Graduate awards and competitions

Emerging Engineers Award

The competition is open to ICE student and graduate members, as well as apprentices at either of these grades or holding professionally qualified membership as IEng MICE or EngTech MICE and continuing on their apprenticeship. Applicants are invited to submit papers on any topic related to civil engineering, to highlight technical expertise. The aim is to showcase the knowledge and talent of ICE’s graduate and student members to the wider civil engineering community.

Entries are to be based on primarily your own work and can be adapted from university and/or employment research papers and projects, professional review reports or professional development reports.

Entering this competition gives members the opportunity to enhance their written and verbal presentation skills, showcase their work and enhance continuing professional development, particularly in support of professional review preparation. The ability to communicate technical concepts in a clear manner to a varied audience is a key skill for civil engineers, and this competition provides opportunity to enhance online and/or in person presentation skills. There is also opportunity to be selected for publication of the winning paper in one of the ICE technical journals.

There are prizes for regional winners and the overall winner receives a cash prize and the prestigious Institution Medal.

Heats take place across the ICE regions with the final selection of three papers for the overall Emerging Engineers Award final in October each year.

Find out more and apply using the application form. Check the entry dates and contact information for your local region below.

Volunteers running the regional heats can find out more in the guidance document.

UK regions:

UK regional heats offer prizes as follows:

• Regional winner: £250
• Second place: £150
• Third place: £100

 

International regions

International regions’ prizes vary and are listed for each below, where applicable.

QUEST Continuing Education Award

The aim of the award is to support Graduates and professionally qualified members (CEng, IEng or EngTech) with over two years work experience looking to start a course to support their professional qualification and progress.

• The aim of the award is to support members who are typically
• Returning to the workplace after parental leave, acting as a carer, illness or unemployment
• Studying additional management or technical subjects to upskill
• Studying 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 will open in June 2022.

Please complete the application form and submit with a one page employment record to [email protected].

How are winners chosen?

Applications are assessed by the QUEST Committee and those judged to be strongest receive up to £1,000.

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 £1,000 and groups up to £3,000.

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 to apply

Regrettably, applications for the QUEST Travel Award are suspended due to Covid-19. This will be kept under review and we hope to re-open the application process later in the year.

How are winners chosen?

Applications are assessed by the QUEST Committee and the strongest will receive a financial award of up to £1,000 for individuals and up to £3,000 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.