Applicant Guidance for Technical Society 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 dinner, are judged by a panel of experts drawn from across Australasia. AAEE is pleased to invite nominations for Engineering Education Excellence, Engineering Education Research Design, and Engineering Education Engagement.
Successful applications will be posted on the AAEE website as a way of disseminating the work that has been recognised by an award. Award winners will be invited to produce a video presentation and/or present at the AAEE Awards Roadshow to showcase their work to the AAEE community.
See the past list of award winners here.
Eligibility for all Technical Society Awards
Each category is intended to recognise a body of work that goes beyond good teaching practice. Award-winning work should have potential or actual impact on engineering education at a cross-institutional or sector-wide level. Previously unsuccessful applicants are eligible to apply.
Applicants must:
- Base their application on a body of work in Australia and/or New Zealand.
- Only apply to one category in one year for each body of work.
- Declare a time period for which the body of work was undertaken.
- If the applicant(s) has previously won or received a high commendation, including for the Technical Society or AAEE Early Career awards, the body of work must be demonstrably different to the body(s) of work used for previous successful award(s) or high commendation(s).
For individual applications, the applicant must:
- Be current AAEE members at the time of application.
- If successful, attend the Annual AAEE Conference Dinner to accept the award.
- If successful, have their application made available on the AAEE website
For group applications, the group must:
- Have a majority of applicants who are engineering academics or engineering students.
- For any engineering academics or engineering students, applicants must have AAEE membership at the time of application.
- Have no more than ten named applicants, with a minimum individual contribution of at least 10% to the body of work.
- If successful, nominate at least one person from the group to attend the Annual AAEE Conference Dinner to accept the award.
- If successful, have their application made available on the AAEE website.
The same criteria and same weightings will be applied to the judging of all applications for a particular award. Scores within criteria can be adjusted, based on a comparison of applicants.
Any queries regarding your eligibility should sent to aaee@engineersaustralia.org.au
Instructions to check your membership status or to join are here (note that staff and students of Australian and New Zealand universities or polytechnics can join at no cost).
Application Details
To apply, please visit Engineers Australia’s Awards Portal (linked below). Nominations open April 2, 2024 and close 5pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) September 15, 2024. Further important information for each individual award is included below.
Australian Council of Engineering Deans National Award for Engineering Education Excellence
About the Award
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 – clearly articulate the challenges addressed and the outcomes achieved, focusing on the 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 demonstrate 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.
Submission Guidelines
You must provide the following for your submission:
- Profile image
- Short biography (200 words)
- Abstract summarising nomination (150 words)
- For team nominations: Statement communicating the percent contribution of each team member and a summary of what each team member’s contribution was to the substantive work.
- Statement addressing the criteria (maximum of five A4 pages with minimum 12-point font)
Prize
$5000, plus a framed certificate
Award for Engineering Education Engagement
About the Award
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 – Clearly demonstrate the nature, extent, and importance of engagement with stakeholders in Australasian Engineering Education, such as colleagues, industry, and/or students.
- Evidence and impact – Present compelling evidence of positive impact within Australasian Engineering Education stemming from the approach to stakeholder engagement including how the contribution has been disseminated within the AAEE community.
- Clarity and readability – exhibit clear, concise, and precise exposition that appeals to a broad readership interested in engineering education.
Submission Guidelines
You must provide the following for your submission:
- Profile image
- Short biography (200 words)
- Abstract summarising nomination (150 words)
- For team nominations: Statement communicating the percent contribution of each team member and a summary of what each team member’s contribution was to the substantive work.
- Statement addressing the criteria (maximum of five A4 pages with minimum 12-point font)
Prize
$2500 plus a framed certificate
Award for Engineering Education Research Design
About the Award
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 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 generalisability/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 readership interested in engineering education research and practice, and provide tables and figures, as needed, that meaningfully add to the narrative.
Submission Guidelines
You must provide the following for your submission:
- Profile image
- Short biography (200 words)
- Abstract summarising nomination (150 words)
- For team nominations: Statement communicating the percent contribution of each team member and a summary of what each team member’s contribution was to the substantive work.
- Statement addressing the criteria (maximum of five A4 pages with minimum 12-point font)
Prize
$2500, plus a framed certificate