Institution news
Engineers are busy people. There are always deadlines to be met and standards to be kept. It comes with the territory. Engineers can also be an introverted bunch, happy to take pride in a job well done rather than hogging the limelight.
But the profession needs to celebrate its successes – firstly as a means of recognising the unique contributions that individuals and organisations have made, and secondly as a way of selling the sector to the next generation of engineers.
That’s why the Institution awards more than 400 prizes for outstanding merit and achievement in a variety of fields and areas of expertise. These accolades include the Prestige Awards – an eminent collection of prizes that celebrate excellent engineering, in both academia and professional practices.
The Prestige Awards act to champion engineers who can truly be said to have improved the world, or advanced the discipline of mechanical engineering.
The awards for 2015 include:
According to Alec Osborn, chairman of the Trustee Board Awards Committee, the Prestige Awards are the Oscars of the profession. Nominations for the 2015 awards are required by 31 March 2015, and Alec is keen to see as many engineers and organisations as possible put forward for recognition.
“Engineers are a modest bunch and are happy to let their achievements speak for themselves,” he said. “But I believe that recognition of the profession is extremely important, and the IMechE has a role to play to see that it happens.”
Alec knows the profession well, having enjoyed a lengthy career in the design and development of internal combustion engines. He oversees the judging process for the Prestige Awards, and is responsible for ensuring that all nominations are fairly and rigorously reviewed.
“We want people to nominate individuals and organisations who they feel have made unique contributions to engineering,” he said. “IMechE staff will be available to provide guidance with the nomination process to make it as simple as possible.”
Alec is particularly proud of the breadth of the Prestige Awards. They cover individuals and organisations and all grades of membership, and are not restricted to engineers working in the UK.
“The awards highlight the diversity of the profession,” he said. “And they are not about being backwards-looking – they are all about the here and now. They exist to remind the world that engineers are a force for good – they improve the world.”
Alec says he gets immense pleasure from overseeing the judging process. He said: “Each year, I get to meet the most amazing engineers. And by showcasing these superb individuals, the awards play a vital role in encouraging young people to enter the profession.”
We need your nominations
The closing date for nominations for the 2015 Prestige Awards is 31 March 2015. Nominations will be considered by the Trustee Board Awards Committee in May. Successful recipients will be notified at the end of June, and invited with a guest of their choice to a celebration in London in the autumn.
If you are considering making a nomination and have queries, or experience problems downloading the form, contact us by email at: awards@imeche.org or on Tel: +44 (0)1284 717887 or visit our page on the Prestige Awards.
Recent Prestige Awards Winners
Watch a video about last year's winners, below.
Awards available
Alastair Graham-Bryce Award
New for 2015, this prize is awarded to an individual or group making a significant contribution to the encouragement of young people towards a career in engineering.
Nominations will be sought from:
- An organisation, charity or company
- A community group or activity
- A teacher or school
- An individual
- An initiative that has potential or has achieved impact
The award is open to all IMechE members and non-members with a £5,000 prize and a trophy.
Find out more about the
Alastair Graham-Bryce Award.
James Clayton Prize
This prize is awarded to a Member(s) of the Institution who contributes most in that year (or over recent years) to engineering science – by research, invention, experimental work, a paper on a modern engineering subject, originality in engineering design or service to engineering.
Open to all Institution Members of all grades, the award comes with a £10,000 prize plus a certificate.
Read about
Andy Cowell, the 2013 winner of the
James Clayton Prize.
The Verena Winifred Holmes Award
Previously the Equality and Diversity Award, this prize is intended to recognise those individuals who have achieved by undertaking a unique challenge or experience, perhaps to benefit people from groups with different needs, or those with a past record of disadvantage or of low participation.
The fundamental attribute for this award is that candidates recognise that innovation is stimulated by embracing diversity, by listening to and respecting the perspective of others, and by constructive engagement and dialogue. The definition for this award is intentionally broad, to allow for a wider pool of potential candidates, who in the widest remit will have approached these attributes in a variety of situations.
The award is open to Institution members of all grades, and comes with a £1,500 cash prize plus certificate.
Find out more about the Verena Winifred Holmes Award.
Award for Risk Reduction in Mechanical Engineering
This award recognises any eminent engineer who has contributed most in the understanding and/or reduction of risk in any area of mechanical engineering. This contribution may include reducing dangerous dust arising from mining and industrial tunnelling during the removal of rock from the surface or underground, as in the original bequest, but now could also be any other aspect of reducing risk to health through the application of improved mechanical engineering.
This award comes with a £1,000 prize plus certificate to the lead author, and certificates to co-authors.
Read about Dr David Ward, winner of the 2013 Award for Risk Reduction in Mechanical Engineering.
Thomas Hawksley Gold Medal and George Stephenson Gold Medal
These medals are awarded for the best original papers published by the Institution in the past 12 months.
Only one Gold Medal is presented each year for each award, and only if a paper is deemed worthy. If the prize-winning paper is the work of more than one author, the co-author(s) receives a bronze replica. The award is open to all Institution Members and to non-members.
Read about George Lampeas and Vasilis Pasialis, winners of the 2013 George Stephenson Gold Medal.
Read about Jan-Mels Brandt, winner of the 2013 Thomas Hawksley Gold Medal.
More details
If you would like to make a nomination for the Prestige Awards and have queries please contact us by email at: awards@imeche.org or on Tel: +44 (0)1284 717887 or visit our page on the Prestige Awards. Nominations close 31 March 2015.