John R. Freeman was a preeminent hydraulics engineer in Boston and a member of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers for half a century. In 1925, recognizing “the occasional helpfulness of a small fund to a young investigator full of the zeal of youth but limited in resources for investigation,” he gave the Society $25,000 to establish a fund to be devoted to the encouragement of young engineers in various ways, including grants for research, or aid in the publication of meritorious books and papers, or traveling scholarships, or a prize for a particularly worthy paper.
The Freeman fund accepts applications for grants that support young engineers with research, aid in publications of papers and books, travel expenses, or as a prize for a worthy paper. The applications are reviewed as they are received.
Click here to view a playlist of the John R. Freeman lectures from 2005-2025 (except 2009). You can also learn more about the history of the John R. Freeman Fund as well as past winners of the Freeman Fund awards, scholarships, and grants here.
Currently, the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Boston Chapter and the Freeman Committee oversee the use of the fund to ensure it is utilized for its intended purpose.