ANSI Announces 2014 Student Paper Competition on Standardization as a Tool to Boost Business

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American National Standards Institute

Aug 23, 2013, 10:35 ET

April 2014 Deadline Allows for Submissions during Fall and Spring Semesters

NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of its continuing efforts to raise awareness among postsecondary students of the strategic significance of standards and conformance, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), in conjunction with its Committee on Education (CoE), is pleased to announce its third annual student paper competition. The theme of the 2014 competition is How are standards and conformity assessment critical components in addressing emerging business challenges?

Entries are due by 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, and must be written and submitted by an enrolled college or university student(s) at the associate, undergraduate, or graduate level in a U.S. academic institute of higher learning. The competition is open to both full- and part-time students of
all disciplines.

Standardization plays a critical role in removing barriers to trade, enforcing free trade agreements, and expanding foreign markets for U.S. goods and services. It impacts more than 80% of global commodity trade – in 2012, an estimated 14 trillion dollars. Submitted papers should use specific examples to demonstrate the role standards and conformance play in addressing emerging business challenges related to the student writer's particular discipline. In this context, the term business could mean company, organization, educational institution, etc. All papers should also include a critical reflection on the broader societal dimensions of standards and conformance.

Entries must not exceed 2,000 words and must be formatted in accordance with the submission criteria in the paper competition flyer linked below. All submissions will be reviewed by top-level industry experts, and winning papers will be published on ANSI.org, StandardsBoostBusiness.org, StandardsLearn.org, and potentially in other media outlets. Winning submissions will be read by a large number of members of the standards community, including experts in government, industry, professional societies, and academic institutions.

Prizes will be given to first- and second-place winners; ANSI reserves the right to award no prizes based on the determination of the judges. Winning papers will be announced in late May or early June 2014.

For full submission criteria, view the ANSI 2014 Student Paper Competition flyer here. Email entries by Wednesday, April 30, 2014, to [email protected].

About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

About the ANSI Committee on Education
The ANSI Committee on Education oversees all Institute initiatives related to standards and conformity assessment education and outreach, fulfills the objectives of the United States Standards Strategy (USSS), and responds to other issues that may be delegated by the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, or the National Policy Committee.

SOURCE American National Standards Institute