Today DFI Educational Trust is an independent charitable foundation of the Deep Foundations Institute. The TRUST manages the Annual Student Paper Competition, the Annual Young Professors Paper Competition, the History of Deep Foundations Poster Program, the Sustaining Membership Fund and the Paul DeBruyn Memorial Student Scholarship Fund, the Berkel & Company Contractors Inc. Scholarship Fund, and the Annual Osterberg Memorial Lecture. These programs, along with future initiatives, will play a large role in enabling better Industry-Academia communications by instilling an interest in the heavy construction and civil engineering sciences in both high school and college level students.

Currently the TRUST plans to awards annually four Student Scholarships in the amount of $12,500 each to undergraduates studying in the field of civil, geotechnical or construction engineering. Auburn University, Carnegie Mellon, University of California-Berkeley and University of Illinois are awarded the funds and select students based on the TRUST’s criteria of majoring in one of the above fields of engineering with interest in deep foundations construction and having financial need. Additionally the TRUST provides scholarships to high school students in partnership with the ACE Mentor Program for those interested in pursuing college studies in engineering or construction management. These scholarships are endowed through charitable donations and fund raising events, such as golf outings and benefit dinners.

Creating opportunities for students to see Industry in action is another large element of the DFI Trust mission, by providing affordable student attendance of DFI Conferences and technical seminars, site visits and live demonstrations or by bringing Industry Experts into the classrooms. The TRUST is proud to announce the formation of its first student chapter at UC-Berkeley in 2009.

This is only the beginning...

Click here to view/download the DFI History of Deep Foundations Poster.

• To provide financial assistance to high school and college students so that they may pursue a career in the practice of designing and/or constructing deep foundations.
• To promote awareness amongst high school and college students about career opportunities in the deep foundations field of engineering design and construction.
• To provide financial support for the promotion of educational programs that include deep foundation design and construction, as well as for related student activities.