ENGINEERING STUDENT PAPER COMPETITION
RULES FOR THE ANNUAL PAPER COMPETITION
ELIGIBILITY
The Maryland Society of Professional Engineers (MDSPE), Potomac Chapter Competition is open only to students who are enrolled in one of the engineering schools in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, as full-time students, as defined below. Papers are submitted only electronically f.winfield@starpower.net (MDSPE, Potomac Chapter Education Chair).
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 current calendar year.
Paper Topics:
Papers shall be on on-going research, completed projects, or applied activities. 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, 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 f.winfield@starpower.net.
MDSPE, Potomac Chapter finalists will be forwarded to DCCEAS, Inc. for an additional competition and prizes to be awarded at the annual Engineers Week Awards Banquet. The judging rules for both competitions are identical.
Papers that do not meet the deadlines and requirements for topic and format shall be disqualified.
JUDGING
The MDSPE, Potomac Chapter 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 MDSPE, Potomac Chapter Certificates and cash awards, as follows:
1. Undergraduate First Prize - $400.00
2. Graduate First Prize - $500.00
The winners in each category of the Paper Competitions for MDSPE, Potomac Chapter and DCCEAS, Inc. will be recognized at the DCCEAS Awards Banquet during Engineers Week in February (see www.dcceas.org).
ANNUAL PROCEDURES & SCHEDULE
Nov 26: Students should submit completed original papers to their Faculty Advisor, Department Chair or Dean.
Dec 4: The Advisor, Department Chair or Dean sends Entry Letters with the papers electronically (as described above) to f.winfield@starpower.net .
Jan 31: Sponsoring member societies forward their selections to the Education Committee of DCCEAS.
1. Undergraduate First Prize - $500.00
2. Graduate First Prize - $800.00
Feb 09: 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 for which the date, time, location, and directions will be posted at http://www.dcceas.org.