Paul Lidgett Memorial Prize

Awarded to the first author of at least one full R&D paper focused on the mechanical engineering involved in an upstream or downstream oil and gas processing-related topic of popular interest to the industry and wider society.

Eligibility

• Open to IMechE members worldwide.

Award criteria

• Applications will be invited under an annual selection of popular topics with further guidance provided by the Process Industries Division Board. Topics will include but not exclusively:
  • process design and engineering
  • process safety and control
  • process economics and sustainability.
• Supplementary supporting evidence will be required highlighting excellence in industrial project work, individual contribution to team building and professional development.

Award conditions

• To create an annual award in perpetuity to encourage and reward the publication of full-length R&D papers in journals or in conference proceedings preferably under the auspices of the IMechE, by new members of the Institution from the oil and gas industry.
• Nominations will be assessed and the award will be made by the Process Industries Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers upon consideration by professional specialists in the oil and gas industry.
• The award will be made at the beginning of a lecture organised by the Process Industries Division either in February, June, October or at an alternative event decided by the Process Industries Division Board.
• Terms of the Paul Lidgett bequest request that a 1000 word manuscript is prepared for the dissemination of the award-winning work in popular media with the aim of informing wider society perception of the achievements of the young chartered engineers.

Value of award

• £2000.

Application process

Application form

Closing date: 23 October 2026.

• Nominations are invited from new members of IMechE working in the oil and gas industry.
• For the purposes of this prize, members will be considered ‘new’ up until the fifth anniversary of their appointment as Corporate Members. Affiliate and Associate Members also qualify.
• Self nomination and third party nominations are permitted.
• Submit nominations/papers and short covering note to membershipnetworks@imeche.org