Origin of Award

The award was initiated by the Local Organizing Committee for the 2012 Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) Annual Conference held in Edmonton, Alberta.  This conference marked the 125th anniversary of CSCE and the Engineering Institute of Canada.  The award was established to recognize the importance of sustainability to the future of humanity, as well as the central roles that resilient systems of civil infrastructure play in the general well being of society.

Objectives and Scope

The primary objective of this award is to provide recognition to Canadian governmental organizations for true innovation and leadership in the development and guardianship of sustainable civil engineering infrastructure projects or systems.  The overarching principle for selecting the recipient of the award is the leadership that the recipient has provided with respect to the integration of sustainability in the design and/or operation of civil engineering infrastructure.  As such, there is an expectation that nominations highlight demonstrated excellence in advancing the state-of-the-art in building or maintaining public infrastructure with extraordinary commitment to sustainability.

The award objectives are to be interpreted in the broadest sense.  In addition to physical infrastructure, the award could recognize, for example, the quality of an infrastructure management system, a visionary commitment to a maintenance program, or the development of a novel funding mechanism for sustainable public works, as long as sustainability is a central feature.  The size or cost of a project or program is not intended to be a criterion in the selection of the award recipient, although the anticipated overall impact on the future of incorporating sustainability into infrastructure projects will be considered.

Although the intent is for the award to be presented annually, if in the opinion of the Selection Committee there are no sufficiently meritorious nominations, the award need not be made.

Eligibility

All levels of government, including federal, provincial, and municipal (or combinations thereof), are eligible to receive the award; organizations at arm’s length from the government (such as crown corporations and universities) are not eligible.  The award will be presented to the governmental department or departments that developed, executed, or managed the winning project or program, but there may be one or more industry partners with significant roles as well.  Key individuals associated with the submission, at least one of whom must be a member in good standing of CSCE who is employed by the recipient, are to be listed in the nomination package.

Nominations of multi-disciplinary projects are encouraged, although civil engineering must be a primary theme of the project.  Diversity in the level of government, location, and project or program is desirable over time.  The same governmental department is not eligible to win the award more than once each five (5) years.

Submission Guidelines and Nomination Form

Nomination packages may be submitted by any CSCE member, including a member of the team responsible for the project or program being nominated. Nomination packages are to be submitted in 100% electronic format to CSCE Administrative Office, attention Awards Committee at awards@csce.ca. Any questions with respect to this Award may also be addressed to the Awards Committee.