Copyright ©2003 by the International Foundation for the Advancement of Nondestructive Testing.
All rights reserved.
 


 
THE FOUNDATION 

The International Foundation for the Advancement of Nondestructive Testing, a 501(c)3 corporation, addresses the relevant needs of the nondestructive testing and evaluation industry in useful and meaningful ways that advance public understanding of NDT and NDE. The Foundation will support the development of specific curricula in schools that prepare qualified personnel for the future; it will support students pursuing careers in NDT/NDE with scholarships; and it will support applications research important to industry. 

The Foundation can uniquely address some of the critical issues the NDT industry is facing. To achieve success, it will work to achieve the following goals: 

  • Position the Foundation with industry, the public and the media as the leading nonpolitical source of information relative to nondestructive testing and evaluation. 
  • Quantify the skill needs of the NDT industry and engage educational institutions in planning curricula to produce workers qualified in the required skills.
  • Conduct applications research and provide a forum for sharing the results of new applications and techniques with those whose work can benefit from this information.
  • Assertively pursue commitments of support for the Foundation through corporate sponsorship and grants from other foundations and individual donors.
  • Create opportunities for special donor interests, such as scholarships, that will bring recognition to the donor and provide encouragement to pursue work in NDT for students and educational institutions.
Back to Home
 
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

David Culbertson 
Tennessee Gas Pipeline 

Hussein Sadek 
Law Engineering Industrial Services 

Robert Shannon 
Siemens-Westinghouse Power Corporation 

Arthur Thompson 
G.E. Aircraft Engines 

Sotirios Vahaviolos 
Physical Acoustics Corporation 

William F. Via 
Detek, Inc. 

 
Back To Home
 
MISSION AND PURPOSE 

The priority work of the Foundation focuses on three major areas: 

  • Research
  • Education
  • Communications
"The mission of the International Foundation for the Advancement of Nondestructive Testing is to support research and education in nondestructive testing and to increase public awareness of nondestructive testing's critical role in ensuring the safety and well-being of mankind."
 
Back To Home
 
RESEARCH 

The Foundation ... 

  • Gathers information on the nondestructive testing industry.
  • Conducts educational needs assessments among employers.
  • Evaluates testing and evaluation techniques.
  • Envisions market changes that will affect the market in the next generation.
The research supported by the Foundation has a global view and focuses primarily on applications and the development of new NDT techniques. The Foundation also develops its own research agenda, in accordance with the interests of the Foundation donors. 

The Foundation provides a source for the sponsorship of applications research in nondestructive testing. Through well-designed peer review processes, the Foundation serves as the distribution and grant monitoring entity for company funders who want to support certain research programs. By creating a pool of funds in the research area, the Foundation brings appropriate resources to address important issues, 

Of primary interest to the Foundation is research that focuses on the safety of the manufacturing process, especially the quality of the materials and evaluation of the useful life of products that impact public safety. Disseminating the results of research to the NDT industry and to the public is of great importance. Providing access to new and existing research in a searchable database is essential. Publishing important safety information in a manner that can be understood by the public and their elected officials is also important. 
 
Back To Home
 
EDUCATION 

The Foundation ... 

  • Works with educational institutions and programs to augment training of their students and helps encourage students to seek professional nondestructive testing positions.
  • Provides scholarships to support qualified students.
The Foundation sponsors science and technology awareness programs in elementary and secondary schools. It encourages colleges and schools of engineering to create a career track with emphasis in nondestructive testing and evaluation.  It sponsors faculty positions and educational programs. The Foundation sponsors topic based meetings (for example,. land mine detection) for nondestructive testing professionals and policy makers.
 
Back To Home
 
COMMUNICATIONS 

The Foundation... 

  • Promotes the nondestructive testing industry to companies, manufacturers, community leaders, other trade associations, and the public.
  • Provides technical information and assistance on assessing the use of nondestructive testing and nondestructive evaluation, both within the industry and to the public.
A primary function of the Foundation is to realistically alert the public to risks and to effective safety precautions that affect their lives. In doing so, the importance of nondestructive testing in the lives of all people will be promoted. Every opportunity is taken to make the public aware of critical conditions that present real risks, such as the consequences of our aging infrastructure. Advertising opportunities are sought that are proactive and help point out the role of nondestructive testing in preventing accidents. The Foundation promotes the positive role of nondestructive testing personnel who are responsible for quality assurance and who control production of a quality, zero-defect product which, through effective process control, will reduce the overall cost of production.
 
Back To Home
 
HISTORY 

Starting in 1992, the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) began to explore the possibility of establishing a foundation which would support research, education and public awareness of the nondestructive testing industry. In early 1994, the ASNT Board of Directors took the first step and established the Foundation Task Force. This group met during 1994 and 1995 to answer the original charter questions: 

  • Does a foundation provide benefits beyond the existing ASNT structure? 
  • How do other foundations operate?
  • What is the purpose of other foundations?
The Foundation Task Force answered these questions and further explored the use of a consultant who could examine the viability of the new Foundation. As a result of the work of this group, in October 1995, the ASNT Board of Directors took the second step and established the Foundation Development Committee. This committee developed the formal mission and purpose of this new Foundation. The committee identified potential research projects for the Foundation, and developed a survey and a distribution list to confirm the viability of the Foundation. As a result of a telephone survey and meetings held in Seattle, Washington, the development committee scheduled a follow-up meeting in Houston, Texas, with ten prominent professionals, wrote a detailed background article for ASNT's technical journal, Materials Evaluation , and held an informative town meeting at the ASNT Fall Conference in 1997.

The International Foundation for the Advancement of Nondestructive Testing was incorporated as a 501(c)3 corporation in September of 1997. The first contributions were received later that year..

 
Back To Home
 
IFANT GOALS 

Find and put into useful and accessible form the facts people need to understand nondestructive testing and develop positive opinions about it technology. 

1.     "We replace myths with facts -- chronicle results to demonstrate the value of nondestructive testing to consumers, manufacturers, and to community leaders. We are able to respond knowledgeably to the media and public about safety issues in the current news and support the preparation of feature articles on issues relevant to the industry." 

Provide a forum for defining the future of nondestructive testing technologies. 

2.     "We sponsor high level, forward thinking conferences involving leaders in the industry and we distribute the results to policy makers, educational institutions and appropriate agencies. Our conferences are internationally recognized as bringing together the world's leading minds on nondestructive testing issues and providing a forum for discussion that leads to new ideas, revised thinking and better planning within the industry." 

Serve as a resource of information on quality assurance and the control of operating systems in our society. Maintain the safety of industrial processes, and the integrity of our infrastructure to preserve the health and safety of our citizens. Priority areas for organizing this information include: roads and bridges; refineries, crude oil facilities, fuel transportation systems and pipelines; dams; power generating stations, whether nuclear, fossil fuel or hydroelectric; sewers and water supplies; rail, automobile, and air transportation; and medical devices. 

3.     "Community leaders' concerns about the aging infrastructure are realistically growing, making it increasingly important for nondestructive testing professionals to identify the areas of critical risk for our communities in order to direct the leaders' decision making." 

Advance research on the standards of nondestructive testing and evaluation, promote industry discussion, and provide important information to the members of the industry, government, community leaders and the public. 

4.     "A centralized information resource center can provide access to timely and reliable information about nondestructive testing and evaluation. The resource center would function as a nonpolitical venue is in the public's interest. As such, the work of the resource center at the International Foundation for the Advancement of Nondestructive Testing will enhance the visibility of the industry." 

Support new educational programs in nondestructive testing and the students in these programs. 

5.     "Encourage academic programs to expand the training of nondestructive testing professionals in order to augment the knowledge and skill base in the industry. We accept the fact that the nondestructive testing industry has responsibility to encourage this educational expansion and support those students who choose to specialize in this field." 

Provide responsible stewardship for the funds of donors -- whether individuals, corporate foundations, or private foundations -- through mutually selected funds, scholarship funds, and restricted-use education and research funds. 

6.     "We will support our donors and keep them informed of our activities in order to help them see the benefits of the projects they support. We will encourage corporations to create donor advised funds and we will use the technical resources of the Foundation to monitor grants made from these funds for research scholarships." 

Partner with leaders of other foundations and professional organizations to achieve shared goals. 

7.     "We will create strategies for forging professional partnerships in the nondestructive testing industry in order to advance the base of knowledge and to share information. 
 

Back To Home
 
The International Foundation for the Advancement of Nondestructive Testing is seeking donors whose interest in nondestructive testing will be enhanced by Foundation activities in research, education and public awareness. The Foundation provides responsible stewardship for all contributed funds. The Foundation accepts contributions of cash, securities and property from individuals, corporations and other foundations. Take the next critical step: contribute to IFANT, so that nondestructive testing will be viewed as a positive contributor to the safety and well-being of mankind in the 21st century.
 
Research——Education——Communication
 
 


The International Foundation for the Advancement of Nondestructive Testing  
1711 Arlingate Lane
PO Box 28518  
Columbus, OH 43228-0518 USA  
Phone: (614) 274-6003  
Toll free: (800) 222-2768 (US and Canada)  
Fax: (614) 274-6899 
 

 
Back To Home