IEEE Student Enterprise Award Program

Do have an idea for a project and need financial help implementing it? Simply get together with your fellow IEEE Student Branch members and submit your idea as a proposal in the IEEE Student Enterprise Award.

The objective of the competition is to provide the opportunity for IEEE Student members to work with others on an engineering project, while simultaneously strengthening Student Branch programs. Topics may be of a technical or non-technical nature ranging from research on state-of-the-art technology to community service programs.

1. Goals must be stated in the proposal and evidence must be given to indicate that a number of Branch members will be involved.
2. Proposals are to be a maximum of six pages in length and preferably in PDF format. You can use softwares like primoPDF for this.
3. Winning Branches are required to submit brief progress reports as requested in addition to an interim and a final report.
4. Late submissions can be disqualified or penalized at the reviewer's discretion.

Perhaps the most difficult part of writing a proposal is preparing the abstract. The following abstracts from past winning proposals may give you an idea how to write your abstract.

We propose research in computational neuroscience and human motor control. Along with a larger, ongoing research program, having students in key roles, we will build a pneumatic-powered model human arm, to test our novel computational schemes for controlling movement.

Existing robotic control schemes have been unable to reproduce the exquisite repertoire of human movement. Observations show that movement difficulty depends critically upon information structures it can tap into, but these are poorly understood. We will probe these information structures, to bridge the gap between human and robot with our concept of natural robotics.

Our proposal is to bring a selected group of middle school students (15 to 20, grades 6 and/or 7) to our campus for an electronic communication awareness workshop. During the workshop, the students will be introduced to electronic communication, specifically, amateur radio. With the assistance of IEEE and W5YJ members, the students will learn the basics of amplitude modulation, electro-magnetic field propagation, and the operation of a shortwave receiver. The students will also be placed in small groups (3 to 4 students) to assist in the designing and construction of a shortwave antenna, tuned to a specific frequency range. The receiver and antennas will then be taken to the middle school to be set up as a permanent hands-on learning tool.

Proposals are evaluated by a subcommittee of the Student Activities Committee. The judges carefully consider each proposal and score it on the basis of the following judging criteria.

Statement of Problem/Project (10 points)
The judges want to know right away the nature of the project you are planning or exactly what problem you will study.

Statement of Proposed Solution (10 points)
Immediately after the judges understand what the problem/project is, they will want to know, step-by-step, your solution.

Arrangement and Clarity (10 points)
The organization of your proposal will have an immediate impact on the judges. They will note the order, logic, and clarity of the proposal.

Prior Thought and Research (20 Points Total)

Research Done (15 points)
Tell the judges how much you have worked on and thought about your subject. If you have an understanding and thorough grasp of your subject, it will be evident and considered favorably.

References (5 points)
A bibliography or references section demonstrates your project's scope, depth, and comprehensiveness.

Subject Appraisal (20 Points Total)

Usefulness and Practicality (10 points)
Is the project useful to you, your Branch, and/or society as a whole? Consider such factors as your project's impact on the environment. Incorporate these considerations into the persuasive parts of your proposal.

Feasibility and Accomplishments (10 points)
Demonstrate that your project can be executed efficiently. Consider the amount of time you will need to complete the project with the manpower you have on hand. Consider also the cost effectiveness of your proposal.

Benefits of Proposal (30 Points Total)

Potential for Student Involvement (15 points)
A project should involve fellow students, because it helps to contribute to everyone's knowledge and the strengthening of the student community. Make this a consideration in your proposal - get others involved. You might want to consider an interdisciplinary project.

Contribution to Student Professional Development (15 points)
Consider how your project will further the professional growth of the academic community.

The format of your proposal should adhere to the following format. Otherwise, penalties (0 to -5 points) can be assessed.

Page 1: Should contain the title of the project, Branch address, names and signatures of authors and counselor, funding requested, and submission date.

Page 2: Should contain an abstract of no more than 100 words that clearly summarizes the proposed activity.

Pages 3-5: Should contain a clear, concise statement of the proposed project, as described in Basis for Judging. Indicate how the goals are to be achieved. Explain how many students will be involved and describe job responsibilities. A timetable and complete bibliography should be included.

Page 6: Should contain the proposed budget. Wages are not allowed. If the Award could lead to further support, a complete explanation should be included. Note that funds granted may differ from the amount you request and will not exceed $1,500.