The competition is organised in three stages:

• Stage I: Initial Abstract Submission (February-March 2025)
• Stage II: Summarised Thesis Submission (May 2024)
• Stage III: Online Competition Event (July 2024)

The first two stages consist of written submissions, whilst the competition will be an online space for students to present their work in front of academics and industry leaders in the energy and turbomachinery field.

Stage I – Abstract Submission

Participants are required to submit an abstract of their thesis, highlighting key aspects of their research. The abstract should provide an overview of the research question aims and key objectives, the methods used and the (expected) results and outcome of the study.

• Abstract should contain:
  • Title of the MSc Thesis, names of Author and Supervisor(s), affiliation and full addresses of Author and Supervisor(s).
  • Up to five keywords in descending order of importance.
  • Language: All abstracts must be written in high-quality English, and authors of selected papers must be able to present their topics in English.
• Submission procedure: see the Registration section below. 

Stage II – Summarised Thesis

Upon successful abstract selection, participants will be invited to submit a summarized version of their work. The summarized thesis should provide an introduction and background on the challenge being tackled, and the potential impact of your research and its relevance to the broader academic community or real-world applications, it should provide a short literature review justifying the selection of the study and how it addresses current challenges or gaps in knowledge, methods should be clearly explained with supporting literature as to their selection, and results must be presented and analyzed with a corresponding conclusion.

• Format: PDF document, from 6 to 10 pages in total, including all the sections required. 
• Document formatting guidelines:
  • Use the following template: BPEA 2024 Summarized Thesis Report Template.
• Evaluation Rubric: The reports will be evaluated based on the Report Evaluation Rubric. 
• Submission procedure: those whose abstract was accepted, submit your summirized thesis report by filling in the following form before 10 May at 17:00 CEST – Submission Form. 

Stage III – Competition Event

After the evaluation of the stage II submissions, five selected participants will be invited to present their summarized theses in a 7-minute presentation during the Energy and Turbomachinery Network Master’s Thesis Competition. The presentations will provide an opportunity for participants to showcase their work and engage with the judging panel. The presentation should cover the information provided in the summarized thesis, respecting the time limit. It should communicate the research effectively and covers the main aspects of your thesis, including the problem statement, methodology, results, and conclusions. More information and guidelines will be provided to the contestants at this stage.

• The event will be held on July 2025 (TBC), it will have a duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Format: PPT presentation, 7 minutes max. + 3 minutes Q&A. 
• Submission Procedure: you will be contacted by the organising committee for further instructions.
• Notification of winner: winner will be announced at the end of the event.

A panel composed of ETN members will evaluate based on the:

• Relevance of the topic,
• Originality of the work (how your work contributes to the existing body of knowledge in your field and what makes it stand out),
• Quality of academic writing,
• Impact in the field,
• Communication and presentation skills.

The winner of the 2024 Brian Pitt Excellence Award will receive a fully funded invitation to attend the 12th International Gas Turbine Conference (IGTC) on 14-15 October 2025 in Brussels (Belgium)

The prize for the winner includes the following:

• Exclusive chance to be invited to present their investigation results in front of a diverse and influential audience at the 12th International Gas Turbine Conference (IGTC).
• Round-trip travel expenses, accommodation and registration fees for participation at the ETN October Workshop in Stuttgart, Germany.
• A distinctive certification acknowledging the victorious achievements in the competition.
• Networking opportunities with professionals and experts in the field.

(The winning participant must be available to attend the ETN October Workshop scheduled on 8-10 October 2024)

Two other prizes are awarded for the other 4 finalists:

• An exclusive certification recognizing their participation in the final round.
• A discounted fee to attend the 12th International Gas Turbine Conference  (they will receive the same fee and condition as ETN Global YEC Members).
• Other prizes are to be confirmed…