NAMEPA Resumes Marine Science Competition for Students

The American Salvage Association (ASA) and the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) are resuming their annual Marine Sciences Scholarship Competition. After a pause in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASA and NAMEPA are relaunching the annual scholarship program, which is open to all high school and undergraduate students who have recently participated in a science or engineering fair with a project that has relevance to the marine sciences, either individually or in a team of up to three persons. 

Winners will earn scholarship funds to further their education and research, along with the opportunity to showcase their work, including an invitation to present at NAMEPA's annual conference on October 28. The competition is intended to highlight the importance of preserving the marine environment through the use of sound environmental practices; raise awareness of the art and science of marine salvage and engineering; and promote careers within the maritime industry and marine sciences. 

All eligible students are invited to submit a project abstract of 300 words or less and a technical paper describing their work, which will be reviewed by a technical committee of maritime industry and marine science experts. Papers and abstracts will be accepted from April 1 through September 3, 2021. Winners will be personally notified before September 30, 2021 and will be publicly announced in a variety of marine industry publications and on social media. 

The contest is divided into high school and undergraduate cohorts. In each, the first place prize is $500; the prize for second is $250; and the prize for third is $100. To be considered, projects must focus on maritime-related areas, like naval architecture, marine engineering, the marine environment, underwater robotics, meteorology, alternative marine fuels or diving systems. A 300-word abstract and a full technical paper are required, and original, detailed and in-depth work is preferred. Full details on acceptable subjects and submission requirements are available at https://namepa.net/education/science-awards/.