The Dutch Royal Navy’s Van Hengel-Spengler award will be presented for the first time at the Maritime Awards Gala 2013. The award will be presented to the best operational innovation by young students.
Entries can be submitted until 1 October 2013. The Van Hengel-Spengler award fits with the innovative character of the Royal Navy and its first award coincides with the navy’s 525 year anniversary.
Breaking the Code
The award is named after two navy officers who laid the foundation for encoding messages by using a rotating machine. The German “Enigma” machine was based on this idea, which led to English efforts to break the code. The English scientist Alan Turing created concepts for a computer based on these efforts.
Award Candidates
Students of up to 35 years of age who have conducted their research as part of a general study, trade study or follow-up study in the maritime field (higher or scientific education) can enter. The research has to have the potential to create new insights, concepts or innovations that can contribute to improving navy units’ operations.
Jury
An independent jury of maritime experts of the TU Delft, TU Twente, Marin, the Dutch Defence Academy and the Royal Navy will judge the submitted entries and may request additional information or consult with other experts to form a judgement.
Win a Master Study
The best operational innovation will be awarded with a free master “Maintenance and Operations” at the faculty Military Systems and Technology at the Royal Institute for the Navy in Den Helder, the Netherlands. In addition, the winner wins the symbolical amount of € 525, which links to the Navy’s 525 anniversary.
The award will be presented by the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy, Vice Admiral Matthieu Borsboom at the Maritime Awards Gala. The winner will be notified in advance.
Submitting Proposals
Maritime students can submit their entry until 1 October. They have to submit the following:
- Personal information.
- Information about the study for which the research was conducted.
- Description of the research (max. 150 words).
- The dates between which the research was conducted.
- How the research can be applied in practice.
- The added value for maritime military operations.
Picture by the Dutch Ministry of Defence
