Projects are typically community-driven and cross-disciplinary, and they focus on finding simple solutions to basic needs (such as close access to clean water; adequate heat, shelter, and sanitation; and reliable pathways to markets).
Active work in the field ranges from an understanding of safety in humanitarian projects, to case studies on road building, refugee camps, footbridges, disaster response, housing and environmental clean-up.
This is coupled with the fact that many organizations, especially universities, conduct humanitarian engineering products utilizing skills from specific disciplines.
[8] The Peru Project originated at UC Berkeley's chapter of Engineers Without Borders, and its goal was to introduce safe water sources to communities affected by groundwater wells that contained high levels of arsenic.
[8] The second initiative saw the group partnering with local health ministries to formulate a comprehensive arsenic education program to teach the community about the dangers of consumption.
[8] This project led by Oregon State University involves students and faculty helping Pakistan attempt to harvest their potential for hydropower generation.
[11] The Global Research on WaSH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) to Eliminate childhood Stunting (GRoWES) project is an example of convergence research with diverse environmental health professionals – including engineers, nurses, and sanitarians – working together with communities to solve a complex societal challenge – namely, children growing up to be significantly short of stature (also known as stunted).
[12][13][14][15] The GRoWES project developed a novel approach leveraging community-based participatory research, mixed-methods, and interprofessional education to address the interface of providing access to drinking water and assuring food security.
[6] Ohio State University, which also offers a minor in the field, has many local and international service projects, courses, and research in Humanitarian Engineering.
[21] Some of their student organizations include Engineers for Community Service (ECOS), who completed a project at an orphanage in Montaña de Luz to help children affected by HIV/AIDS.
[23] Oregon State University offers an undergraduate minor based on a set of Humanitarian Engineering, Science and Technology (HEST) courses including an international field course, as well as undergraduate and graduate research, capstone design projects with international partners, and a graduate fellowship program.
[25] Drexel University offers a master's degree in Peace Engineering following some of the same humanitarian principles and includes a graduate level co-op where students can apply the concepts in the field in places such as refugee camps.
[28] Formerly called "Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief," this organization is an international NGO that works to support organizations and individuals that are addressing humanitarian emergencies, offer opportunities for people to participate in this work both directly and indirectly, and support any initiatives that fall within the field of humanitarian engineering.