Students and Emerging Professionals: Enter the USNC Don Heirman Award Program on Electromagnetic Compatibility

How does electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) affect our daily lives? Outstanding students and early-career professionals are invited to showcase their vision for EMC's future by entering the Don Heirman Award Program annual competition, launched by the U.S. National Committee (USNC) to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The USNC is a fully integrated committee of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

The theme/prompt this year is: “How Does EMC impact our daily lives?”

All entries must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. ET on June 6, 2025, to [email protected], with the subject line “USNC Don Heirman Award Program Submission.” Entries must:

• Answer the prompt with a 2-5-minute video clip or an essay of 2,000 words or less
• Be developed and submitted electronically by an emerging professional (with 8 years or fewer of related experience) at a U.S. organization, or a student (enrolled full- or part-time in an associate, undergraduate, or graduate program during the period of September 2024 to June 2025 in a U.S. higher education institution)

Submissions will be reviewed by a selection panel, including EMC experts and USNC/ANSI staff. All entries will receive a certificate from ANSI recognizing the submission of the essay or video.

The winning entrant will receive a cash prize of $1,000, a certificate, their video or essay published in the USNC Current, and recognition on the USNC webpage.

Access information in the Don Heirman Award Program flyer.

The award honors the legacy of Don Heirman, one of the most prominent experts in the field of EMC. Heirman chaired the international Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR) of the IEC and was also chairman of the IEC Advisory Committee on EMC. He was a life member of the Technical Management Committee of the USNC, as well as a key contributor to ANSI and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In November 2008, he was presented with the prestigious IEC Lord Kelvin award at the IEC General Meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil, recognizing his many contributions to global electrotechnical standardization in the field of EMC. In 2017, Heirman was awarded ANSI's Elihu Thomson Electrotechnology Medal, which honors an individual who has contributed in an exceptional, dedicated way to the field of electrotechnology standardization, conformity assessment, and related activities at the national and international levels.

Learn more on the USNC Young & Emerging Professionals webpage.