Technical Society awards

Steve Maxwell Leadership Award for Asset Management

Engineers make a major contribution to creating and retaining required asset capability, by managing the maintenance of assets throughout their entire lifecycle. This award recognises the importance of this lifecycle activity to the functional and economic performance of our massive investment in infrastructure and productive systems.

AUSTRALASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION (AAEE)

AAEE  Awards

The Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) is excited to offer a suite of awards to recognise outstanding contributions to engineering education in Australasia.

These awards, to be presented at the AAEE Annual Conference, are judged by a panel of experts drawn from across Australasia. AAEE are pleased to invite nominations for Engineering Education Excellence, Engineering Education Research Design, and Engineering Education Engagement.

Full details and judging criteria are presented below. Guidelines and criteria for judging

Eligibility for all awards

Each category is intended to recognize work that goes beyond good teaching practice. Award winning work should have actual impact or potential for impact on engineering education at a cross-institutional or sector-wide level. The following specific eligibility requirement apply for all award categories:

•    The award will be presented at the AAEE 2020 Annual Conference dinner. Applicants, or at least one member of a team application MUST be present at the AAEE Annual Conference dinner to accept the award. 
•    Previously unsuccessful applicants are eligible to apply.
•    The same body of work cannot be submitted as an application in two categories even if seemingly appropriate for both categories.  
•    It is not necessary to meet all selection criteria of an Award to be eligible to apply for an award.
•    Nominees MUST be current AAEE members. Check your membership status or join here.
•    The work must have been mostly conducted in Australia or New Zealand.
•    Winner or Highly Commended recipients from the last two years are only eligible to apply if work completed is significantly different from previous applications or the application is in different category.

Submissions for the awards must be no more than five (5) A4 pages addressing the relevant criteria, including a 150 word abstract (minimum 12 point font). Award winners will be invited to produce a video presentation on their work to be showcased to the AAEE community.

Australian Council of Engineering Deans National Award for Engineering Education Excellence

Awarded for demonstrated excellence in Engineering Education, which may include curriculum design, student support, peer support, or other significant initiatives with enduring positive impact. This award is intended to recognise significant and sustained contributions to Australasian Engineering Education at a multi-institutional or sector-wide level. Applicants may be individuals or small teams who can demonstrate sustained excellence using appropriate evidence.

Judging Criteria:
•    Focus and relevance - state clearly the initiatives addressed and the outcomes achieved, focusing on significance of the work to engineering education practice at an institutional and/or national level.
•    Context - situate the work within relevant bodies of knowledge and describe how it draws on this to address our understanding of teaching and learning in your context..
•    Contribution – Clearly demonstrates how the work has contributed to Australasian Engineering Education and in particular the AAEE community
•    Evidence of continuous monitoring and evaluation - present original ideas and results of significance supported by clear reasoning and compelling evidence over a sustained period.
•    Clarity and readability - exhibit clear, concise, and precise exposition that appeals to a broad readership interested in engineering education research and practice, and provide tables and figures, as needed, that meaningfully add to the narrative (useful illustrations).

Submission Guidelines:
Along with your nomination, you will be asked to provide the following for promotional purposes should you be successful:

• Short biography
• Profile image

Prize - $5,000 plus a framed certificate

2020 Winner 

Associate Professor Keith Willey, University of Sydney

For his sustained contributions and excellence in engineering education, focused on collaborative learning and assessment practices.

Keith Willey is the leader of the Integrated Engineering Program, Co-director of the Faculty of Engineering Educational Innovation Unit and Associate Professor in Engineering Leadership Education at the University of Sydney.  He began his academic career after 20 years in the Broadcast and Telecommunications industry.  He has previously held engineering academic positions at UNSW and UTS.

Keith an Australian Learning and Teaching fellow, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Senior Member of IEEE has been an international keynote speaker, visiting scholar and workshop facilitator.  He has received an Engineers Australia excellence award, and multiple awards for teaching and research.  Keith is a facilitator of the AAEE Research Winter School and represents Australasia on the governing board of the Research in Engineering Education Network (REEN).

Keith’s commitment to leading, developing and disseminating high-quality teaching and learning practice is informed and supported by his educational research, published in numerous peer-reviewed conference papers and journal articles.

Keith is the Project Manager and lead developer of the collaborative learning and self and peer assessment software tool known as SPARK^PLUS, that has been used worldwide by academic staff at over 50 universities to facilitate and enhance learning activities for over 750,000 students.

Award for Engineering Education Engagement 

Awarded for fostering an excellent standard of purposeful and successful engagement with multiple stakeholders in Australasian Engineering Education, such as colleagues, industry, and students. The award recognises a collegiate approach to quality learning and teaching practice and/or research and a sharing of educational expertise across multiple contexts.

Applicants may be individuals or small teams. Nominations of colleagues for this award are encouraged.

Applications could consider areas such as strategic collaboration in teaching, capacity building in  engineering education practice and/or research, facilitating engineering education special interest  groups, and engaging other disciplines, the profession and other key stakeholders in engineering education and research. Evidence of outcomes of engagement and broader impact is essential.

Judging Criteria:
•    Focus and relevance – Demonstrates clearly the nature, extent, and importance of engagement with stakeholders in Australasian Engineering Education, such as colleagues, industry and/or students.
•    Evidence and impact – Presents compelling evidence of positive impact within Australasian Engineering Education stemming from the approach to stakeholder engagement. Describes how the contribution has been disseminated within the AAEE community.
•    Clarity and readability – Application must be clear and understandable to any potential stakeholder in Australasian Engineering Education.

Submission Guidelines:
Along with your nomination, you will be asked to provide the following for promotional purposes should you be successful:

• Short biography
• Profile image

Prize - $2,500 plus a framed certificate

2020 Winner 

Cris Birzer, Nick Brown, Eva Cheng, Sarah Herkess, Beatrix Neville, Tanja Rosenqvist, Jeremy Smith, Alison Stoakley and 
Jennifer Turner

For ‘Humanitarian Design Summits’

Humanitarian Design Summits is a team application for the AAEE award for Engineering Education Engagement. The application has been led by Nick Brown (RMIT), Sarah Herkess (EWB), Jeremy Smith (ANU), Jennifer Turner (SUT), Eva Cheng (UTS), Cris Birzer (UoA), Alison Stoakley (EWB), Beatrix Neville (EWB) and, Tanja Rosenqvist (RMIT).

In reality this small team represent dozens of academics, educators, and practitioners who have contributed to the design and delivery of the Humanitarian Design Summit program over the past six years.

Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) led Humanitarian Design Summits (EWB Summits) are two-week immersive cross-cultural study-abroad programs that embed human-centred values and approaches in engineering, design, and technology.

Since the first EWB Summit in January 2015, over 1,500 students from 35 universities have participated. Sustained success has derived from the purposeful engagement with multiple stakeholders, including EWB, 32 Australian and three New Zealand universities, university students, academics, and dozens of local partner organisations.

The engagement has resulted in approximately $4,800,000 in student mobility funding and almost $500,000 universities’ administrative funding, much from consortia applications.

Through this engagement with EWB Summits, universities across Australasia have produced graduates with greater global awareness, understanding of the implementation of engineering and technology within society, and stronger consideration of the social impacts of engineering. EWB Summits are raising the quality of engineering education across Australasia and redefining engineering as a human-centred profession.
 

Award for Engineering Education Research Design

Award for rigorous, innovative and transferable research design in the field of Engineering Education. Applicants may be individual or small teams.

Judging Criteria:
•    Focus and relevance – state clearly the questions or propositions addressed and the significance of the research to engineering education research or practice
•    Context and Contribution – situate the research within relevant bodies of knowledge and describe how it contributes to new knowledge (Note: the relevant body of knowledge should be wider than engineering education and relates to the wider context of education research, frameworks, methodologies, etc.)
•    Research validity/credibility and reliability/dependability – describe research designs, methods, theories, and/or practices appropriate to the research performed or planned and the transportability of the processes. (research validity and reliability or credibility and dependability)
•    Results and generalizability/transferability – present original ideas or results of general significance supported by clear reasoning and compelling evidence
•    Clarity and readability – exhibit clear, concise, and precise exposition that appeals to a broad international readership interested in engineering education research and practice
•    Useful Illustrations – provide tables and figures, as needed, that meaningfully add to the narrative

Submission Guidelines:
Along with your nomination, you will be asked to provide the following for promotional purposes should you be successful:

• Short biography
• Profile image

Prize - $2,500 plus a framed certificate

Allen Neyland Memorial Award

The Allen Neyland Memorial Award is given to an Australian for outstanding achievement associated with tunnelling and underground excavation and construction.

It is presented at the Australian Tunnelling Conference, normally held every three years.

Nominations for the award can be obtained from the membership of AUCTA, by the request of the Chairman. The award shall be made by a decision of the committee of AUCTA. Non-membership of the association does not preclude nomination.

The trophy consists of a metal enamel plaque, symbolic of the achievements of Allen Neyland, mounted on a core of Victorian rock.

View more details here

The ATS David Sugden Young Engineers Writing Award

In 2004 the Australian Tunnelling Society started the David Sugden Award to encourage young engineers to develop the art of technical writing.

The competition is open to all ATS members and university students under 35 years of age (as at 31 August 2020). The prize includes a complimentary conference registration and $2,000 towards personal travel and accommodation to attend a Tunnelling conference nominated by ATS.

The winning paper will be published in the ATS Journal. 

Click here for more information

**ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA**

* The competition is open to all ATS Members and University Students under 35 years of age (as at 31 August 2020)

**TERMS AND CONDITIONS**

* The task is to write a technical paper on any subject related to tunnelling and underground construction – not less than 2,000 words and not more than 5,000 words.

* Best paper to be judged by the Australian Tunnelling Society Executive Committee

* Only papers with the individual authorship will be considered for the David Sugden award.

* Only one (1) nominated paper is allowed per author in a given area of tunnelling and underground construction.  For an author with multiple publications in a single area, he/she is encouraged to select their best paper.

**SUBMISSION GUIDELINES**

You must provide the following with your submission:

1. Submit nomination online
2. Nominated technical paper
3. Nominee’s current CV including employment history and achievements
4. Nominee’s current Biographical Information
5. Nominee's portrait photo

Nominations for 2020 are now closed.

2019 WINNER 

Senthilnath G T (Govindaraju Thangavelu) MIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus)   Senthilnath is a Chartered civil engineer with over 10 years of xperience in diversified geotechnical projects such as TBM and SEM/NATM tunnels, deep foundation and excavation support system for mining and urban development projects, site supervision and design management. He has exposure to wide range of tunnelling works (soft ground, hard rock, deep caverns) with project experience in multiple countries (Singapore, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, UAE & Germany). Senthil has background in civil & geotechnical engineering and has pursued second level specializing masters (ITA endorsed) course in Tunnelling and TBM. Currently he is working with GHD as Sr. Tunnel Engineer in Brisbane.

AGS - Don Douglas Youth Award

The AGS – Don Douglas Youth Award is presented every two years to the person who presents the most outstanding paper at the ANZ Young Geotechnical Professional Conference.

The recipient must be a member of the AGS and be below the age of 35 at the time of receiving the award.

Criteria

The award is decided by two members of the conference organising committee and two senior geotechnical professionals who have attended the conference. 

No nominations are made for this award as it is based upon presentation of a YGP conference paper.

It is usually presented at the closing ceremony of the conference, or if this is not possible, at a technical meeting of the appropriate local chapter of the AGS.

The award consists of a framed certificate and cash up to $4,000. The cash component is for reimbursement of expenses incurred through attending an overseas Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference.

If this conference is not held, a winner is chosen from the most recent ANZ Geomechanics Conference.

View more details here

The Australian Geomechanics Award - John Jaeger Memorial Award

This award recognises and promotes contributions of the highest order in the field of Australian geomechanics. It is made approximately once every four years by the Australian Geomechanics Society, and consists of a bronze medallion mounted on marble plinth. It is jointly sponsored by Engineers Australia and The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

The Award perpetuates the memory of Professor John Conrad Jaeger who was Professor of Geophysics and Geochemistry at the Australian National University from 1953 until his death in 1979.

Professor Jaeger’s most important work related to the physics of heat flow and rock mechanics, and he published several classic books in this field. He became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1954 and a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1970.

The award was first given in 1980.

Criteria

“Australian Geomechanics” is to be taken as any activity covered by the statutes of the ISSMFE, ISR, and IAEG within Australia.

Contributions may take the form of papers published in any publication of the Society, Institution or Institute, or presented at any meeting, conference or symposium of one of these bodies; or may be the design, construction or supervision of any project in the field of geomechanics.

The award is not restricted to members of the Australian Geomechanics Society.

Nominations

Nominations should be made by at least three people (not necessarily members), to the Secretary of the National Committee of the Society six months prior to the ANZ Geomechanics Conference, where the award will be presented.

View more details here

D H Trollope Medal

The Trollope Medal is awarded to the author of an outstanding paper on either theoretical or applied geomechanics.

Criteria

The work reported in the paper must have been undertaken in Australia by an author under 35 years of age and can have been published anywhere in the world in the previous four years.

Nominations

The nominated author must have been primarily responsible for the work and would normally be the principal author of the paper. The nomination requires the approval of the author and should be accompanied by two copies of the paper.

Nominations will be called for every two years.

Judging

The National Committee of the Australian Geomechanics Society will form a sub-committee to judge papers nominated and the award may be made every two years provided a suitable nomination is received.

Each winner of the award will be expected to present the nominated paper at a suitable conference or group meeting. The award is not limited to members of Engineers Australia and is in the form of a bronze medal. It was first awarded in 1987.

View more details here

E H Davis Memorial Lecture

A biennial lecture to commemorate the work in geomechanics by Professor E H Davis. It is given by a person selected by the AGS National Committee as having made a distinguished recent contribution to the theory and practice of geomechanics in Australia.

The first lecture was given in 1985. The selected lecturer is presented with a framed certificate

A W Roberts Award

This is an annual award that recognises the achievements of a young person in bulk materials handling.

It is awarded by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling in memory of the outstanding contribution to bulk materials handling by Professor Alan Roberts.

Criteria

• nominee can be up to 35 years-old but preferably under 30
• outstanding academic achievement
• notable contribution to bulk materials handling since graduating.

View more details here https://australiangeomechanics.org/awards/ags-don-douglas-youth-fellowship/

Bulk Materials Handling Award

This award recognises outstanding contributions in the field of bulk materials handling technology by way of either a paper published by Engineers Australia; research, design or development work; or in recognition of an individual’s professional contribution.

This is an annual award made under the auspices of the National Committee on Bulk Materials Handling.

In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of bulk materials handling, the award is available to members and non-members of Engineers Australia. It was first presented in 1989.

View more details here

Railway Engineering Awards

The Railway Technical Society of Australasia (RTSA) offers a large portfolio of awards, as detailed below, that are designed to encourage railway engineering research and technology and to recognise outstanding achievement by individuals and companies in the rail industry. Details of all these awards including prizes on offer and submission details are detailed on the RTSA website.

For more information on these awards please visit: https://www.rtsa.com.au/awards-scholarships/ 

RTSA RAILWAY ENGINEERING STUDENT THESIS AWARD 

The Railway Engineering Student Thesis Award is made annually for an outstanding undergraduate thesis on a rail-industry related topic.

Criteria, Terms and Conditions, Submissions Guidelines for the RSTA Railway Student Thesis Award 

RTSA MASTERS THESIS AWARD 

The Masters Thesis Award rewards the author of an outstanding research masters degree on a topic concerned with the rail industry

Criteria, Terms and Conditions, Submission Guidelines for the RTSA Masters Thesis Award

RTSA PhD THESIS AWARD 

The PhD Thesis Award rewards the author of an outstanding doctoral thesis on a topic concerned with the rail industry

Criteria, Terms and Conditions, Submission Guidelines for the RTSA Postgraduate Thesis Award

RTSA ANNUAL RAIL SCHOLARSHIP 

The Annual Rail Scholarship is offered annually to professionals and technicians who work in the rail industry in Australasia for at least two years and are desirous of attaining a higher level of qualification by attending a university course that is relevant to their work either at graduate or undergraduate level.

Criteria, terms & conditions and submission guidelines for the Annual Rail Scholarship 

RTSA GRADUATE ENGINEER AWARD

The Graduate Engineer Award is made to professional railway practitioners whose degree has been conferred within the previous four years.

Criteria, terms & conditions and submission guidelines for the Graduate Engineer Award

RTSA Graduate Engineer Award Nominations for 2020 are now closed.

RTSA YOUNG RAILWAY ENGINEER AWARD

The Young Railway Engineer Award rewards outstanding young professionals up to the age of 35.

Criteria, terms & conditions and submission guidelines for the Young Railway Engineer Award

RTSA RAILWAY PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD

The RTSA Railway Professional of the Year Award is offered to a person or above the age of 35 who has made an outstanding contribution to the Railway Industry in Australia or New Zealand. 

Nomination opening in February 2021 

RTSA INDIVIDUAL AWARD 

The RTSA Individual Award is offered biennially to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the railway industry

Nomination opening in February 2021

RTSA BIENNIAL RAILWAY PROJECT AWARD 

The Biennial Railway Project Award acknowledges a project that is worthy of public recognition.

Nomination opening in February 2021

The Life Membership Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a member.

Agricultural Engineering Award

This award is given by the Society for Engineering in Agriculture (SEAg), a technical society within Engineers Australia, for a project, invention, design or manufacturing process that represents a significant agricultural engineering achievement completed within the previous two years.

This is a biennial award, which was first presented in 1986 under the auspices of the then National Committee on Agricultural Engineering. The award is in the form of a plaque.

Nominations

Entry is restricted to members of SEAg.

Agricultural Engineering Award and Life Membership

The Society for Engineering in Agriculture, a Technical Society within Engineers Australia, offers the "Agricultural Engineering Award". This award recognises recent significant contributions to Agricultural Engineering in Australia by a member of the Society. The award has been made biennially since 1986 to coincide with the National Conference on Engineering in Agriculture.

Long term contributions to Agricultural Engineering in Australia can be recognised by the award of Life Membership to the Society for Engineering in Agriculture.

The National Executive invites applications from members of the Society for consideration.

Possible contributions include: inventions, designs, projects, processes, etc., that the applicant believes represents a significant agricultural engineering achievement and has been completed within the last two years.

A single published paper does not qualify for the award.

The judges will consider the degree of originality, the significance of the contribution to agricultural engineering in Australia, and the engineering ability displayed.