Protocol for the ICMCTF Graduate Student Awards

Purpose

These Awards honor and encourage outstanding graduate students in fields of interest to the Advanced Surface Engineering Division (ASED) of the AVS. ASED seeks to recognize students of exceptional ability who show promise for significant future achievement in ASED-related fields.

Eligibility

The nominee must be:

·   a graduate student in science or engineering who is in good standing at a University with a recognized graduate degree program

·   the presenting author of an oral presentation at the annual ICMCTF conference.

Nominees who receive their final research degree after the ICMCTF Abstract Submission deadline are still eligible for that year. However, previous Graduate Student Award winners are ineligible.

Nomination Procedure

The Student's Advisor must submit the following items to the current Chair of the ASED Awards Committee by the Abstract Submission deadline, October 1, 2010 for the upcoming annual ICMCTF Conference (late or incomplete applications will not be evaluated):

·   a completed application form can be downloaded from the ASED website: http://divisions.avs.org/ased/applform.pdf

·   one copy of the abstract that has been submitted separately for the ICMCTF Conference

·   a two-page description of research associated with the abstract to be considered for the award, including a clear, concise description of the:

• aim of the work and its relationship to the status of the field
• a summary of the applicant's specific contributions and how they demonstrate exceptional ability and future promise
• a summary of significant results of the work and how they relate to the specific research area
• a list of any publications authored by the applicant that are relevant to this research.

·   a resume which includes a list of publications with complete citations; a list of fellowships, scholarships, and/or other honors received; a list of past employment with dates; a list of technical/professional organizations, including AVS, in which you are a member; other activities or relevant information

·   an Advisor's Student Evaluation Form completed by the student's advisor; please download the form from the ASED website: http://divisions.avs.org/ased/evalform.pdf

·   a recommendation letter from the student's advisor(s).

Selection Process

Graduate Student Award Applications are accepted from graduate students who authored or co-authored a submitted abstract that is accepted for the current ICMCTF Conference. Applications are reviewed by the ASED Awards Committee and up to three finalists are selected. At the ICMCTF Conference, the finalists will present oral presentations which will be scheduled in an appropriate symposium on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of the Conference week. The Awards Committee will attend the presentations and then meet again to evaluate the finalists for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze ASED Graduate Student Awards based upon: (1) the quality of their application materials and (2) the quality and professionalism of their presentation and discussion.

Selection Criteria

In the selection of finalists and award recipients, the judges look for evidence of:

• Excellence in scholarly research, including
  • thoroughness of the applicant’s work
  • originality and independence of the applicant’s contributions
  • depth of understanding of the research topic, the methodologies used, and the relationship of the results to the specific research area and the broader field
  • scholarship and ingenuity shown by the student in attacking the research project
     
• Promise for future substantial achievement in research fields of interest to ASED.

Nature of the Award

The finalists receive Gold, Silver, or Bronze ASED Graduate Student Awards, a cash prize, and a certificate. In addition, the recipients receive travel support of up to $500 to attend the ICMCTF conference at which the award is presented, complimentary meeting registration, and up to six nights lodging at the conference hotel. The Awards are presented at the ICMCTF Conference and announced in the AVS Newsletter and on the ASED website. The cash prizes consist of $400, $300, and $250 for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners.

Nomination Submission and Deadline:  October 1, 2010

All nomination materials must be compiled by the nominee's advisor and submitted as a package. The complete nomination package is to be sent electronically to the current Chair of the ASED Awards Committee (asedawards@avs.org) such that it is received by the ICMCTF Abstract Submission deadline, October 1, 2010. Late or incomplete applications will not be evaluated.