Guidelines for Vanderbilt Senior Engineering Design Projects

1.                  Project should solve a specific need of the client.

2.                  Project should not be time critical as client should assume a project cycle of two semesters September 2004-April 2005

3.                  Projects should involve design and prototype or manufacture.  For example:

a.       Physical prototype for a new product or product advancement including associated manufacturing processes.

b.      Redesign of an existing product including a physical prototype and associated manufacturing process modifications.

c.       Physical prototype for new or redesigned test equipment or manufacturing process.

4.                  Projects should involve design, modeling and analytical requirements.

5.                  Students select their own projects and team members hence some projects may not be selected.  Students select their project hence clients will be working with interested motivated teams.

6.                  Projects may be software oriented, for example the generation or improvement of a database, or the analysis of a flow process (clinic, manufacturing process, etc.)  

7.                  Project scope should be 1,000 to 1,200 engineering hours (250-300 hours for 4 students) distributed over the period 9/2004-4/2005.

8.                  Interdisciplinary student teams of three to five will be mentored by experienced engineering faculty who will provide guidance and evaluation; and coordinate use of Vanderbilt equipment and/or facilities

9.                  Client must be willing to dedicate time of a liaison engineer to the project (approximately 1 hr/week)

10.              Liaison engineer should:

a.       Have management support

b.      Have vested interest in the success of the project

c.       Be willing to work with students

11.              Projects should not be classified or highly proprietary.  Students and faculty will, if requested, sign a nondisclosure agreement.

12.              Students should be able to publicly present their work with the mutual agreement of client.  In the event a client wishes to avoid linkage with the work their identity may be withheld.

13.              Vanderbilt's intellectual property policy is that student projects employing university facilities and/or personnel are governed by Vanderbilt's intellectual property policies, which means that Vanderbilt will negotiate issues of intellectual property ownership on a project to project basis. More detail is available at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/technology_transfer/.  A new policy is in place as of 2003 (and renewed in 2004) for IP concerns with industry and this class.  The tech transfer/engineering agreement is here.

14.              Benefits to client include the opportunity to solve problems outside their own human resource capabilities as well as work with students which can provide fresh problem solving approaches and recruiting opportunities.

15.              Vanderbilt benefits by expanding student horizons through early exposures to real world business constraints.

16.        Projects requiring interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged!

Updated August 16, 2004.