The Deep Foundations Institute Educational Trust, in partnership with the DFI Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) Committee, is accepting applications from April 1 through May 15 for its Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) Professional Development Grants.
Twelve grants of $1,750 each will be awarded to women working in the design or construction of deep foundations to support professional growth and industry engagement.
Grant recipients will be invited to attend the DFI 51st Annual Conference on Deep Foundations, taking place November 2–5 in Orlando, Florida. The grants help offset travel and related expenses for attending the conference. Recipients will also receive complimentary conference registration and will be recognized during the WiDF Committee’s networking reception.
“The goal of DFI’s Women in Deep Foundations Committee is to increase networking opportunities and improve retention of women in the deep foundations industry,” says Emma Migneault of Worldsensing and chair of the WiDF Committee. “The future of our industry depends on diversity, which we can support by encouraging talented female professionals to continue building careers in deep foundations.”
Funding for this year’s grants was raised during the WiDF Committee’s second fundraising telethon. Thanks to the generosity of DFI members and member companies, the initiative raised more than $20,000, enabling the Trust to award 12 grants.
The Trust thanks the following sponsors for their support: Berkel & Company Contractors, GEI Consultants, Ground Stabilization International, Keller, Minova, Nicholson Construction Company, Apex Geotech Solutions (formerly OCI/GMS), Schnabel Engineering, Specto Technology, Tarra Engineering and Structural Consultants and TEI Rock Drills, as well as DFI past presidents David Coleman and Joel Moskowitz.