Individuals in the U.S. standards community are now invited to enter the annual paper competition marking the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day 2021. Co-sponsored by SES – The Society for Standards Professionals and the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day Planning Committee, the competition celebrates standards and their growing impact on the global economy.
Entrants may write about the annual World Standards Day theme, or they may write about another relevant standards topic of their choosing. The 2021 World Standards Day Theme has not yet been announced; updates will be posted at www.wsd-us.org. The 2020 World Standards Day paper competition was postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic; accordingly, entrants can also choose to write about the 2020 theme: “Protecting the Planet with Standards.”
Other topics that authors may consider include:
- How standards support societal efforts – addressing topics such as environmental management and sustainability, accessibility, safety, security (both personal and information), intelligent transportation
- The use of standards in conformity assessment, either on a voluntary basis or for regulatory compliance
- The use of standards to facilitate international trade
- How standards contribute to the success of a particular industry
- Operational aspects of standards development—describing techniques in the development or publication of standards that could be useful to other organizations
- Standards and the law—addressing the relationship between standards and intellectual property, including patents, copyright, and antitrust
- Standards and consumer products; standardization aspects or consumer participation
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 location in the U.S. Co-authorship is permitted.
Winners will be announced at the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day on October 28, 2021. Three cash prizes are awarded by SES and the World Standards Day Planning Committee for the best papers submitted. The first place winner receives $2,500 and a plaque. Second and third place winners receive $1,000 and $500, respectively, along with a certificate. In addition, the winning papers will be published in the SES journal, Standards Engineering.
All paper contest submissions must be received with an official entry form by midnight on September 3, 2021, to [email protected].
For the complete rules, 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.
