The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering rewards an outstanding engineering-led advance that has produced tangible and widespread public benefit. Online nominations are encouraged from the public, engineering and science academies, universities, research organisations, and companies around the world. The only restriction is that self-nomination is not permitted, and that the prize not be awarded posthumously. An international search group composed of eminent engineers sifts and develops the nominations before the judging process begins. The judging panel works from the information provided in the nomination, comments from referees and any additional information required in order to establish which nomination most fully meets the following prize criteria:
What is it that this person has done that is a ground-breaking innovation in engineering?
In what way has this innovation been of global benefit to humanity?
Is there anyone else who might claim to have had a pivotal role in this development?
The winner of the QEPrize are announced every two years by the Chairman of the QEPrize Foundation. In the first four prize cycles, this announcement was held at the Royal Academy of Engineering and was attended by members of the British Royal Family. The QEPrize award ceremony takes place in the same year as the announcement, with the QEPrize trophy, designed by the winner of the Create the Trophy competition, presented to the winner by a member of the Royal Family. In the first two prize cycles, the trophy was presented by the Queen. In the third and fourth prize cycle, the trophy was presented by the Prince of Wales.
Winners
Judging Panel
Key
QEPrize Ambassador Network
The is an international network that brings together the best and brightest early-career engineers from all fields around the world, who work to inspire the next generation to take up the challenges of the future. QEPrize ambassadors act as evangelists for engineering, engaging with teachers, parents, school children, politicians, and journalists about their work and why engineering is such an important profession. The Ambassador Network became a global community in 2016.
Create the Trophy competition
The QEPrize trophy is designed by the winner of the Create the Trophy competition which, like the prize itself, runs every two years. The competition, open to those aged between 14 and 24, gives young people the opportunity to get engaged with engineering by testing their design skills using the latest in 3D-design technology. Since 2017, the competition is open to entrants worldwide. Entries are submitted online through the QEPrize3D app, which is available to download on Android and iOS devices. The QEPrize 3D design studio is a 3D modelling tool where entrants can design their creations at the touch of a finger using a variety of shapes and materials. Once complete, trophies can be exported to the device’s photo gallery or shared directly to social media. An additional feature allows users to export the design as a 3D print-ready.OBJ file. The Create the Trophy judging panel is currently chaired by Science Museum director, Ian Blatchford and comprises Roma Agrawal, a structural engineer at Interserve; Rebeca Ramos, independent Architect & Creative, former Associate & Senior Project Leader for Heatherwick Studio; and Zoe Laughlin, co-founder and Director of the Institute of Making at University College London. Previous judges include Yewande Akinola, Dame Zaha Hadid, Sir Nicholas Serota, John Sorrell, Deyan Sudjic, David Rowan and Mark Miodownik.
Winners
2013: The inaugural Create the Trophy competition was won by Jennifer Leggett, 17. The national competition called for students to come up with a design capturing the essence of modern engineering. Jennifer Leggett's tree-like trophy design symbolises the growth of engineering and represents the way in which all areas of engineering are interlinked. After winning the competition Jennifer Leggett was invited to spend the day with designer Thomas Heatherwick before the design was finalised. 2015: The winner of the 2015 Create the Trophy competition was Euan Fairholm, 20, a mechanical engineering student at The University of Glasgow. His design, "The Golden Crown", was developed into a final form by BAE Systems and presented to Dr Robert Langer, the winner of the 2015 QEPrize. 2017: The winner of the 2017 Create the Trophy competition was Samuel Bentley, 15, from Wales, whose design was inspired by the highest Welsh peak, Snowdon. It was 3D printed by BAE Systems and presented to the 2017 QEPrize winners at Buckingham Palace. 2019: The winner of the 2019 Create the Trophy competition was Jack Jiang, 16, from Hong Kong. Jack’s innovative design combines the traditional trophy form with elements from modern wind turbines.
