In 2008, the NAE identified 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century. The challenges address opportunities and challenges affecting quality of life.

• Energy and Environment (Sustainability)
  1. Make Solar Energy Economical
  2. Provide Access to Clean Water
  3. Provide Energy from Fusion
  4. Manage the Nitrogen Cycle
  5. Develop Carbon Sequestration Methods
• Health
  1. Advance Health Informatics
  2. Engineer Better Medicines
• Security and Society
  1. Restore and Improve Urban Infrastructure
  2. Prevent Nuclear Terror
  3. Secure Cyberspace
• Joy of Life (Learning and Computation)
  1. Advance Personalized Learning
  2. Enhance Virtual Reality
  3. Reverse-Engineer the Brain
  4. Engineer the Tools for Scientific Discovery

   The Grand Challenges Scholars Program in NCTU has three components required to satisfy the expectations of students enrolled in the GCSP.The three components are the preliminary courses, the core courses, and the advanced courses.

    Each program includes curricular and extra-curricular activities designed to give students skills and experiences in five required areas:

• Research related to a Grand Challenge
• Interdisciplinary Component
• Entrepreneurship
• Global Dimension
• Service Learning

   Students who successfully completed the programs will be recognized by NAE.