The Administration and Congress continue to stress that the U.S. needs more engineers and innovation to compete globally. Recent federal actions — including executive orders on AI infrastructure, federal AI procurement, and nuclear innovation — underscore the urgency. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) FY27 Administration Research and Development Budget Priorities identified key national priorities for the coming fiscal year, spanning areas such as AI technology and security, quantum technologies and manufacturing, energy production and storage, microelectronics and semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and resilience to natural, cyber, and anthropogenic threats.

Engineering is foundational to every one of these priorities. Yet the engineering community has lacked a coordinated, unified presence in federal policy conversations — until now.

The challenges facing American engineering — workforce shortages, intensifying global competition, and the need to align federal research and development investments with national priorities — demand a coordinated response. CUE provides the platform for that response, giving member institutions a unified voice in federal policy conversations that shape the future of engineering research and education.

CUE is organized as a pending 501(c)(4) with full lobbying privileges. Member dues fund the full scope of CUE's operations, including lobbying, strategic planning, advocacy materials, reports, meeting services, information exchange, legislative drafting, internal and external communications, fly-in coordination, and legal and administrative services.