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Kenneth Severn Award

Kenneth Severn Award

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Apply to the Kenneth Severn Award 2025 for a chance to receive a prize of £500 and be considered for inclusion in The Structural Engineer magazine.

How can we ensure our Chartered Membership requirements remain a marker of structural engineering excellence in an increasing digital world governed by big data and AI? How can we transform and maintain the 'gold standard' of structural engineering into the paperless age?

We're looking for young engineers who can tackle the above question set by incoming President Mohamad Al-Dah. The winner will receive a prize of £500, the prestigious Kenneth Severn Diploma, and see their entry considered for publication in The Structural Engineer.

The Award is named in honour of Kenneth Severn (President of the Institution from 1972-73) and is supported by the late Mr Severn's family.

Entries

Your written submission should be a maximum of 1,500 words and may include relevant imagery that supplements the text. Please note: all submissions must be made in English.

Judges will consider:

  • Originality

  • Value to the structural engineering profession

  • Clarity of presentation

Apply to the Kenneth Severn Award 2025

You must be 28 or under to apply for this award.
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Previous winners

The Structural Engineer
<h4>Kenneth Severn Award 2020: How must structural engineers respond to the climate crisis?</h4>

Kenneth Severn Award 2020: How must structural engineers respond to the climate crisis?

In his winning entry to the Institution’s Kenneth Severn Award 2020 – an annual essay competition for young engineers – Will Rogers-Tizard argues that structural engineers can help tackle the climate emergency by making better use of materials, understanding carbon values and questioning industry norms.

Date – 2 September 2020
Author – Will Rogers-Tizard
Price – £9.95
The Structural Engineer
<h4>Kenneth Severn Award 2021: Raising the levels of competence across the profession</h4>

Kenneth Severn Award 2021: Raising the levels of competence across the profession

Max de Podesta explores how structural engineers can develop a stronger knowledge-sharing culture and improve competency.

Date – 8 November 2021
Author – Max de Podesta
Price – £0
The Structural Engineer
<h4>Kenneth Severn Award 2022: Learning to tackle the climate emergency through materials and reuse</h4>

Kenneth Severn Award 2022: Learning to tackle the climate emergency through materials and reuse

Andrew Blackie examines what the structural engineering profession can learn from the past in order to tackle the climate emergency with a new approach to materials, efficiency and reuse.

Date – 1 July 2022
Author – Andrew Blackie
Price – £9.95

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