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SME Awards & Recognition

Reap the rewards for your innovative ideas, career achievements and work on the behalf of others. You’ve given manufacturing its own brand of cool through your limitless imagination, creativity and energy. SME has a number of awards and recognitions to honor your efforts and contributions throughout your education and career. How will you be recognized?

Awards & Recognition Opportunities

SME Technical Community

AM Industry Achievement Award

The AM Industry Achievement Award was developed to recognize an individual, team or company for outstanding accomplishments that have had significant impact within the additive manufacturing industry or in any industry through the application of additive manufacturing technologies.
SME Technical Community

AM Production Club

The AM Production Club is a unique opportunity to recognize manufacturers of AM parts and products that have produced a certain number of parts in a calendar year using additive manufacturing. There is no limit on the number of companies that can be admitted to the club.
Annual Chapter Recognition

Annual Chapter Recognition

It takes a great deal of effort to make an SME chapter successful. What is the definition of chapter success? While this means different things to different people, we have to look at what SME states about its purpose, which is to advance manufacturing and attract future generations.
SME Technical Community

Aubin AM Case Study Award

The Aubin AM Case Study Award looks to recognize innovative case studies using AM technologies. The purpose of the award is to recognize outstanding use cases of AM adoption and implementation and to provide inspiration to others in their journey of AM application. The case study must include components that are printed and tested but they do not need to be in production. Nominations from a customer in conjunction with a machine supplier, software supplier or material supplier are preferred.
SME Awards

Award of Merit

Since 1958, this award has been bestowed on outstanding SME members who, in the judgment of the International Awards & Recognition Committee, have made valued, balanced contributions to SME's professional activities and growth. Nominations Due: Aug. 1
College of Fellows

College of Fellows

Elected members, who have made outstanding contributions to the social, technological and educational aspects of the profession, can receive this recognition. This is a distinctive and prestigious honor that can only be earned through years (20 or more) of dedication and service. Nominations Due: Dec. 1
SME Awards

Composite Manufacturing Emerging Innovator Award

This award is intended to focus on emerging leaders in Composites Manufacturing with interest in helping others. The award spans the composites manufacturing industry, including aerospace and automotive component manufacturing, fabrication, layup, curing, automation, and inspection.
SME Awards

Blue Sky Competition & David Dornfeld Manufacturing Vision Award

This award recognizes outstanding vision and leadership within the manufacturing community.
Digital Manufacturing Challenge

Digital Manufacturing Challenge

This annual competition invites student designers to use their imagination to arrive at an innovative design, which exploits the geometric capabilities of direct digital manufacturing (DDM) to the fullest. Entries are welcome from college/university students and high school students; both categories are judged separately. Winners are recognized at SME's annual RAPID + TCT event.
SME Awards

Distinguished Faculty Advisor Award

SME’s Distinguished Faculty Advisor Award was established in 2011 to recognize select SME student chapter faculty advisors for their continued oversight and engagement efforts in advocating for students and the manufacturing industry.
Donald C. Burnham Manufacturing Management Award

Donald C. Burnham Manufacturing Management Award

The Donald C. Burnham Manufacturing Management Award recognizes exceptional success in the integration of the infrastructure and processes of manufacturing through innovative use of human, technical and financial resources. Nominations Due: Aug. 1
Eli Whitney Productivity Award

Eli Whitney Productivity Award

The Eli Whitney Productivity Award is awarded for distinguished accomplishments in improving capability within the broad concept of orderly production. Nominations Due: Aug. 1
SME Awards

Excellence in Composites Manufacturing Awards

These annual awards recognize companies that have demonstrated dedication and ongoing contribution to further advance the design and development of technology used in the manufacturing of advanced composites.
Excellence in Manufacturing Training Award

Excellence in Manufacturing Training Award

The SME Excellence in Manufacturing Training award honors a manufacturer who demonstrates an exceptional commitment and dedication to upskilling the workforce, enhancing talent, and preparing new and incumbent employees for a successful career in the manufacturing industry.
Joseph A. Siegel Service Award

Joseph A. Siegel Service Award

The Joseph A. Siegel Service Award is awarded to an SME member for significant and unique contributions that benefit SME. This award is the only International Honor Award that must only be conferred upon SME members. Nominations Due: Aug. 1
SME Awards

Jud Hall Composites Manufacturing Award

Presented annually to an individual who has contributed to composites manufacturing or tooling technology through leadership, technical developments, patents or educational activities.
M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal of ASME/SME

M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal of ASME/SME

Awarded to an individual who has had significant influence and responsibility for improving the productivity and efficiency (either by research or by implementation of research) of the manufacturing operation(s). Nominations Due: Feb. 1
SME Awards

NAMRC Student Research Presentation Award

As part of the annual North American Manufacturing Research Conference (NAMRC), a Student Research Presentation Award is presented in recognition of students' contributions to the conference.
SME Awards

NAMRI | SME Founders Lecture

These awards honor individuals who served on the NAMRC Scientific Committee and the members who founded NAMRI | SME as well as other distinguished contributors to manufacturing who have been actively involved with NAMRC.
SME Awards

NAMRI | SME Outstanding Lifetime Service Award

This award honors distinguished members for their long-term dedication and contributions to NAMRI | SME.
SME Awards

NAMRC | SME Outstanding Paper Award

Each year this award recognizes both the engineering value and industrial relevance of a published NAMRC paper.
Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award

Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award

Recognizes innovators, age 35 and younger, in both academia and industry for exceptional accomplishments, such as technical publications, patents or technical-professional leadership. Nominations Due: Aug. 1
SME Technical Community

AM Start-Up Technology Award

Have you developed a technology or application that solves an existing problem or unique approach? Does it have potential to serve a large or niche market? Tell us more!
SME Albert M. Sargent Progress Award

SME Albert M. Sargent Progress Award

The SME Albert M. Sargent Progress Award recognizes significant accomplishments in the field of manufacturing processes, methods or systems. Nominations Due: Aug. 1
SME Education Award

SME Education Award

The SME Education Award honors the educator most respected for the development of manufacturing-related curricula, fostering sound training methods or inspiring students to enter the profession of manufacturing. Nominations Due: Aug. 1
SME Frederick W. Taylor Research Medal

SME Frederick W. Taylor Research Medal

The SME Frederick W. Taylor Research Medal honors significant published research leading to a better understanding of materials, facilities, principles, operations and their application to improve manufacturing processes. Nominations Due: Aug. 1
SME Gold Medal

SME Gold Medal

The SME Gold Medal recognizes outstanding service to the manufacturing engineering profession in technical communications through published literature, technical writings or lectures. Nominations Due: Aug. 1
Honorary Members

SME Honorary Members

Honorary Membership may be conferred upon an individual of recognized ability and stature who has, by voluntary action, contributed their substantial skills and talent to accomplish the goals of SME.
SME Awards

SME Journal Awards

The awards recognize outstanding associate editors and high performing reviewers in each of our three Journals. Their critical review and oversight is crucial in further promoting the interdisciplinary formative research that contributes to the progress in manufacturing techniques, models, processes and systems.
SME Awards

SME President's Award

The SME President’s Award is given to a Chapter or Technical Community member who has gone above and beyond in service to their fellow members.
SME Awards

S.M. Wu Research Implementation Award

This award recognizes individuals for outstanding original research, which, when implemented, has had a significant commercial and/or societal impact.