WIA-Europe would like to recognise the achievements of outstanding individuals in aerospace and upcoming talents – young professionals and students alike – and for this we set up our awards programme.

Participation in the event demonstrates your commitment to WIA-Europe’s mission: to expand women’s opportunities for leadership and increase their visibility in the aerospace community. The 2014 award ceremony will be held in the frame of the following IAF spring meetings in Paris in March 2015.

A call for 2014 nominees is now out: please send in your nominations and applications. The deadline for this year is September 30th 2014.

You need to be a Women In Aerospace Europe member to be eligible for Student and Young Professional award. The nominees for the Outstanding Achievement Award do not need to be WIA-Europe members. The programme is open to both genders.

Award rules and guidelines:

Outstanding Achievement Award

The WIA-Europe Outstanding Achievement Award is an engraved statuette and an Honorary Membership, presented at the award ceremony. It is presented to a person who has:

• Shown noteworthy achievements in or contributions to an aerospace related project or programme that represents a breakthrough or milestone in the aerospace field in Europe.
• Shown noteworthy achievements in or contributions to an academic/educational project or programme that represents a breakthrough or milestone in the aerospace field in Europe.
• Shown exemplary leadership abilities in the aerospace field.
• Served/serves as a role model or mentor who demonstrates dedication to the advancement of women in aerospace.
• Contributed positively to raise awareness and recognition of women in aerospace.
• An active commitment to the professional growth of women in aerospace.
• There are no constraints on age, gender or nationality for the WIA-Europe Outstanding Achievement Award. WIA-Europe promotes diversity and as such accepts candidates from all nations, and encourages the nomination of men focusing on points 4, 5 and 6 of the above criteria.

Procedure

The candidate can apply themselves, or can be nominated by someone else. All entries are judged by a committee of three WIA-Europe members and two WIA-Europe Board members. The entries must have:

• A completed, signed application form WIA E_ Outstanding_ Achievement_Award_Form
• An essay of up to 500 words explaining the motivation for the nomination, including at least:
• The relevance of the nominated individual in the aerospace sector;
• His/her role in supporting women leadership and presence in the aerospace sector;
• His/her recognition in the international arena.
• The nominee’s extended CV
• A copy of a valid passport or other official identification document.

Student & Young Professional Award

The WIA-Europe Student & Young Professional Award is €1,000 and is open to individuals aged 21 to 35 who are registered as a full time student at a European university or as a young professional in the aerospace sector in Europe. Candidates may have a non-European nationality. Applicants must be members of WIA-Europe.

The award is presented to the student or young professional who writes the best essay of no more than 1,000 words that discusses:

The relevance of studying and working in the aerospace sector and their view on their future role in this field
What the candidate intends to do with the prize money and the experience to be gained through it, including efforts to share what has been learned

Procedure
Candidates should submit:

• A completed, signed application form WIA_E_SYP_Award_Form
• A reference letter from a current professor or employer
• A copy of a valid passport or other official identification document
• An essay of maximum 1,000 words, in accordance with the guidelines provided
• An extended curriculum vitae
• Six months after receiving the award, the winner must provide a brief report outlining how the prize money has helped her to advance his or her career/studies.