The CoatingsTech Awards and Student Competitions are highly anticipated aspects of the CoatingsTech Conference to be held on March 20-22, 2017, in Cleveland, OH. At this major technical conference, participating students and coatings professionals will be recognized for the best technical papers and student posters presented at the event.

Roon Award Competition

One of the most prestigious technical awards given in the coatings industry, he annual Roon Competition is sponsored by the Roon Foundation and was established to honor the late Leon Roon, founder of Nuodex Products Co. Winner(s) will earn a cash prize for outstanding papers. To submit a paper to the Roon Award Competition, the following rules should be observed:

  • Participants must request to be considered for the award competition.
  • Award competition presenters are individuals associated with the organic coatings industry, including manufacturers, raw material suppliers, educational institutions, and research laboratories.
  • Papers submitted shall describe original work of high scientific caliber, neither previously presented nor published. Papers discussing or describing an update on previously published or presented work will not be considered.
  • Abstracts submitted for Roon Awards and accepted for presentation are not automatically prize-winning entries. The final submitted paper will determine the winner(s) of the award.
  • No more than one (1) submission from a single author will be accepted.

CoatingsTech Best Paper Award

The CoatingsTech Best Paper Award, new to the conference this year, will be given for the best overall paper contributed to the CoatingsTech Conference. The winner will earn a cash prize for his/her participation. To enter the competition, the rules below must be followed:

  • Participants must request to be considered for this award.
  • All submissions must have high technical merit, including objectivity and experimental design.
  • Participants will be judged on the content of the paper and also the presentation during the conference. Presentation ability is weighed heavily.
  • Paper must have strong relevance to coatings technology and its impact on the industry.

To participate in the Roon Award Competition and the CoatingsTech Best Paper Awards, abstracts must be submitted by October 15, 2016. Participants will be notified by November 1, 2016, if their submission has been accepted. Completed papers must be submitted by January 15, 2017.

Student Presentation and Poster Competitions

The CoatingsTech student competition includes the ACA Student Presenter Award and Student Poster Session competition. The Student Presenter Award will be given to the author(s) of the best overall student paper of the CoatingsTech Conference. Contributing factors to the award winner include experimental design and execution, originality, and relevance to the future coatings industry. The following rules apply for participation in the 2017 competition:

  • Participants must request to be considered for this award.
  • Research project related to a senior project, thesis, or dissertation will be accepted from undergraduate, Master’s degree, and Ph.D. students, respectively.
  • Papers must include original research on a subject related to coatings technology or present a significantly insightful comprehensive review of field coatings technology.

Abstracts must be submitted by October 15, 2016. Students will be notified by November 1, 2016, if their submission has been accepted. Completed papers must be received by January 15, 2017.

The Student Poster Session competition provides a forum for new ideas, techniques, and research in the coatings industry without the commercial atmosphere. The Session also showcases work that is significant but not yet complete. Students who wish to display their posters must submit a title and 200-word abstract of their poster by November 1, 2016. Students will be notified of acceptance by November 15, 2016.

At the conference, each student will be given a display board to highlight his/her research project, and displays must be staffed during the scheduled poster session times. Awards for displays will be based on scientific content, originality, and quality and design. The first prize is $500, second prize is $300, and third prize is $200.

For additional information on the CoatingsTech Conference and Award competitions, go to paint.org/2017-coatingstech-conference.