INFORMATION FOR 2012 PAPER COMPETITION (PRIZES AWARDED AT 2012 BANQUET)
ANNOUNCEMENT
Engineering and Architectural Students Paper Competition
In The National Capital Region
Sponsored By The District Of Columbia Council Of Engineering and
Architectural Societies (DCCEAS) www.dcceas.org
With some changes, the DCCEAS has announced the kick-off for this year's Competition for Outstanding Young Engineer and Architect Research Papers, conducted by the local engineering, architectural, and planning societies for undergraduate and graduate engineering, architecture, and planning students in the National Capital Region. The winners in each category of the Paper Competition will be recognized with Certificates and cash awards at the next DCCEAS Engineers Week Banquet in February.
RULES FOR THE ANNUAL PAPER COMPETITION
ELIGIBILITY
The DCCEAS Competition is open only to students who are enrolled in one of the engineering, architectural, or planning schools in the National Capital Region, as full-time students, as defined below. Papers are submitted only electronically to a participating member Society or, directly, to the Chair of the Education Committee of DCCEAS, whose address is given below.
A student may enter the competition only as an individual in one of two categories:
1. Undergraduate - for undergraduate students who completed at least 15 credit hours or the equivalent in the Fall, and will be enrolled in the Spring.
2. Graduate - for graduate students, who in the Fall semester were engaged in full-time graduate study with at least 9 credit hours, or in teaching/research and graduate study with at least 3 credit hours, and will be enrolled in the Spring.
TOPICS AND FORMAT
The paper should be written individually by the student entering the competition, and it may be on any engineering, architectural, planning, or related topic or project, including, but not limited to, work or an adaptation of work that has been done as part of the student's regular coursework or research during the calendar year that includes the Fall semester prior to the award date.
Paper Topics:
Papers shall be on on-going research, completed projects, or applied activities within the fields represented by the member societies of DCCEAS. Research proposals or theoretical constructs are not appropriate for this competition. Papers must be written in English solely by individual students.
Format and Length:
The format of the paper will include the following:
a. A brief abstract (about 100 words) of the research project
b. Discussion of the research issue to be addressed
c. Method of study, including resources used and a timeline of the project
d. Results/outcomes of the project
e. Significance of the project
The length of the paper is not to exceed 4000 words and shall be formatted according to standard guidelines for publication in a professional journal. (Such standard formats are available from your Dean, Department Chair, Advisor, or Librarian.)
ENTRY PACKAGE
Each entry package should include:
1. An entry form or letter completed and signed by the student and a Faculty Advisor;
Department Chair, or Dean,
2. An original paper written in English, complete with a cover page, acknowledgements,
abstract, introduction, etc., with references, and appendices; and
- One copy of the paper that is edited to remove any and all information and references that would give away the identity of the author or his/her institution, advisor, religion, etc. This second 'blind' copy is for the use of the Judges.
The two copies of each paper and accompanying entry form or letter shall be submitted electronically by a Faculty Advisor, Department Chair, or Dean, to a participating member society (if known) or directly to Robert E. Efimba, Sc.D., P.E., Chair of the Education Committee of the DCCEAS. Students should visit www.dcceas.org , send email to Dr Robert E. Efimba, P.E., at elangwefim@msn.com or education@dcceas.org , or call 202-806-6574 if they need assistance or have additional questions regarding the process.
After consultation with Committee members, the Chair of the DCCEAS Education Committee shall distribute those papers that were submitted directly to DCCEAS
to participating member societies. In this first stage of the competition, the participating member societies will evaluate student papers that they received directly from the Universities together with those received through DCCEAS, and recommend up to two of their highest ranked papers, one in each category, to be considered by DCCEAS in the second and final stage of the competition.
All DCCEAS finalists will be commended at the annual Engineers Week Awards Banquet in February, but DCCEAS cash awards will be given only to the first place winner in each category.
Papers that do not meet the deadlines and requirements for topic and format shall be disqualified.
JUDGING
The DCCEAS Education Committee will assemble a panel of Judges, from a pool of experts from academia, government, and private industry, to read and rate the edited copies of the papers evaluated, selected, and entered by member Societies in the final Competition. The Judges shall recommend deserving papers to receive first prize in each of the two categories – undergraduate and graduate, respectively. However, depending on the quality of the papers submitted, the Judges may decide not to recommend an award in either or both categories.
PRIZES & RECOGNITION
Winners in each category will receive DCCEAS Certificates and cash awards, as follows:
1. Undergraduate First Prize - $500.00
2. Graduate First Prize - $800.00
The winners in each category of the Paper Competition will be recognized at the DCCEAS Awards Banquet during Engineers Week in February (see www.dcceas.org).
ANNUAL PROCEDURES
STEP 1: Students should submit completed original papers to their Faculty Advisor, Department Chair or Dean.
STEP 2: The Advisor, Department Chair or Dean sends Entry Letters with the papers electronically (as described above) to a participating member society or to the Education Committee Chair of DCCEAS, who distributes the papers to participating member Societies.
STEP 3: Sponsoring member societies forward their selections to the Education Committee of DCCEAS.
STEP 4: A panel of Judges assembled by the DCCEAS Education Committee reviews the papers in each category; selects the winners and notifies the Presidents of the contributing Member Societies and the authors’ Advisors, Department Chairs, and/or Deans. Member societies invite the winners to the Awards Banquet.
Finally, recognition of the winners of the DCCEAS College Paper Competition will be at the DCCEAS Engineers Week Awards Banquet
BANQUET: SAT FEB 25, 2012, CROWNE PLAZA, SILVER SPRING, MD
For more information on the Crowne Plaza (directions, parking availability, etc.),
visit: Crowne Plaza - Downtown Silver Spring
Deadline for submissions will be January 20, 2012.
