The Irish Academy of Engineering is calling for nominations for this year’s Parsons Medal, which is awarded for outstanding achievement in the field of engineering sciences. The Parsons Medal commemorates the work of Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, the inventor of steam turbine and youngest son of the famous astronomer, William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse whose family seat is at Birr, Co. Offaly. Previous winners include Dr. Patrick Prendergast, Provost of Trinity College Dublin and Professor (Michael) Peter Kennedy, Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University College Cork, both of whom are members of this Academy.

Regulations

Eligibility criteria

The medal will be awarded to an engineer based on the island of Ireland who has made an exceptional contribution to the practice of engineering through the innovative application of engineering, science, or technology resulting in significant social and/or economic impact. Nominees can be working in any sector including business, industry, the public sector, and academia. Nominations Nominations should be made independently by a person familiar with the work of the nominee. Prior agreement of the nominee should be obtained. Format of submission The submission should include a short CV of the nominee together with the citation by the nominator which should be limited to 1,000 words. Assessment The Assessment Committee will consist of 4 members of the Academy nominated by Council drawn from across the spectrum of engineering practice. The Chair of the Assessment Committee is responsible for ensuring that any potential or perceived conflicts of interest are appropriately and transparently handled. Members of the Committee will assess and rank all the candidates independently and in advance of the first meeting. These individual rankings will be combined to serve as a guide to the discussion at the first meeting. The Assessment Committee may seek further information about the nominee and/or their work. The Committee may produce a shortlist of candidates. The opinion of an external reviewer from outside the country will be sought. They will be asked to rank the candidates (either all nominees or the shortlist) and provide a brief justification for their ranking. The Committee will then meet and make its final decision taking into account the advice of the external reviewer. Its decision will be final. The award of the Parsons Medal will take place at a special event in the Royal Dublin Society, Ballsbridge, Dublin in mid-November.

Closing date

The closing date for nominations is 6 October, 2017. Nominations to be sent by email to the Honorary Secretary of The Irish Academy of Engineering: academy@iae.ie