Murphy Society Awards

The Murphy Society Awards provide funding for special faculty and student-initiated projects that benefit undergraduate engineering at McCormick.

Faculty can submit a Murphy Society project proposal here >>

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The Valuable Role of Murphy Society Members

As a Murphy Society member, you have a unique opportunity to assist the dean in making decisions about funding for special projects that help shape the future of engineering education and research at Northwestern.

The Murphy Society Selection Process emphasizes the idea that innovation occurs through the shared ideas of many individuals, which can lead to additional findings and successes in the different engineering fields.

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How the Award Selection Process Works

In the fall each year, Murphy Society members and the Dean of the McCormick School, Christopher Schuh, consider projects submitted for funding that will be initiated in the upcoming academic year and implemented over the next one to three years. To be supported by the Murphy Society, a new project must:

  • be innovative
  • bring a benefit to a significant number of McCormick undergraduate students
  • support McCormick’s strategic plan
  • be self-sustaining

Multi-year Murphy projects for faculty are also reviewed for renewal at this time.

Murphy Society funds are not used for ongoing program support.

Evaluation Process

  1. Murphy Society members review project proposals online and recommend projects to the dean of the McCormick School.
  2. The dean makes the funding decision and announces grant awards to McCormick faculty and student organizations during the fall quarter.

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Become a Murphy Society Member

Named in honor of Walter P. Murphy, a Chicago industrialist who, in the 1930s, made a transformative gift that funded the construction of the Technological Institute, the Murphy Society recognizes donors who make annual gifts of $1,000 or more to Northwestern Engineering. The society also extends membership to more recent alumni who contribute at lower gift levels.

Undergraduate McCormick School of Engineering alumni who graduated within the last nine years can take advantage of special giving rates to join the Walter P. Murphy Society. Recent alumni receive benefits at the Member level.

  • One year since graduation — $120/year
  • Two to four years since graduation — $240/year
  • Five to nine years since graduation — $600/year