Just over one month to apply: In celebration of standards and their significant impact on the world, SES - The Society for Standards Professionals and the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day Planning Committee are co-sponsoring an annual paper competition for individuals in the U.S. standards community. The 2021 paper competition winners will be announced this year and presented their awards at the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day, which will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
All paper contest submissions must be received with an official entry form by 11:59 p.m. PT on October 29, 2021.
Authors may select the 2021 World Standards Day theme, Standards for Sustainable Development Goals. At the heart of the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which serve as a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all." The U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day 2021 theme recognizes the tremendous role that standardization plays in advancing and implementing these goals, with a special focus on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (SDG #11), as well as the partnerships and collaborations necessary for success.
Moreover, as the 2020 World Standards Day paper competition was previously postponed to 2021, paper competition participants may also submit papers based on the 2020 theme, "Protecting the Planet with Standards," or another relevant standards topic. Authors may choose to address topics that are either domestic (U.S.) or international in scope.
The paper competition is open to any individual in the private sector, government, or academia, including employees of standards developing organizations. Entrants must reside in the United States. If employed, they must be employed by a U.S.-based organization and must work at a U.S. location. Co-authorship is permitted.
The first place winner will receive a plaque and $2,500. Second and third place winners will receive $1,000 and $500, respectively, along with a certificate. In addition, the winning papers will be published in SES’s journal, Standards Engineering.
For the complete rules and tips for writing papers, and to download the World Standards Day Paper Competition entry form, visit the SES website at https://www.ses-standards.org/page/WSD2021.