Graduate awards and competitions

Emerging Engineers Award

The competition is open to all ICE graduate and student members with papers on any area of engineering design, research or practice. Papers have to be expertly presented and discussed, as well as be innovative and well written.

It's an excellent chance to practice your writing and presentation skills – perfect preparation for a viva or Professional Review. It'll also raise your profile, help promote your university or employer, and give you the opportunity to have your paper published. Competitors can also win money - £250 in most regions - and there's another cash prize and the the prestigious Institution Medal for the overall winner.

Competition heats take place across ICE’s regions and the winning papers are short-listed by the international judging panel. Three top finalists are then invited to present their papers at the international final.

Graduate members (GMICE) can adapt papers from professional development or Professional Review reports.

Student members can adapt a university project or thesis which should preferably be based on your own work.

How to enter

Contact your Regional Support Team to find out about submission dates and prizes for your regional finals.

You can find full competition guidelines on the entry form which you’ll also need to complete and send in with your entry.

What if my ICE region does not run a competition?

If your region doesn’t run a competition, why not set one up? You can find out everything you’ll need to know from our Emerging Engineers Award regional guidance document:

Download the guidance document

To find out more about the Emerging Engineers Award please contact awards@ice.org.uk

Graduate and Student Communications Competition

This team competition promotes the importance of effective communication among ICE's younger members. Competitors need to use all their engineering and inter-personal skills to win over the judges and audience with a public presentation. This is based on an imaginary civil engineering project which will affect a local community.

Teams are made up of three to five student or graduate ICE members with no more than seven years industry experience each (10 years for student technician members). There are conditions of entry which will explain who is eligible to enter this competition.

Interested in participating in the competition?

Please contact your local team to find out more.

As a membership organisation and an employer, we value diversity – a foundation for great engineering achievement.

QUEST Continuing Education Award

The aim of the award is to support members who are returning to study management or technical subjects or a foreign language. It’s not designed to fund courses that will be used as Further Learning in the ICE membership process.

To apply for this award:

• You must be an ICE graduate or professionally qualified member
• You must have been a member for a minimum of two years
• You must have a minimum of two years’ experience working in the civil engineering industry
• Your course must not be an ICE-accredited further learning programme. Find out if your course is accredited
• You must not have already received more than three ICE QUEST scholarships or awards
• Your application will only be accepted before the start of your course. Student member or PhD students aren't able to apply.

How do I apply?

Applications for 2019 will open on 11 June 2019.

How are winners chosen?

Applications are assessed by the QUEST Committee and those judged to be strongest receive up to £1,500.

Your application will be assessed on the following:

• The quality of your application
• How much the course will benefit you and your professional development
• The academic merit of the course
• How the course will benefit your employer and ICE
• The amount of financial support required
• The duration of the course

QUEST Anniversary publication

In 2017, QUEST celebrated 40 successful years of funding civil engineering students and projects. We have put together a publication with some highlights so be sure to download your free copy.

You can also read more about the history and workings of QUEST.

QUEST Travel Award

If you’re thinking about getting some professional experience overseas - by helping out on a local engineering project, for example - you might be able to win a QUEST Travel Award.

Individuals are awarded a maximum of £1,500 and groups up to £6,000.

Previous winners have worked on projects in developing countries, studied and researched local practice, and attended international conferences.

To apply for this award, you must:

• Be an ICE Graduate or professionally qualified member
• You must have been a member for a minimum of two years up to the application (student membership counts)
• Not have already received more than three ICE QUEST scholarships or awards. If you have already received an award, a year must have passed before you can apply again

Only members who meet the criteria can be included on a group application.

How do I apply?

The award is given out twice a year.

Applications for travel between November2018 to December 2018 are now  closed.
Applications for travel between June 2019 to December 2019 will be open on 7 January 2019. 

How are winners chosen?

Applications are assessed by the QUEST Committee and the strongest will receive a financial award of up to £1,500 for individuals and up to £6,000 for groups.

Your entry will be assessed on the following:

• The quality of your application
• How much the experience will benefit you
• The aims and merit of the project or activity
• How the project or activity will benefit others and ICE
• The amount of financial support required
• The length of time spent overseas
• The relevance of the project and activity to civil engineering

If you're selected for an award, you’ll need to send us a report of around 1,000 words on your experiences, within a month of returning from your trip.

QUEST Anniversary publication

In 2017, QUEST celebrated 40 successful years of funding civil engineering students and projects. We have put together a publication with some highlights so be sure to download your free copy.

You can also read more about the history and workings of QUEST.