The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Standards Council is seeking research proposals for its 2022 Small Project/Fellowship Program. Launched in 2014, AISI’s Small Project/Fellowship Program identifies and provides funding for research projects that will significantly impact the reliability, performance and cost-competitiveness of cold-formed steel (CFS) products. The program provides a streamlined mechanism for AISI’s standards development committees (the Committee on Specifications and the Committee on Framing Standards), industry stakeholders, academics and students to collaborate on relatively short-term, highly focused and mutually beneficial projects. 

The small project and fellowship requests should be developed and submitted by a project team that includes a student (if known at the time of submittal), an academic advisor from the student’s academic institution and an industry advisor. Either the academic advisor or industry advisor must be a member of the relevant AISI standards developing committee. Project selections are based on several factors, including: 1) the potential for long-term impact on the industry, 2) steel industry engagement and co-funding, and 3) results for the AISI standards development committees, the student, and the academic institution.  

AISI funding is limited to $10,000 on small projects, which include stated deliverables; and $6,000 on individual fellowships, which do not include overhead expenses. AISI anticipates funding three to six projects in 2022. Project ideas may be generated by the AISI standards developing committee, industry advisor, academic advisor or student. A list of potential project ideas is available from Helen Chen, manager of AISI Construction Standards Development, who can be reached at hchen@steel.org.

Proposals for the 2022 Small Project/Fellowship Program are due to AISI by November 1, 2021. Requests should be submitted via e-mail to Jay Larson, secretary of the AISI Standards Council, at jlarson@steel.org. Winning projects will be determined and announced by the AISI Standards Council by January 15, 2022.  

AISI’s Standards Council initiates cold-formed steel standards development projects and maintains accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). AISI has a long history of supporting academic research in pursuit of its standards development objectives. These efforts have generally been driven by the AISI standards developing committees and focused on stakeholder objectives. AISI understands that the effective engagement of academics and students is mutually beneficial and often yields maximum benefits for the industry.