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SPE Awards Program Nomination Tips and Best Practices

SPE Awards are very competitive at both the regional and international levels. Each year, our award committees review many excellent candidates from around the globe, recognizing diversities represented in SPE membership. 

Below, you will find tips and best practices to make sure your candidate will stand out in a very competitive pool.

  • Candidates must be nominated by a colleague. Self-nominations are not permitted.
  • Start early and pay attention to nomination deadlines – International, 15 February; Regional, 1 March
  • Select the category most appropriate for your candidate (regional or international).
  • View eligibility requirements and select the award most appropriate for your candidate.
  • Nominators must manage the nomination throughout the process, ensuring required documents are uploaded by posted deadlines so candidate can move into judging rounds.
  • Keep in mind, judges may not know your candidate. Your role as nominator Is to produce an effective nomination – ‘painting a picture’ of your candidate and his/her technical and/or service accomplishments. 
  1. Write a concise, one-sentence statement or citation explaining why candidate should receive award (required).
  2. Provide specific examples of candidates work supporting award criteria (required).
  • Outline candidates’ qualifications and compare them to award criteria to ensure they line up.
  • Compose summarized statement or citation explaining why candidate should receive the award. This single sentence should summarize candidates’ qualifications and how they apply to award criteria.
  • Write several paragraphs providing well written justification:
    1. Make sure presentation is easy on the eyes. If English is not your first language, consider asking a colleague for assistance. Check spelling and grammar.
    2. Justification should contain detail containing candidates’ worthiness.
    3. List award criteria and provide specific examples of candidates’ work that applies to each criterion.
    4. Provide measurable results. Is it a “game changer?” How?
    5. Explain if/how candidates work has influenced SPE.
    6. Provide details regarding the originality of candidates work and its impact.
  • To be moved into the first round of judging, your nomination will require your candidate to upload their CV/Resume or LinkedIn profile. Once you have submitted your nomination, candidate will automatically receive an email requesting this information.
  • To be moved into the first round of judging, your nomination must include at least one (maximum of 6) letters of support. When submitting your nomination, you will be given the opportunity to invite contributors to provide said letters. Once you have listed your contributors in your nomination, each will receive an automated email requesting their letter of support.
  • Remember – the more effectively written your letters of support are, the better chances your candidate will have at receiving an award. When determining who your contributors will be, consider asking well known, highly regarded people such as industry experts, past award winners, past board members, etc., but make sure the endorser is familiar with candidates work. Provide your contributors with the following examples of letters of support:
  • Letters of support should:
    1. Include brief introduction and discuss relationship between writer and candidate.
    2. Address specific examples of candidates work that meets award criteria. “Because he/she is a great engineer” must be followed by concrete evidence of why.
    3. Letters copied from other sources may not do justice. Discourage multiple identical endorsements from colleagues.
  • SPE Awards are presented to individuals based on merit. Content of nomination should be driven by evidence of achievements of candidate. Judges seek concrete evidence and measurable results of candidate achievements. Thorough, well documented nominations enable judges to assess the candidate based on their merits. No special consideration given to diversity factors.
  • Save a copy of your nomination, the CV/Resume, and all supporting letters for your records.
  • A completed nomination will consist of:
    1. Nomination with required fields completed.
    2. Uploaded letters of support (at least 1 is required to be uploaded by elected contributors).
    3. Candidates CV/Resume (required and uploaded by candidate).
    4. Candidates SPE member profile (provided by SPE).
  • Submit your nomination by the posted deadlines – 15 February, International and 1 March, Regional. Ensure candidate has uploaded their CV/Resume, and contributors have uploaded their letters of support (minimum of one per nomination). SPE allows an extra ten days past the posted deadlines for contributors to upload letters of support.

  • You. You cannot nominate yourself 
  • SPE Board of Directors 
  • Award Committee Members (for award in the committee in which they have served) 
    • Current and for two years after service 
  • Honorary Members 
  • Members ordinarily residents in countries sanctioned by the US and EU. 
  • Student Members

  • Regional technical and service award recipients become candidates for the equivalent international award in the following year, (and will remain eligible at the international level for a total of three years), if the following conditions are met:
    1. Nominator Agrees
    2. Regional Director Agrees
    3. Candidate is fully eligible for equivalent international award
  • If approved to transition from a regional to an international candidate, the nominator is responsible for updating the nomination to make it more competitive at an international level. If nomination is inadequate, international judging committees may choose not to review.

  • SPE Award nomination materials are confidential.
  • SPE staff can only provide name of candidate, nominator, and award.
  • Members may not review nomination forms or letters of support they did not provide.
  • Candidates may not review submitted nominations.