Who We Are

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) established the Educational and Scientific Foundation in 1979. From the beginning, the SFPE Foundation had the purpose to expand the science of fire protection engineering for use in protecting against unwanted fire events.

The Foundation is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the United States of America, specifically the state of Massachusetts. Donations from individuals and corporations have helped to support many projects through the years to further scientific research that supports fire protection engineering. These contributions have been used for scholarships, grants, and awards along with materials, textbooks, conferences and position support to grow fire protection engineering and the available knowledge.

Key Dates

• 1979 – Foundation incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization
• 1979 – Grendahl family scholarship established (concluded in 1999)
• 1982 – Guise Medal award established
• 1984 – Bigglestone scholarship started (concluded in 1989)
• 1989 – Student grants program established
• 1997 – Jack Bono Engineering Communications award established 
• 2000 – Guise Medal program receives a further endowment
• 2002 – Walter L. Futrell, Sr. Pacific Rim Scholarship Fund established (concluded in 2005)
• 2006 – Student Scholar award established
• 2013 – Chief Donald J. Burns Memorial Research Grant established (concluded in 2017)
• 2013 – Student Research Grant established
• 2014 – Dr. Guylène Proulx scholarship established
• 2017 – Robert W. Fitzgerald Fund Challenge
• 2018 – UL and William Henry Merrill Society Matching Campaign established
• 2018 – Six Research Roadmap Areas established
• 2020 - Frederick Mowrer Global Scholar Award established