talented individuals are empowered to pursue their dreams.”

The scholarships are given to a diverse group of students who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, and a dedication to the field of engineering. This initiative is part of the ACEC Research Institute’s broader effort to address the current shortage of engineers that are critically needed to solve complex challenges. In total, the ACEC Research Institute provided nearly $700,000 to 97 deserving students this year.

“Engineering is at the heart of solving many of today’s most pressing challenges,” Carragher continued. “By making engineering education more accessible, we are not only helping individual students but also strengthening the entire industry. These scholarships will help ensure that we have a robust pipeline of skilled engineers ready to tackle the complex issues of tomorrow.”

These students will help grow the cadre of engineers that work every day to design infrastructure that makes transportation safer, create solutions to improve our environment, and design buildings that reduce our impact on the climate now and into the future.

The ACEC Research Institute’s scholarship program is just one of many initiatives aimed at supporting the engineering community. Through original research, economic analysis and thought leadership, the Institute is dedicated to advancing the engineering profession and promoting its critical role in society.

For more information about the ACEC Research Institute’s scholarship program and other initiatives, please visit ACEC Research Institute.

As we continue our work in partnership to advance all parts of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) – I am pleased to announce that the US DOT has just launched a new informational portal that should provide good help to understand the various programs contained in BIL - and provide information on upcoming grant opportunities.   The DOT Navigator https://www.transportation.gov/dot-navigator  is a new “one-stop shop” that provides essential information to help our stakeholders and communities apply for grants, identify existing resources, and answer questions on how to connect with funding opportunities provided through BIL.  It provides an array of resources across the Department designed to provide technical assistance and help stakeholders navigate the grant application, transportation planning, project delivery, funding and financing, and implementation processes.  There are specific focus areas included in this portal to provide informational assistance based upon the type of stakeholder – such as State DOTs, Local Governments, Tribal Nations, MPOs, Transit Agencies, and Other Transportation Stakeholders such as Non-Profits, etc.

 

I encourage you all to check it out as we work to implement the BIL’s once-in-a-generation investment in our National Infrastructure that will help grow the economy, enhance U.S. competitiveness, create good jobs, and build a Safe, Resilient, and Equitable transportation future!

Upcoming Competitive Grant Opportunities

The U.S. DOT has posted a schedule of anticipated grant funding opportunities in the coming months. This list should offer a little more predictability on the timing of grant applications for various transportation programs under the IIJA.

Click here for the notice. The list is not comprehensive but includes many programs of interest, including Bridge Investment, Railroad Crossing Elimination, Safe Streets, Culvert Removal and Restoration, and Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements, among many others. The notice will be updated with additional programs and dates.

Also, just a reminder about the $2.9 billion currently available in competitive grants for major projects under three combined multimodal programs - Mega, Rural, and INFRA.  Those applications are due May 23. Click here for the announcement and links to fact sheets, instructional webinars for applicants, and FAQs.

 

State Highway and Transit Funding Distribution

Following enactment of the final appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2022, last week the U.S. DOT published the official apportionments of highway and transit formula funds to state and local governments.

The Federal Highway Administration notice is here.  (Scroll to the bottom of the page for the state-by-state funding table.)

The Federal Transit Administration announcement is here.  (The notice includes links to the state totals and specific amounts for local urbanized areas.) 

Please click here to view the updated ACEC RT Brochure that includes the newly rolled out Participant Advise Service through CAPTRUST.  

ACEC RT members gain a competitive advantage with a best-in-class retirement plan they can't get from any source but the ACEC Retirement Trust.

The ACEC Retirement Trust is a full-service retirement vehicle for participants up to retirement and beyond. When you’re a member of the ACEC Retirement Trust, each of your participants gets an extraordinary benefit included in our low fee: access to personalized consultations with a financial advisor from CAPTRUST, the premier firm that is the Trust’s own financial advisory partner.

The Retirement Trust was voted 100% satisfaction by ACEC member firms in the recent ACEC survey.