Purpose

The IEEE ComSoc Young Professionals has established the annual IEEE ComSoc Best Young Professional (YP) Award, one for each of the following areas: a) Academia; b) Industry and c) Start-Up. The purpose of the IEEE ComSoc Best YP Awards is twofold:

  • To acknowledge and promote worldwide the remarkable achievements of Young Professionals (YPs) to the communications field in Academia, Industry and Start-up;
  • To encourage effective participation of YPs in IEEE, ComSoc and the IEEE Young Professionals community.

Rules & Eligibility

In order to be eligible for any of the three ComSoc YP awards, the candidates must meet the following criteria:

  • Nominees must be YPs, i.e., the nominees must have received their first post-secondary degree (e.g. Bachelor’s level or an associate degree) within the past 15 years, relative to the nomination deadline. If this criterion is not met, the nominee must have “opted-in” to the IEEE Young Professional membership.
  • Nominees are required to be members of IEEE and preferably, members of ComSoc.
  • Nominees from any country are eligible.
  • Nominees are expected to have prior contributions to one or more of the following IEEE groups, ComSoc and ComSoc YP groups.
  • Previous recipients of the IEEE ComSoc Best YP Awards are not eligible (this rule for the future editions).
  • The awards must be received by the winners in person at GLOBECOM 2016. No award will be made in absentia, except under extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the IEEE ComSoc YP Award Selection Committee.
  • Nominees can apply for only one IEEE ComSoc Best YP Award (i.e. in Academia, Industry or Start-up). Applications for different awards by the same nominee will be rejected.
  • According to the selected award, the nominees must meet additional criteria, as specified in the following:

Academia – Rules & Eligibility

  • Nominee for the IEEE ComSoc Best YP in Academia Award must be a young scientist or engineer who is currently working for academia at any level (Ph.D. student, PostDoc fellow, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Full Professor) and who has made significant contributions in the communications field. Priority will be given to nominees that prove significant contributions within the IEEE ComSoc’s field of interest.

Industry – Rules & Eligibility

  • Nominee for the IEEE ComSoc Best YP in Industry Award must be a YP who is currently working for a company and who has demonstrated significant contributions to the industry in terms of innovative research and/or development of concepts, frameworks, products, services in the communications field. Priority will be given to nominees that prove significant contributions within the IEEE ComSoc’s field of interest.

Start-Up – Rules & Eligibility

  • Nominee for the IEEE ComSoc Best YP in Start-Up Award must be a YP leading or working in a Start-Up who has advanced, initiated, or progressed a new technology in the communications field. Priority will be given to nominees that prove significant contributions within the IEEE ComSoc’s field of interest.
  • Nominees for the Start-Up category are eligible from a company that is at least two of the following:
    • Younger than 3 years old
    • Fewer than 15 people
    • Funded by venture or angel capital

Application Procedure

Required documents:

  • Completed and Signed Nomination Entry Form (Entry Froms: Academia, Startup, Industry);
  • Nomination Letter (max. 2 pages); The Nomination Letter has the aim of highlighting the nominee’s suitability for the selected award also in terms of innovative and creative nature of the nominee’s work, significance of the nominee’s work with respect to the broader ComSoc community, previous contributions to the IEEE ComSoc YP. The letter should be on letterhead and include the signature of the Nominee.
  • Nominee’s Curriculum vitae (max. 2 pages);
  • According to the selected award (Academia, Industry or Start-up), the nominees must submit the additional material, specified in the following:

Academia – Additional Documents

  • List of nominee’s key publications and patents (max. 2 pages);
  • 3 letters of endorsement (max. 1 page each); each letter should make reference to specific qualifications that make the nominee best-suited for the award. Each letter should be on letterhead and include the signature of the endorser.

Industry – Additional Documents

  • List of nominee’s technical and leadership achievements which may include publications and patents if any(max. 2 pages);
  • Letter of support from employer (max. 1 page); the letter should be on letterhead and include the signature of the employer.
  • 2 Client testimonial (max. 1 page); each letter should make reference to specific qualifications that make the nominee best-suited for the award. Each letter should include the signature of the client.

Start-Up – Additional Documents

  • List of nominee’s technical and leadership achievements which may include publications and patents if any (max. 2 pages);
  • 3 Client testimonials (max. 1 page each); letter should make reference to specific qualifications that make the nominee best-suited for the award. Each letter should include the signature of the client.

The candidates should submit the nomination package as a single PDF document, by October 15, October 29 (extended), 2016 via email to comsocYP@comsoc.org. All materials are to be submitted in English. Please indicate in the subject of the email one of the following statements according to the selected award: “Nomination package for the IEEE ComSoc Best YP in Academia Award “, “Nomination package for the IEEE ComSoc Best YP in Industry Award “  or “Nomination package for the IEEE ComSoc Best YP in Start-up Award “

Results and Awards

The IEEE ComSoc Best YP Award recipients will be announced during the ComSoc Young Professionals Reception at GLOBECOM 2016, in Washington DC, USA.

The winners will each receive a plaque and complementary registration to the COMSOC YP Reception & Awards event. (Transportation and accommodation are excluded.) The winners would be featured also on COMSOC YP website and social media outlets (i.e. Facebook and Twitter).

Award Committee

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