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The Technical Paper Competition is designed to enhance members’ skills in technical writing and theoretical research. Of all abstracts received, six national finalists will be chosen from the total pool of submissions. All finalists must be a graduate student or technical professional member of NSBE and will be expected to present their research findings at the NSBE National Convention. The first, second, and third place winners at the National Competition will be selected by a panel of judges (from academia and industry) based on scores from the written and oral presentations. The competition also provides an opportunity for graduate students to present their research findings while encouraging undergraduates to pursue graduate degrees. In 2003-04, the Graduate Student Poster Session was joined with the paper competition. All competition registrants will be allowed to present their papers in poster session form as part of the Graduate School Conference.

Why Submit a Paper?
The convention hosts over 10,000 attendees who are students in various stages in their academic careers or professionals in a variety of fields and industries. It will enable you to network with engineering professionals of color who develop and apply the nation's leading edge technology. Most of all, it will support your continued academic and professional development. This opportunity also provides a venue for graduate students to present their latest research.

What Kind of Papers will be accepted?
Students are encouraged to write a technical paper demonstrating theoretical research with an academic focus and professionals should submit topics that are practitioner driven by industry or government. Participants are asked to submit a complete paper manuscript in accordance with symposium guidelines. The actual paper will be judged for inclusion in the symposium and authors will be notified of their acceptance.

ELIGIBILITY AND CRITERIA:

• Only paid graduate student and technical professional members are eligible. Graduate students cannot submit papers from their undergraduate education and programs.
• Participants MUST submit a complete softcopy of the paper manuscript with the application forms (ONLINE APPLICATION) in rich text format. (The paper may be saved as read-only)
• All manuscripts must be between 10 and 20 typewritten, double spaced pages and should follow a standard style of technical papers per standard preparation guidelines outlined by journals in the respective discipline.
• All manuscripts must include an abstract and a high degree of technical content is expected throughout the paper.
• All submissions must be accompanied by a data sheet listing the manuscript title, author’s name, address, phone, email address, NSBE Membership Number, college major and degrees received or expected (please specify B.S., M.S., etc.), chapter name, region and a brief autobiography. (Competition application may be used.)

SCORING OF MANUSCRIPTS:
Technical Content 40 points Organization 10 points
Format 15 points Clarity 10 points
Grammar 15 points Use of Visual Aids 10 points
NOTE: Manuscripts will be judged by a panel of academicians and industry professionals versed in various engineering and technical fields.

AWARDS:
• First Place: $1000
• Second Place: $750
• Third Place: $500
• The six finalists will receive complimentary registration and a accommodations/travel stipend to the National Convention in Boston, MA (March 2005);
• The winning manuscript will be published in the first available issue of the NSBE Magazine

DEADLINE: ONLINE SUBMISSION by DECEMBER 31, 2004

CONTACT: National Programs Chairperson or World HQ Programs
programs@nsbe.org

GUIDELINES FOR POSTER SESSION PARTICIPANTS

WHAT IS A POSTER PRESENTATION?
A poster presentation is a technical paper presented through a variety of visual, graphical wall displays (maps, charts, photographs, computer outputs, etc.) working models and/or material samples that are prepared by the authors who will be in attendance during the display period. The displays make the presentation of certain types of information more effective, in particular, complex analytical subjects, topics involving large amounts of data and projects having special display materials. This format allows the attendees to review the information at their own pace and to discuss the materials with the authors to present a technical paper, while affording the attendees an easier format for asking questions and receiving in-depth responses. Many presenters and attendees feel more comfortable in leisurely discussion than in a condensed, formal presentation. All registrants are eligible to display during the poster session, both competition finalists and non-finalists.

POSTER PRESENTERS MUST FURNISH THE FOLLOWING:

• A 4ft. X 6ft. or smaller display board for mounting displays. (Note: Displays will be placed on easels.)
• It is highly recommended that you bring all of the necessary supplies you will need to prepare your posterboard in the comfort of your sleeping room. Minimal Supplies: Push pins, tape, glue stick, etc.
• Title and Author Banner, Diagrams, Charts, Figures, Photos/Drawings should be sized and lettered so they are legible and readable by a group of attendees at a distance of 5 feet. They should be simple, colorful, well-labeled, and neat. The research display should include information such as objectives, procedures, data, results, and conclusions.
• Your title/author banner or placard can be mounted on your poster board at the top, centered. You can choose to make the project title and name a part of your poster board display as well.
• Hand-outs are highly recommended for distribution to attendees. It is recommended that the speaker not rely on posting the entire paper as this will make it difficult to read the material.
• When considering the appearance of text, you can use colors and varying fonts to make information stand out.
• Be prepared to discuss your abstract and manuscript with convention attendees and respond to questions.

The six participants that are selected as finalists in the Technical Paper Competition are also requested to present a poster.

The Technical Paper Poster Session for Graduate Students and Technical Professionals will take place as part of the Graduate School Fair on Saturday afternoon of the National Convention.

CONTACT US:
Yoshino N. Woodard - National Programs Chairperson
Michael Smith, D. Eng. - Director of Programs
email: programs@nsbe.org or scholarships@nsbe.org