Amy Bond
16 August 2024

Entries open for this year's Ian McCrae Award essay competition

IAQM Ian McCrae Award

Are you are an IAQM Associate or Full member in the first 10 years of your career? Then enter for your chance to win this prestigious title and a ticket to this year’s Routes to Clean Air conference. Good luck!

We are delighted to open entries for the 2024 Ian McCrae Award essay competition to professionals in our Early Careers Network. The IAQM acts as the voice of air quality in the UK, and this competition, judged by industry professionals, supports tomorrow’s leaders in their professional development.

Dr Ian McCrae was a very well-respected and widely liked air quality practitioner who worked for TRL. He made significant contributions to the understanding of emissions from transport and their links with air quality. In his honour, the IAQM will present the Ian McCrae Award to an IAQM Associate or Member in the early stages of their career (approximately the first ten years) for the best essay submission to the question below.

Prize

The winner will receive a free two day ticket to this year’s Routes to Clean Air conference taking place in Birmingham on October 22nd-23rd, which includes a ticket to the dinner that is taking place, and will be presented with a trophy. They will also be featured on a dedicated IAQM and IES news story.

Eligibility

The Ian McCrae Award essay competition is open to all professional IAQM Early Career Network members: Associate or Full members in approximately the first 10 years of their career in air quality.

How to enter

Submit an essay (maximum 650 words) on the following topic:

Given the links between good air and good health, how can we make wider society understand the importance of air quality improvement? What can those working in the air quality discipline do to improve its messaging so people are prepared to change their own behaviours?

Entries should be submitted via email to Amy Bond by 12pm BST on Sunday 15th September.

Judges will be looking for well written and argued submissions; there is no right or wrong answer.

The winner will ideally be available to attend the Routes to Clean Air conference on the 22nd-23rd October in Birmingham.

Deadline

12pm BST on Sunday 15th September 2024

Any queries on the essay competition should be directed to Amy Bond, communities@the-ies.org. Award winners from 2021, 2022 and 2023, and their entries, are available to view on the IAQM website.