James Rennie Medal – Recognising Civil Engineering Talent

The aim of the James Rennie Medal (JRM) is to promote general awareness of the role of newly professionally qualified Chartered Engineers involved in the civil engineering world. The competition was first held in 1996 and is won by the best Chartered Professional Review candidate.

Who was James Rennie?

James Rennie was a well-known civil engineer. He passionately believed that to work in civil engineering you need in-depth and thorough training.

Rennie spent most of his 70-year career carefully tutoring his pupils to make them great civil engineers. Former ICE President Douglas Oakervee was one of these pupils.

After his death in 1994, ICE created The James Rennie Medal. It celebrates Rennie's commitment to training young engineers and encouraging them to become ICE members.

Who can enter the award?

The James Rennie Medal is awarded annually to the best Chartered Professional Review (CPR and CPRP) candidate. It is open to all applicants who have passed their CPR/CPRP in the year prior to the award, whether through a Review session or via the Technical Report Route (TRR) Review at CPR level.

Candidates must demonstrate outstanding qualities throughout their Chartered Professional Review, showcasing a deep understanding of engineering design and construction principles while also promoting advancements in civil engineering.

What is the nomination process?

Professional Reviewers nominate candidates who show outstanding qualities in their Chartered Professional Review and really promote developments in civil engineering.

Their report and presentation also need to show they thoroughly understand engineering design and construction principles.

The Awards Panel selects the top 10 candidates from all those nominated in December of each year.
The James Rennie Medal Sift Panel review and select the top 3 candidates from those selected by the Award Panel in January of each year.
The 3 finalists are invited to present their professional review report at the James Rennie Medal Final held in March of each year at One Great George Street and will participate in a lively question-and-answer session with the audience and judging panel.
The winner of the James Rennie Medal is announced on the night and receives the James Rennie Medal and £1,000.
The winner is invited to the ICE Annual Awards Ceremony to receive their Medal.
All three finalists also get the chance to have their reports published in an ICE journal.

2025 winner

The Institution of Civil Engineers and James Reenie Medal panel announced Emma McGregor, a senior engineer at Tony Gee and Partners, as the winner of 2025 James Rennie Medal Award.

Emma emerged as the top candidate from three finalists, selected from a competitive pool of 1,696 Chartered Engineer candidates. After passing through three rigorous shortlisting stages, Emma emerged as an exceptional contender during the live final presentation and Qand A.

McGregor was awarded the prize for presenting on her experience working on the Viking Wind Farm, a 103-turbine, 443MW onshore wind farm on mainland Shetland.

This pioneering development is anticipated to be one of the most productive wind farms in the world, powering 500,000 homes.

It’s hard to put into words how I feel – privileged, honoured, and delighted in equal measures.

It’s a really prestigious award. The competition tonight from James and Carys was intense, their presentations were amazing, so to come away with it feels extra special.