National Academy of Engineering

engineering branch of the United States National Academies

United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE), a private, non-profit institution that was founded in 1964.[1] Election to the NAE is considered the highest achievement in engineering-related fields and often comes as a recognition of a lifetime's worth of accomplishments. The NAE is part of United States National Academies advising the federal government on engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research.

New members of the organization are elected annually by current members composed of senior professionals in business, academia, and government who are among the world’s most accomplished engineers in one or both of the following categories:

  • Engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature.
  • Pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.

The Academy annually awards three prizes that award $500,000 to the winner. In a sense these constitute the "Nobel Prizes of Engineering."[2]


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