Who deserves a Royal Honour for services to engineering?

Engineering professionals positively impact the lives of the general public every single day, however, due to a lack of awareness, much of this is taken for granted. Whether we’re admiring a great architectural feat, bypassing the stairs to reach the 15th floor of a building, or decreasing our carbon footprint thanks to clean energy innovations, we consumers absorb a wealth of engineering talent without having to give it too much thought.

This is where the Royal Honours process comes into its own.

Recipients of a Royal Honour not only enjoy individual prestige, they also shine a light on their employers and the merits of the wider industry in which they operate. So perhaps it’s time to think about nominating a colleague or peer for their outstanding achievements?

What makes a nomination stand out?

Before beginning the process of writing a nomination, it’s worth spending a bit of time thinking about whether your nominee genuinely stands out.

It’s not enough to simply be good at your job. If this was the case, anyone exceeding their annual appraisal objectives would be bestowed with an OBE. However, if you know somebody who has generated significant impact in their field, who has demonstrated a truly innovative approach or who has changed the way in which we do things, it might be worth progressing a nomination.

For example, they might have designed a new process or product that has been adopted widely or changed people’s lives. They may have consistently grown an engineering business that has attracted significant inward investment or put the UK on the map internationally. Or perhaps they’ve generated powerful academic research, environmental impact or campaigned to change policy for the benefit of the sector or society as a whole?

If your nominee has dedicated many years to the field, this is also a selling point. We’ve seen many successful nominations for people who are retiring / close to retirement who have given decades of service during a consistent and focused career.

These are the kinds of things to consider when planning a nomination. If you’re confident your candidate is an inspiration to others in your field, then it’s time to start gathering the evidence.

The nomination process

For a UK honour, you will be asked to outline the nominee’s contribution, prepare a statement about their impact, and discuss what makes them stand out from others in their field.

The contribution section can talk about their career, what they’ve achieved, and the facts and figures involved in their success (for example, transforming a business from X turnover to X, or introducing a new innovation). The impact section then needs to demonstrate how this has changed things for the better. For example, has the innovation resulted in major carbon savings, improved the UK’s profile in chemical engineering, or perhaps improved public access or behaviour change. Maybe their business growth has generated huge local employment opportunities or training.

The next section needs to consider why your nominee stands out. For this, think about any firsts they have under their belt, any awards they have won or papers they have had published. Perhaps they’ve been quoted extensively in the media as a thought leader or asked to speak at international events. Also of importance to this section is any charitable work that has been undertaken – do they go over and above in terms of volunteering hours to a good cause or providing pro bono advice for charities, for example.

Also consider whether the individual has had to overcome adversity in order to succeed. Did they get to where they are today despite the odds being stacked against them?

Supporter letters

Alongside this information, you will also be asked to gather supporter letters to provide evidence. Think about who has benefitted from your nominee’s work, or reputable experts in their field who can endorse them. You might end up with a wide range of letters – from an end user of an innovative design to the president of your industry body, and perhaps a mentee who has gone on to achieve great things, or a charity who has benefitted in some way from your nominee’s voluntary work.

When should you nominate?

While honours awards are announced twice a year, the application process has an open, rolling submission window, so there’s no deadline as such. However, it can take a long time for a nomination to progress through the system – sometimes it might take a couple of years. So, if you think your nominee has done enough already to warrant an honour, don’t delay in submitting the nomination. Even if your candidate is continuing to do good work, it’s worth remembering that the panel will often ask for an update letter as the nomination moves through the various stages, giving you another chance to update them on new successes or achievements.

Royal Honours really do shine a light on outstanding work – so maybe it’s time to celebrate the achievements of someone you know?

Mike McKie is co-founder of Bayleaf Honours

Engineering professionals positively impact the lives of the general public every single day, however, due to a lack of awareness, much of this is taken for granted. Whether we’re admiring a great architectural feat, bypassing the stairs to reach the 15th floor of a building, or decreasing our carbon footprint thanks to clean energy innovations, we consumers absorb a wealth of engineering talent without having to give it too much thought.

This is where the Royal Honours process comes into its own.

Recipients of a Royal Honour not only enjoy individual prestige, they also shine a light on their employers and the merits of the wider industry in which they operate. So perhaps it’s time to think about nominating a colleague or peer for their outstanding achievements?

What makes a nomination stand out?

Before beginning the process of writing a nomination, it’s worth spending a bit of time thinking about whether your nominee genuinely stands out.

It’s not enough to simply be good at your job. If this was the case, anyone exceeding their annual appraisal objectives would be bestowed with an OBE. However, if you know somebody who has generated significant impact in their field, who has demonstrated a truly innovative approach or who has changed the way in which we do things, it might be worth progressing a nomination.

For example, they might have designed a new process or product that has been adopted widely or changed people’s lives. They may have consistently grown an engineering business that has attracted significant inward investment or put the UK on the map internationally. Or perhaps they’ve generated powerful academic research, environmental impact or campaigned to change policy for the benefit of the sector or society as a whole?

If your nominee has dedicated many years to the field, this is also a selling point. We’ve seen many successful nominations for people who are retiring / close to retirement who have given decades of service during a consistent and focused career.

These are the kinds of things to consider when planning a nomination. If you’re confident your candidate is an inspiration to others in your field, then it’s time to start gathering the evidence.

The nomination process

For a UK honour, you will be asked to outline the nominee’s contribution, prepare a statement about their impact, and discuss what makes them stand out from others in their field.

The contribution section can talk about their career, what they’ve achieved, and the facts and figures involved in their success (for example, transforming a business from X turnover to X, or introducing a new innovation). The impact section then needs to demonstrate how this has changed things for the better. For example, has the innovation resulted in major carbon savings, improved the UK’s profile in chemical engineering, or perhaps improved public access or behaviour change. Maybe their business growth has generated huge local employment opportunities or training.

The next section needs to consider why your nominee stands out. For this, think about any firsts they have under their belt, any awards they have won or papers they have had published. Perhaps they’ve been quoted extensively in the media as a thought leader or asked to speak at international events. Also of importance to this section is any charitable work that has been undertaken – do they go over and above in terms of volunteering hours to a good cause or providing pro bono advice for charities, for example.

Also consider whether the individual has had to overcome adversity in order to succeed. Did they get to where they are today despite the odds being stacked against them?

Supporter letters

Alongside this information, you will also be asked to gather supporter letters to provide evidence. Think about who has benefitted from your nominee’s work, or reputable experts in their field who can endorse them. You might end up with a wide range of letters – from an end user of an innovative design to the president of your industry body, and perhaps a mentee who has gone on to achieve great things, or a charity who has benefitted in some way from your nominee’s voluntary work.

When should you nominate?

While honours awards are announced twice a year, the application process has an open, rolling submission window, so there’s no deadline as such. However, it can take a long time for a nomination to progress through the system – sometimes it might take a couple of years. So, if you think your nominee has done enough already to warrant an honour, don’t delay in submitting the nomination. Even if your candidate is continuing to do good work, it’s worth remembering that the panel will often ask for an update letter as the nomination moves through the various stages, giving you another chance to update them on new successes or achievements.

Royal Honours really do shine a light on outstanding work – so maybe it’s time to celebrate the achievements of someone you know?

Mike McKie is co-founder of Bayleaf Honours

Mike McKiehttps://eandt.theiet.org/rss

https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2023/10/who-deserves-a-royal-honour-for-services-to-engineering/

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