How to nominate someone for an ICSTE award.

ICSTE does not accept self-nominations. All nominations must be submitted by a recognised institution, a technology organisation, or a prior ICSTE recipient.

The Nomination Process

1. Confirm eligibility
Check that the nominator — not the nominee — meets the eligibility requirements. We accept nominations from accredited universities, technology companies, research institutes, professional associations, and prior ICSTE recipients.
2. Select a category
Review the award categories and their criteria carefully. A nomination submitted for the wrong category will not be transferred; it will be returned for resubmission.
3. Prepare the nomination
A complete nomination consists of: a 600–1,200 word statement of case, a CV or professional profile of the nominee, up to three supporting materials (papers, repositories, case studies, references), and the nominator's contact details and institutional affiliation.
4. Submit by the deadline
Nominations for each cycle are accepted for a 90-day window, typically opening in September. Submissions after the close date are held over for the following cycle, not evaluated.
5. Committee evaluation
All complete nominations are reviewed by the full committee. Shortlisted nominees may be contacted for a brief technical interview at the committee's discretion. Results are communicated confidentially before public announcement.

Cycle Status

2027 Award Cycle

Nominations not yet open

The 2027 nomination window is expected to open in September 2026. To be notified when nominations open, write to nominations@icste.org to register your interest.

Common Questions

Can a nominee be nominated in multiple categories?

Yes, but the nominators must be different individuals or institutions, and each nomination must stand on its own merits.

Can someone who was not awarded be re-nominated?

Yes. There is no prohibition on re-nomination. The committee evaluates each cycle independently.

Is geographic location a factor?

No. ICSTE awards are open to practitioners anywhere in the world. The committee makes no distinction based on country of residence or origin.

What happens if a nomination is incomplete?

Incomplete nominations are returned to the nominator with a description of what is missing. There is no penalty for resubmission within the same window.

Eligibility Criteria by Category

Distinguished Innovator Award

—The nominee must have created, led, or made a decisive contribution to a technology or product that represents a meaningful departure from prior practice.
—Impact must be demonstrable: through adoption, citation, industry influence, or documented change in practice.
—Commercial success alone is not sufficient. The nominee's technical contribution must be independently identifiable.

Excellence in Software Engineering

—Work must be available for evaluation: as open source, published code, a shipped product, or documented architecture.
—Quality will be assessed by committee members with relevant technical expertise.
—Nominees should have a minimum of five years of professional software engineering experience.

Emerging Leader in Technology

—The nominee must be within ten years of beginning their first professional technical role.
—Demonstrated output must be disproportionate to career stage.
—The nominator must explain concretely why the nominee's work is unusual relative to peers.

Most Promising Female Developer

—Open to female-identifying developers at any career stage.
—The committee looks for technical depth, originality, and evidence of impact.
—No minimum experience requirement applies to this category.

Community Leadership Award

—The nominee's primary contribution must have been to enable others — through open source, mentorship, documentation, or community infrastructure.
—The scale and durability of that contribution will be assessed.
—The nominee should be known by a community broader than their immediate employer or institution.