Workshop on Key Research and Education Issues in Construction Engineering and Management for the 2010 Decade

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An important challenge in today's civil engineering profession is to determine the best approach to conduct research and collaborate with the construction industry in order to sustain the economic growth of the country and its leadership in the global economy. This issue is notable in the construction arena, where companies are competing for limited public funding to execute the infrastructure projects, academia is struggling to find long-term sources of funding, and large multinational companies are competing for the best and brightest of the civil engineering graduates. This heightened competition across all dimensions requires a new collaboration approach between academia, industry, and the public sector in order to enhance the quality of the graduates, the applicability and relevance of the research, and the long term competitiveness of the construction companies. This challenging context provides the motivation for this Information Technology and Infrastructure Systems (ITIS) workshop proposal. This workshop is intended for industry practitioners, public officials, and potential principal investigators who may submit proposals to the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovations ITIS Program to discuss the key issues in research & education for construction in the XXI Century. The intellectual merits of this workshop emanate from its design and participation. This workshop will engage members of the construction industry and the ITIS academic community in a meaningful and focused dialogue through a unique, integrated, and holistic experience. This experience will allow for a constructive dialogue about the future of the construction industry in terms of research and education. In addition, it will assist in the identification of new research areas that are needed to sustain the competitiveness of construction companies in a global economy. The broader impacts result from the active engagement of the workshop's participants from the academic community served by the Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) Information Technology and Infrastructure Systems (ITIS) Program. This engagement will undoubtedly enhance and strengthen the infrastructure for research and education in the knowledge domains addressed within the ITIS Program. In addition, the workshop will provide a solid foundation for the academic community's future: (a) involvement in supporting and furthering ITIS' vision, mission, and goals, (b) collaboration in research and education programs, projects, and activities at greater and closer levels than was previously possible, and (c) partnership between the industry, the public sector, and the academic community to address the challenges to the construction industry posed in the new decade.