The Royal Academy of Engineering ERA Foundation Entrepreneurs Award

Rules and Conditions

1. The Royal Academy of Engineering ERA Foundation Entrepreneurs Award seeks to identify, encourage and reward young engineering researchers working in UK universities, in the field involving electro-technology. The Applicant must be either be a student at a UK University or be on a UK University payroll at the time of applying for the Award.

2. The applicant(s) will be at an early stage of their careers. E.g. research students , research associates, research assistants and doctoral students. Lecturers will not be eligible.

3. The Award will be given to an individual or to a team demonstrating considerable entrepreneurial promise and the potential to benefit the UK's future prosperity. Submissions from a team shall be in the name of a lead applicant, supported by not more than two co-applicants.

4. The Award seeks to encourage innovation, meaning the emergence of good engineering into the marketplace, rather than just potential good ideas. So candidates need to demonstrate a knowledge of how their idea could be exploited (that is a convincing business model) as well as an understanding of the necessary engineering. New markets and products are very welcome but proposers should have a convincing approach for creating them.

5. Submissions are welcome in the following subject areas: electrical and electronic engineering, aspects of bio-medical engineering, electro-mechanical engineering, optics and optical engineering, instrumentation, IT, software and hardware; and materials related to the foregoing. The decision of the judging panel on eligibility will be final.

6. The prize will be a personal prize of £10,000 for the winning individual or team. In addition an award of £30,000 will be made available to be used in any appropriate manner to support the furtherance of the winning idea. These proposals will have been defined in the submission and plan and discussed with the judging panel. Applicants must have their plans for development endorsed by their University.

7. Submissions must be endorsed and signed by a senior member of the applicant’s university (Vice Chancellor or nominated person) to the effect that the development of a winning entry will not be constrained and that every effort will be made to ensure that the award money will be used for its intended purpose.

8. There is no limitation on the number of submissions that any one university may enter.

9. The applications must be completed personally by the applicant(s). Help is fine of course but a submission by the university commercial department is unlikely to succeed.

10. An appropriate member of the judging panel will be offered as a mentor to the winner for a period of up to two years. All sensitive information passed on to the mentor will be treated as confidential.

11. The winner(s) may be invited to make a presentation to the Board of the ERA Foundation. This may lead to further support.

12. In addition to the first prize, up to two additional prizes of £2,000 each may be awarded to those responsible for the two submissions which are judged to be worthy runners-up.

13. In making their submission, entrants agree to accept the decisions of the judging panel as final.

14. By making a submission for the award, entrants agree to take part in the judging procedure and to be prepared to provide all necessary evidence to enable the judges to reach a decision. Winners will be required to take part in publicity activity in connection with the award.

15. All material provided by the applicant, whether in the form or during their presentation, will be treated as private and confidential and never passed on to third parties.

16. The Royal Academy of Engineering seeks no share in the Intellectual Property Rights of entrants but does require, as part of the submission, a formal statement on where the IP ownership lies.

17. The Award may be withheld if the judging panel should so decide.

18. Each submission should be submitted electronically.

19. Submissions must be received at the Academy by Monday 22 October 2012. Late or incomplete entries will be disqualified. Applicants should note that short-listed candidates will be required to make presentations to the Judging Panel in London on Wednesday 12 December 2012.

All enquiries should be sent to:

Sylvia Hampartumian
Manager, Awards
The Royal Academy of Engineering, 3 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5DG

[E-mail Awards]

 

 

Updated August 2012

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