AWARDS CATEGORIES

Nominations for an association award may be made in either the Professional or Civic Divisions. To be considered within the Professional Division, nominations must indicate a significant level of engineering content. Civic Division awards are made to recognize the achievements of professional engineers in fields other than engineering.

The balance between the engineering content and other factors will normally determine the division in which the nomination will be considered. The Awards Committee may move a nomination from one division or category to another, if it considers this to be more appropriate than the original submission.

PROFESSIONAL DIVISION

The Gold Medal
The premier award of the profession is the Gold Medal, which is awarded only when there is an outstanding candidate. No more than one Gold Medal will be awarded each year. It is given to an association member who is recognized widely as a distinguished practitioner of the profession and has rendered outstanding public service in other fields on a federal or provincial basis. The recipient should be recognized by the public as a professional engineer and a dedicated public servant, who has made significant sacrifices of time and effort to benefit society.

The Engineering Medal
The Engineering Medal is given to association members who have contributed substantially to advancing the engineering profession in any of its branches. Recipients' achievements are significantly above the normally high standards of the profession. The Engineering Medal is awarded in the following categories:

  • Engineering Excellence - recognizing overall excellence in the practice of engineering, where the innovative application of engineering knowledge and principles has solved a unique problem, led to advanced products, or produced above-average results.
  • Management - for managing and directing engineering projects or enterprises, where innovative management practice has contributed significantly to the overall excellence of the engineering achievement.
  • Research and Development - for using new knowledge in developing useful, novel applications, or advancing engineering knowledge or applied science, or discovering or extending any of the engineering or natural sciences.
  • Entrepreneurship - for applying new technologies or innovative approaches that have enabled new companies to get started, and/or assisted established companies to grow in new directions. The engineer should have demonstrated the initiative, energy and spirit it takes to seek out new ideas and to take a leading role in fostering and promoting them.
  • Young Engineer Award - for outstanding young Ontario engineers, who have made exceptional achievements in their chosen fields. To be eligible for nomination in the Young Engineer Award category, a candidate must:
    • be no older than 35 years of age as of December 31 in the year the nomination is submitted; and
    • have demonstrated excellence, not only in career, but also in community and professional participation.

The presentation of this award is also aimed at furthering public understanding of the professional engineer's role in society.

CIVIC DIVISION
The Citizenship Award
The Citizenship Award is given to association members who have made substantial contributions to humanity, while maintaining their identities as professional engineers. The contribution may have been made in any milieu, as either a voluntary or paid service, but must be outside of the nominee’s regular employment.
Two categories of Citizenship Awards are now open to PEO members:

  • civic activities for society outside of an engineering context;
  • civic activities for social betterment within an engineering context (e.g. extensive voluntary involvement with standard setting groups).

January 26, 2010