Earthquake Engineering Research Institute: Committees -Strong Motion

The EERI Endowment Fund was established in 1994 to improve the science and practice of earthquake engineering and related disciplines in order to reduce the impacts of earthquakes, by supporting small, creative and innovative projects.

The Special Projects and Initiatives Committee solicits proposals, then selects and manages projects that recognize the multidisciplinary challenge of earthquake risk reduction and the broad geographic and professional composition of EERI’s membership. Funding is used to stimulate new or unique ventures. It is the hope that Endowment projects will be seed projects that will grow into larger ventures, supported in part by EERI’s partner organizations in promoting earthquake risk reduction.

Programs supported by the Fund should identify gaps in research, improve application and practice, and facilitate public policy that leads to effective reduction of earthquake risks. It is intended that the Endowment Fund will stimulate the mobilization of additional intellectual and financial resources to address the following critical issues:

Stimulate growth of and foster greater interaction between the disciplines within the earthquake community.
Improve general level of expertise within the earthquake risk reduction community.
Increase the amount and quality of research contributing to earthquake risk reduction.
Encourage the transfer of research results and knowledge through improved codes, design standards, and construction practices.
Heighten priority of earthquake risk reduction among policy makers, building owners, technical community and general public.
Develop cooperative relationships with public and private funding sources for joint support of grant activities.

The Importance of the Fund to You

The Endowment allows the Institute to use its intellectual and institutional resources to further its objectives, exercise leadership, and serve you, a member, by:

Allowing the Institute to enhance earthquake loss reduction activities nationally in ways that can’t, or won’t, be funded by others.
Providing you, as a member of EERI, an opportunity to channel philanthropic giving to achieve objectives you believe important. You can invest in the activities of your organization.
Allowing the Institute to develop its capabilities independent of financial sponsors. The Endowment provides the operating capital to create an Institute owned by its members, including you.
Giving the Institute stature and enabling it to draw attention to important issues. Small sums of money, supplemented with expertise such as yours, support projects that make a difference in earthquake safety and improve the profession.
Giving you, as a member of EERI, the opportunity to invest intellectual capital. Members are invited to take initiative and contribute proposals for projects.