Mr. Tom Leahy, Special Advisor and Past President and member of the CAETS Communications committee draws to your attention the opportunity presented by the 2026 CAETS communication prize. Tom said “This is an amazing opportunity for a winning entry to receive global circulation in 33 International Academies of Science, Technology and Engineering”
CAETS is the international association of 33 Academies of Engineering and technology (www.newcaets.org ) and each year awards a Global award for Engineering Communication.
The purpose of the Communications Prizes is two-fold:
- Inspiring students to follow careers in engineering and technological sciences.
- Educating the general public on the impact that engineering and technological sciences have in their lives and future.
The annual CAETS Communication Prize was established to recognise the best such videos from early career researchers and Academy fellows globally.
The program and solicits short, jargon-free videos that explain the problem, what is clever about the solution, and why it matters to people.
CAETS propose to conclude the annual competition approximately 3 months in advance of the CAETS annual meetings (in Munich, Germany from 14-17 September 2026)
and provide a monetary award of USD 5,000 and a travel stipend of up to USD 5,000 from CAETS funds to enable the winner to travel to the annual symposium to make a presentation (in addition to screening of their video).
Entries will be limited to 1 per member academy, or 2 if they are different genders.
The 5-minute limit in length remains; videos can be ‘repurposed’ from other videos so long as they meet the criteria.
This presents a very unique opportunity:
The Prize – The prize will cover the registration fee to the annual conference as well as travel, accommodation (up to 5000 USD) in addition to a 5000 USD monetary award.
Nomination – Each Academy (In our case the Irish Academy of Engineering) can nominate 1 per member academy, or 2 if they are different genders.
The video – Limited to 5 minutes and requires captions in English
The nominations from the Irish Academy of Engineering must be received at the latest by 31 March 2026.
Timeline 2026
Timeline for the 2026 competition
11 November 2025 Launch of CAETS Communication Prize 2026 competition
- 31 March 2026 In-country entries to Irish Academy of Engineering close
- 30 April 2026 International entries close
- 1 May 2026 International judging starts
- 30 May 2026 Winner and finalists announced – under embargo
- Winners announced at CAETS 2026 to be hosted by The National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech) in Munich, Germany from 14-17 September 2026
Examples of previous year’s prize winners
CAETS 2025 Communication Prize Awarded to Barend Van Wyk
CAETS congratulates Professor Barend Van Wyk of Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa with the CAETS 2025 Communication Prize. This annual prize is awarded to the most outstanding audiovisual communication of excellence and innovation in technological sciences or engineering. Professor Van Wyk’s video was entitled “Sustainable automotive technologies: a TUT case study”. Barend Van Wyk was nominated by the South African Academy of Engineering. The prize was received by his team member Dr Christiaan Oosthuizen during the CAETS 2025 Gala Dinner in Brisbane City Hall on 10 September 2025.
CAETS 2024 Communication Prize Awarded to Dr. Magdalena Zukowska
On 2 July 2024, Dr. Magdalena Zukowska, affiliated with the Department of Production Engineering at Poznan University of Technology, Poland, was awarded this year’s CAETS Communication Prize during the CAETS 2024 symposium in Helsinki, Finland. The prize is awarded to the most outstanding audiovisual communication of excellence and innovation in technological sciences or engineering. Magdalena Zukowska’s video was entitled “Blueprints of Hope: The Path to 3D Personalized Prosthetics”. Dr. Zukowska was nominated by the Academy of Engineering in Poland.
CAETS 2023 Communication Prize Awarded to Dr. Caitlin Howell
Dr. Caitlin Howell was awarded the prize on 9 October, in Zagreb, Croatia, during CAETS2023. The prize is awarded to the most outstanding audiovisual communication of excellence and innovation in technological sciences or engineering. Dr. Howell’s winning entry was titled “Deciphering Nature’s Secrets: Bio-Inspired Solutions for Antibiotic Resistance.” Dr. Howell is affiliated with the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Maine, Orono, and was nominated by the US National Academy of Engineering.
The three short videos show the type of entry required.
CAETS represents 33 International Academies of Science, Technology and Engineering – This represents an amazing opportunity for networking by the 2025 communications prize winner!
Applications from Ireland are open to all and not restricted to members of the Irish Academy of engineering.
Please circulate this note to your colleagues, networks, Universities and innovation hubs.
Applicants from Ireland should send their video’s and completed declaration forms to Academy@iae.ie before 31 March 2026 and attached are the full details.
- 2026 CAETS Communication Prize Framework and Submission Guidelines
- Entry and Declaration Form 2026 CAETS Communication Prize
This is an amazing opportunity for a winning entry to receive global circulation in 33 International Academies of Science, Technology and Engineering