Skip to main content

IRF's foundation celebrates anniversary

The International Road Federation has special cause to celebrate during 2011. This year marks the 20th anniversary for the International Road Educational Foundation’s (IREF) Future Fund. This endowment-style funding mechanism has been supported by IRF member organisations and individuals to ensure the long-term stability of the IRF Fellowship Programme. It also helps with the organisation's commitment to future generations of global transportation industry leaders.
May 16, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSThe 2015 International Road Federation has special cause to celebrate during 2011. This year marks the 20th anniversary for the International Road Educational Foundation’s (IREF) Future Fund. This endowment-style funding mechanism has been supported by IRF member organisations and individuals to ensure the long-term stability of the IRF Fellowship Programme. It also helps with the organisation's commitment to future generations of global transportation industry leaders.

In 1991, the IREF board of directors established a goal of raising US$4 million for the endowment. By the end of 2007, $2.5 million had been raised. As of December 31st, 2010, as a result of rising programme costs and a decline in investment dividends, the endowment's value has dropped to $1.83 million.

In order for IREF to continue offering the educational support, experiences, and network that it has provided to more than 1,250 students from around the world, additional financial resources are needed. With a few donations, the IREF will have the resources in place to make an even bigger impact on the road industry and its next generation of leaders. The IREF is calling for the support of its members and industry to help raise $1 million by December 31st 2011, with a view to providing future funding for key programmes.

Related Content

  • Q&A: Samuel Johnson, IBTTA
    February 18, 2020
    Samuel Johnson, chief operations officer for the Transportation Corridor Agencies in Orange County, California - and 2020 IBTTA president - talks about his background and career...
  • Will interoperability prevent progress?
    January 10, 2014
    David Crawford examines the political and industrial background to the tolling technology debate. Saving the US State of California ‘millions of dollars’ in tolling infrastructure costs by encouraging new technologies is the professed aim of a legislative Bill, SB 242, which is currently moving through the State’s Senate (upper house) process. According to its sponsor, Republican State Senator Mark Wyland, permitting alternatives to the current FasTrak-branded radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based sys
  • A carbon free and accident free Europe by 2015?
    February 2, 2012
    By 2050, the Europe Commission aims to make transport in Europe carbon- and accident-free. Between now and then, however, a significant technological development and deployment effort is needed. Here, Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, talks about what's being done. In many respects, COOPERS, CVIS and SAFESPOT, set up by the European Commission (EC) to explore the potential of cooperative infrastructure systems, are already legacy projects. Between them, the three devel
  • Carbon finance delivers critical support to mass transit schemes
    February 2, 2012
    David Crawford investigates carbon finance in transport. World Bank carbon finance grants are delivering critical support to major mass transit deployments in emerging and developing economies. Only recently operative in the transport sector, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM, see panel) is designed to generate additional income streams and improve internal rates of return on projects funded from public- and private-sector sources.