Worcester Polytechnic Institute
IN-1: Innovation 1

WPI believes that in order to become the best engineers and scientists they can be, students should have a broad understand of the cultural and social contexts of those fields, and thus be more effective and socially responsible practitioners and citizens. That's the intent of the Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP), a nine-credit-hour interdisciplinary requirement for all undergraduates involving applied research that connects science or technology with social issues and human needs. The IQP is not organized as a course, not is it related to the major. Instead, small teams of students work under the guidance of faculty members from all disciplines to conduct research, using social science methods, directed at a specific problem or need. Students deliver findings and recommendations through formal reports and oral presentations to project sponsors (often nonprofit, municipal, or government agencies) and faculty advisors. Sustainability serves as a common theme for IQPs, many of which address problems related to energy, environment, sustainable development, education, cultural preservation, and technology policy.

The most tangible outcome from the IQPs are the reports that students provide to project sponsors. These reports are available through a searchable online database maintained by WPI's Gordon Library. Less measurable but ultimately more important is the learning that occurs as a result of participation in the IQP. WPI faculty created the IQP to help students learn to solve real-world problems and make decisions with an understanding of and appreciation for the social and humanistic contexts of their work. The IQP also is central to how WPI students learn to do research, write, and work in teams.