This year marks five years of Engineering for One Planet (EOP) — a milestone that fills me with gratitude and hope. We launched EOP with a goal to transform engineering education so all future engineers would gain the skill sets and mindsets to protect and improve our planet and our lives. At the time, this was nothing more than a lofty aspiration, and our approach was humble.
In 2020 — in the middle of a pandemic — we funded five small pilot grants. The only requirements? Test the draft EOP Framework and create or modify one course within two years.
The trailblazing teams from Arizona State University, Oregon State University, University of Central Florida, University of Maryland, and Villanova University added EOP sustainability learning outcomes into 61 courses, including 50 required courses, impacting 6,000 students. They proved that lofty aspirations can also be achievable. As Margaret Mead famously stated, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Today, EOP has taken root in thousands of classrooms around the world and across dozens of engineering disciplines, from aerospace to software engineering, thanks to the passion and commitment of thousands of educators and collaborators.
I’m honored to have been part of co-creating this movement, deeply inspired by what we’ve built together, and excited for what’s ahead.
– Cindy Pereira Cooper, Senior Program Officer, The Lemelson Foundation
19 Join EOP Student Ambassador Pilot Program
This fall, Engineering for One Planet welcomed 19 new students to the EOP Network, EOP’s action collaborative. These students make up the first cohort who are participating in EOP’s Student Ambassador Pilot Program. These ambassadors will advocate for the integration of sustainability-focused curriculum into their respective engineering programs with the help of the EOP Framework, teaching tools, and the support of the program, peers, and network colleagues
Marjan Eggermont, EOP Framework contributor and Professor (Teaching) in the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary, received the 2025 Quanser Global Sustainability Award at the annual WEEF-GEDC in September on behalf of her interdisciplinary team that used the EOP Framework to create the Sustainable Systems Engineering program, launched in 2023.
Did you know that Cindy Anderson, EOP co-founder and Strategy Consultant, was a polar seabird biologist before her “aha” moment that shifted her professional focus to integrating sustainability into higher education? The Lemelson Foundation interviewed Cindy about her unconventional career path from the Arctic to EOP ambassador.
Your 2026 Wish for Our Planet, Community, & Future
Share your Engineering for One Planet Wish for 2026! It can be specific to EOP — like a resource, event, or offering — or it can be for the world or for yourself. Feel free to include your email address (optional) so we can follow up with you.
Award Updates & Opportunities
Apply: U.S. National Science Foundation-Lemelson Grants
Applications are open for the NSF-Lemelson Foundation EOP grants through the Research in the Formation of Engineers program. Ideas for innovative curricular development or research are encouraged.
Applications for Cohort V of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Engineering for One Planet Mini-Grant Program (EOP-MGP) are open. Faculty teams will be awarded $8,000 and provided with expert mentorship on how to use the EOP Framework to pursue new ways to integrate social and environmental sustainability into their curricula. The program launched in 2022, and to date has had four cohorts and 69 awardees.
We’re excited to announce the third year of the ABET and The Lemelson Foundation Engineering for One Planet Innovation in Sustainability Award. This is your chance to tell the world how an individual, program, or institution is integrating sustainability into engineering education in innovative and large-scale ways. Nominations are due April 20, 2026.
June 1-4, 2026, Villanova University, Philadelphia, PA
Gain hands-on experience applying the EOP Framework, foundational sustainability knowledge tailored for engineering, peer collaboration, idea exchanges with faculty nationwide, and a new syllabus and learning tools aligned with EOP principles.
Meet the educators, institutions, and innovators advancing sustainability in engineering. Explore the full list of EOP grantees and the impact they’re making across the field.
March 8-10, 2026, Chicago, IL
Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit
Second Nature’s Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit brings together higher education leaders committed to addressing the climate crisis. Cindy Cooper will be participating in the plenary: “Funding Higher Education’s Climate Action: How Can Philanthropy Step Up During Uncertain Times?”
March 18-22, 2026, New Orleans, LA
HBCU Climate Change Conference
Connect with students, faculty, community leaders, and climate professionals to learn about fostering environmental justice for a more sustainable future.
April 9-12, 2026, Austin, TX
Engineers For A Sustainable World Conference
Join hundreds of engineering students, faculty, and practitioners passionate about finding solutions to the world’s most pressing problems
From the SEFI Annual Conference in Finland to the Advancing Indigenous People in STEM (AISES) National Conference in Minnesota, EOP attended events across the country and world. Read more below for a recap of where we brought our message of sustainability in engineering.
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