How to join NAFE

Email: aschwartz@nafe.org  - or submit the online application below.

To qualify for full membership, a candidate must be a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and must be a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.). The candidate must have appropriate engineering education and experience in practice, including actual experience in forensic engineering. In addition, the candidate must provide acceptable detailed references from attorneys, senior claims managers or NAFE members who are personally familiar with his or her forensic practice and experience.

For those persons new to NAFE or who are not yet eligible for full membership, the following affiliations are available:  Correspondent Affiliate, International Affiliate and Student Affiliate.  Forensic engineers working towards the requirements of full membership may qualify to become an Associate Member of NAFE.

Chart - Member classifications, entrance requirements and benefits

New Affiliate Application     

 New Member Application (including Associate Member)

The Upgrade Application is linked on the Member Landing Page, after login

WHAT IS THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF FORENSIC ENGINEERS?

The National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE ®) is a professional organization formed in 1982 to advance the art and skill of engineers who serve as engineering consultants to members of the legal profession and as expert witnesses in courts of law, arbitration proceedings and administrative adjudication proceedings.

Forensic Engineering is the application of the art and science of engineering in matters which are in, or may possibly relate to, the jurisprudence system, inclusive of alternative dispute resolution.

NAFE was formed to identify and bring together professional engineers having qualifications and expertise as practicing forensic engineers to further their continuing education and promote high standards of professional ethics and excellence of practice.

The NAFE is formally affiliated with the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and has adopted the NSPE Code of Ethics.

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF FORENSIC ENGINEERS?

The NAFE seeks to lead in the ethical practice of forensic engineering by fostering competent, independent and unbiased application of engineering principles within the jurisprudence system.

MEMBERS AND AFFILIATES

The NAFE is composed of Board Certified Members, Non-Board Certified Members and Affiliates.

Board Certified membership:  Candidates interested in Board Certified membership must have appropriate engineering education, licensure and practice experience including actual experience in forensic engineering. In addition, the candidate must provide acceptable detailed references from attorneys, senior claims managers or NAFE members who are personally familiar with his or her forensic practice and experience. There exist three (3) levels of Board Certified membership; Member, Senior Member and Fellow.

Non-Board Certified membership:  Candidates that are qualified to practice engineering but do not currently possess all of the requisite licensure or experience requirements for Board Certified membership may qualify to join as Associate Members.

Affiliates:  Candidates that are not qualified to practice engineering but have an interest in forensic engineering and promoting the goals of NAFE are able to join as Affiliates. There exist three (3) affiliate statuses; they are the International Affiliate, the Correspondent Affiliate and the Student Affiliate.

BOARD CERTIFICATION

The NAFE is a founding (charter) member of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB). The CESB was formed by national engineering technical and professional societies, the state examining boards who license professional engineers and the accreditation board which governs the university engineering curricula.

All NAFE Members, Senior Members and Fellows are Board Certified Diplomates in Forensic Engineering through NAFE. Associate Members and Affiliates are not Board Certified Diplomates and are not allowed to use the designation.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Board Certified Diplomate

The NAFE is a founding (charter) member of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB). As such, individuals holding a member grade status or higher within the NAFE are Board Certified Diplomats of the CESB through the NAFE.

Member

To qualify for membership as a Member, candidates are required to;

• Complete and submit a General Member application,
• Pay a non-refundable application fee of $125,
• Provide recommendations indicating experience and qualifications from two (2) forensic professionals,
• Possess a current license to practice engineering in the US,
• Be a current member in good standing of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE),
• Be a current member in good standing of a national or international technical society,
• Possess a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in engineering practice,
• Possess a minimum of two (2) years’ experience in the practice of forensic engineering,
• Possess experience with case preparation as a forensic engineer on a minimum of two (2) cases, and
• Possess experience in court, arbitration or administrative proceedings testifying as an engineering expert subject to cross examination for at least two (2) cases.

Senior Member

To qualify for membership as a Senior Member, candidates are required to;

• Complete and submit a General Member application,
• Pay a non-refundable application fee of $125,
• Provide recommendations indicating experience and qualifications from three (3) forensic professionals,
• Possess a current license to practice engineering in the US,
• Be a current member in good standing of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE),
• Be a current member in good standing of a national or international technical society,
• Possess a minimum of twelve (12) years’ experience in engineering practice,
• Possess a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in the practice of forensic engineering,
• Possess experience with case preparation as a forensic engineer on a minimum of ten (10) cases, and
• Possess experience in court actually testifying as an engineering expert subject to cross examination for at least five (5) cases.

Fellow

The fellow status is the highest status available to members and is only awarded to those who have distinguished themselves. Fellows within NAFE are required to have met certain additional requirements and to have advanced the state of the art within forensic engineer by way of their contributions or efforts. The Upgrade Application may be accessed from the Member Landing page. The minimum requirements to attain Fellow status include;

• Complete and submit a General Member application,
• Pay a non-refundable application fee of $125,
• Provide recommendations indicating experience and qualifications from four (4) forensic professionals, including 3 current NAFE Fellows,
• Possess a current license to practice engineering in the US,
• Be a current member in good standing of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE),
• Be a current member in good standing of a national or international technical society with a commensurate membership grade,
• A minimum of four years of membership in NAFE as a Member or Senior Member in good standing and with prior participation in NAFE to include; active participation or other significant contributions to the Academy and having published a minimum of two papers in the NAFE Journal,
• Possess a minimum of twenty (20) years’ experience in engineering practice,
• Possess a minimum of fifteen (15) years’ experience in the practice of forensic engineering,
• Possess experience with case preparation as a forensic engineer on a minimum of fifty (50) cases, and
• Possess experience in court actually testifying as an engineering expert subject to cross examination for at least ten (10) cases.

Other NAFE Participation Categories

Candidates that are qualified to practice engineering but do not currently possess all of the requisite licensure or experience requirements for Board Certified Diplomate status are able to join as Associate Members.

Associate Member

To qualify for membership as an Associate Member, candidates are required to;

• Complete and submit a General Member application,
• Pay a non-refundable application fee of $125,
• Provide recommendations indicating experience and qualifications from two (2) forensic professionals, and
• Possess one of the following;
• A current license to practice engineering in the US (or equivalent), or
• An EIT or Ph.D. in Engineering, or
• A registered/licensed architect
• Be a current member in good standing of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) or AIA for architects,
• Be a current member in good standing of a national or international technical society,
• Possess a minimum of four (4) years’ experience in engineering practice,
• Possess at least 2 years of Forensic Engineering experience, and,
• Have prepared at least 2 Forensic Engineering reports.

Affiliates

Candidates that are not qualified to practice engineering but have an interest in forensic engineering and promoting the goals of NAFE are able to join as Affiliates.

Correspondent Affiliate

To qualify for membership as a Correspondent Affiliate, candidates are required to;

• Complete and submit a General Member application, and
• Pay a non-refundable application fee of $125.

International Affiliate

To qualify for membership as an International Affiliate, candidates are required to;

• Complete and submit a General Member application, and
• Pay a non-refundable application fee of $125,
• Be a current member in good standing of a national or international technical society, and
• Possess experience in the practice of forensic engineering.

Student Affiliate

To qualify for membership as a Student Affiliate, candidates are required to;

• Complete and submit a General Member application,
• Pay a non-refundable application fee of $125,
• Be a current student member in good standing of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and
• Be a current student member in good standing of a national or international technical society.

PRIVILEGES AND SERVICES:

Fellows and Senior Members

Fellows and Senior Members are afforded the following privileges and services;

• As Board Certified Diplomats of the CESB through the NAFE, Fellows and Senior Members are able to identify themselves as “NAFE Fellow” or “NAFE Senior Member” respectively. In addition, these members may use:
• “F. NAFE” for Fellows or “S. NAFE” for Senior Members,
• “[NAFE member number] F” for Fellows or “[NAFE member number] S” for Senior Members,
• “NAFE Fellow” or “NAFE Senior Member” and “Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering by the NAFE”,
• “NAFE Fellow” or “NAFE Senior Member” and “Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering by the NAFE, a CESB Member Board”, or
• “NAFE Fellow” or “NAFE Senior Member” and “Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering by the NAFE, program accredited by the CESB”.
• Fellows and Senior Members are able to attend and participate in seminars and training  opportunities,
• Fellows and Senior Members are able to present at seminars and publish in the NAFE Journal,
• Fellows and Senior Members are able to participate in NAFE committees ,
• Fellows and Senior Members are able to vote on all business matters,
• Fellows and Senior Members are able to hold offices,
• Fellows and Senior Members are listed within the NAFE Directory,
• Fellows and Senior Members receive copies of the NAFE Directory, the NAFE Journal, the NAFE Newsletter and all conference and meeting notices,
• Fellows and Senior Members receive access to the NAFE1 bulletin board on Yahoo,
• Fellows and Senior Members receive access to recommended insurance providers, and
• Fellows and Senior Members are encouraged to serve within the organization as mentors to other members.

Members

Members are afforded the following privileges and services;

• As Board Certified Diplomats of the CESB through the NAFE, Members are able to identify themselves as “NAFE Member”. In addition, Members may use:
• “M. NAFE”, or “[NAFE member number] M”,
• “NAFE Member” and “Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering by the NAFE”,
• “NAFE Member” and “Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering by the NAFE, a CESB Member Board”, or
• “NAFE Member” and “Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering by the NAFE, program accredited by the CESB”.
• Members are able to attend and participate in seminars and training  opportunities,
• Members are able to present at seminars and publish in the NAFE Journal,
• Members are able to participate in NAFE committees,
• Members are able to vote on all business matters,
• Members are able to serve as Director At Large,
• Members are listed within the NAFE Directory,
• Members receive copies of the NAFE Directory, the NAFE Journal, the NAFE Newsletter and all conference and meeting notices,
• Members receive access to the NAFE1 bulletin board on Yahoo,
• Members receive access to recommended insurance providers, and
• Members are encouraged to serve within the organization as mentors to other members.

Associate Members

Associate Members are afforded the following privileges and services;

• Associate Members are members but are not Board Certified Diplomats of the CESB through the NAFE. As such Associate Members are able to identify themselves as “NAFE Associate Member”, “A. NAFE”, or “[NAFE member number] A”,
• Associate Members are able to attend and participate in seminars and training  opportunities,
• Associate Members are able to present at seminars and publish in the NAFE Journal,
• Associate Members are able to participate in NAFE committees but without voting privileges,
• Associate Members are listed within the NAFE Directory,
• Associate Members receive electronic copies of the NAFE Directory, the NAFE Journal, the NAFE Newsletter and all conference and meeting notices,
• Associate Members receive access to the NAFE1 bulletin board on Yahoo,
• Associate Members receive access to recommended insurance providers, and
• Associate Members are encouraged to serve within the organization as mentors to others.

Correspondent Affiliates

Correspondent Affiliates are afforded the following privileges and services;

• Correspondent Affiliates are not afforded the ability to use any NAFE designations or imply in any manner that they are members of NAFE,
• Correspondent Affiliates are able to attend and participate in seminars and training  opportunities,
• Correspondent Affiliates may be able to present at seminars and publish in the NAFE Journal with prior authorization,
• Correspondent Affiliates may be able to participate in NAFE committees but without voting privileges,
• Correspondent Affiliates are listed within the NAFE Directory,
• Correspondent Affiliates receive electronic copies of the NAFE Directory, the NAFE Journal, the NAFE Newsletter and all conference and meeting notices, and
• Correspondent Affiliates receive access to the NAFE1 bulletin board on Yahoo after four (4) years of continuous affiliation.

International Affiliates

International Affiliates are afforded the following privileges and services;

• International Affiliates are not afforded the ability to use any NAFE designations or imply in any manner that they are members of NAFE,
• International Affiliates are able to attend and participate in seminars and training  opportunities,
• International Affiliates may be able to participate in NAFE committees but without voting privileges,
• International Affiliates are listed within the NAFE Directory,
• International Affiliates receive electronic copies of the NAFE Directory, the NAFE Journal, the NAFE Newsletter and all conference and meeting notices, and
• International Affiliates receive access to the NAFE1 bulletin board on Yahoo.

Student Affiliates

Student Affiliates are afforded the following privileges and services;

• Student Affiliates are not afforded the ability to use any NAFE designations or imply in any manner that they are members of NAFE,
• Student Affiliates are able to attend and participate in seminars and training  opportunities,
• Student Affiliates may be able to present at seminars and publish in the NAFE Journal, and
• Student Affiliates receive electronic copies of all conference and meeting notices.

FEES AND MAINTENANCE:

Fellow

To maintain membership as a Fellow the following is required;

• Proof of membership in the NSPE,
• Proof of membership in a recognized technical society,
• Proof of no less than 100 Continuing Education Units earned over the last 5 years, and
• Annual Dues payment of $300.

Senior Members

To maintain membership as a Senior Member the following is required;

• Proof of membership in the NSPE,
• Proof of membership in a national or international technical society,
• Proof of no less than 100 Continuing Education Units earned over the last 5 years, and
• Annual Dues payment of $250.

Members

To maintain membership as a Member the following is required;

• Proof of membership in the NSPE,
• Proof of membership in a national or international technical society,
• Proof of no less than 100 Continuing Education Units earned over the last 5 years, and
• Annual Dues payment of $200.

Associate Members

To maintain membership as an Associate Member the following is required;

• Proof of membership in the NSPE,
• Proof of membership in a national or international technical society,
• Proof of no less than 50 Continuing Education Units earned over the last 5 years, and
• Annual Dues payment of $200.

Correspondent Affiliates

To maintain affiliation as a Correspondent Affiliate the following is required;

• Annual Dues payment of $100.

International Affiliates

To maintain affiliation as an International Affiliate the following is required;

• Annual Dues payment of $300.

Student Affiliates

To maintain affiliation as a Student Affiliate the following is required;

• Annual Dues payment of $50.