Student Competitions

Student Paper Competition

The student paper competition has become one of the largest events at IMS. The purpose of the competition is to determine and acknowledge the best student work of the year in the MTT-S. Each student paper is subject to the regular review process by the Technical Program Committee. Based on the review scores only the best student papers are accepted as finalists. The finalists will be given complimentary registration for IMS2009, complimentary tickets to the MTT-S Awards Banquet, and travel subsidies. The student finalists will present their papers at the appropriate regular sessions and make special presentations at the Interactive Forum on Tuesday where they will be evaluated by a group of judges. Six top papers and four honorable mentions will be selected to receive cash awards, certificates, and gifts. These will be announced and presented at the Student Awards Luncheon on Thursday.

Student Paper Competition Rules can be downloaded here.

For details on how to apply for a student travel grant, please click here.

Student Design Competitions

The Technical Coordinating Committees of MTT-S sponsor several Student Design Competitions. This information will be updated as it becomes available.

Student High Efficiency Power Amplifier Design Competition

The fifth Student High Efficiency Power Amplifier Design Competition will be held at IMS2009. The contest will take place at the Interactive Forum on Tuesday. The amplifiers will be tested to verify their performance and will be on display during the competition. The contest is open to all students and graduate students registered at an educational establishment. The competitors are required to design, construct, and measure a high efficiency power amplifier, at a frequency of their choice above 1 GHz but less than 20 GHz, and having an output power level of at least 5 Watts, but less than 100 Watts into a 50 ohm load. The winner will be judged on the design which demonstrates the highest Power Added Efficiency (PAE) weighted for frequency according to the formula (PAE * (f GHz )^¼). All participants will receive recognition and are invited to the Student Awards Luncheon on Thursday. The winner will receive a prize of $1000 and will be invited to submit a paper describing the design to the IEEE MTT-S Microwaves Magazine. Contestants must notify the MTT-S Technical Coordinating Committee by emailing Kiki Ikossi ikossi@ieee.org of their intention to compete in the contest before April 1, 2009. This notification should include information on student name, email, and mailing address, university or educational affiliation of the entry, faculty advisor with email, the approximate PA output power level, DC voltage requirements, frequency and class of operation, and device technology. Questions about the competition can also be addressed.

A call for this competition can be downloaded here.

Student Low Noise Amplifier Design Competition

The Low Noise Amplifier Design Competition is open to all students registered at an educational institution. Competitors are required to design, construct, measure, and demonstrate a low noise amplifier at 2.45 GHz. This project will introduce students to low noise wireless technology. The winner will be judged on the lowest noise figure with a gain of at least 15 dB. A schematic of the LNA is required. In the situation of contestants with the same lowest noise figure, the one with the lowest power consumption will be selected. Testing and judging of the LNAs will be performed at IMS2009 held in Boston, Massachusetts. A member of the design group must be present at the testing to assist with the evaluation.

The winner will receive a prize of $1000 and will be invited to submit a paper describing his/her project to the IEEE Microwave Magazine. Participants will be recognized at the Student Awards Luncheon at IMS2009. Professors are encouraged to introduce this as a project for their students in order to acquaint them with system and circuit level design.

This competition is sponsored by the Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Integrated Circuits (MTT-6), Microwave Low Noise Techniques (MTT-14), Microwave Systems (MTT-16), and Wireless Communications (MTT-20) Technical Committees. Additional information about these committees is found at http://mtt.org/index.html.

The design competition rules are linked below. Please remember to e-mail Roger Kaul of your intention to participate with details as found below in the competition rules. We look forward to receiving your entries and evaluating your design at IMS2009. If you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us as follows:

Roger Kaul
PO Box 213
Sykesville, MD 21784
Tel: +1 301-394-4775
r.kaul@ieee.org

Ed Niehenke
5829 Bellanca Drive
Elkridge, Maryland, 21075 USA
Tel: +1 (410) 796-5866
e.niehenke@ieee.org

Stefan Heinen
Rheinisch-West Falische Technische Hochschule
Chair of Integrated Analog Circuits and Radio Frequency Systems
Sommerfeldstrasse 24
Aachen, D-52499, Germany
Tel: (+49) 171 5553 146
stefan.heinen@ieee.org

Luciano Boglione
U. Mass. Lowell
One University Ave.
Lowell, MA 01854
Tel: +1 (978) 934-2585
l.boglione@ieee.org

Student Low Noise Amplifier Design Competition Rules can be downloaded here.

Student Packaged Ultra-Wide-Band (UWB) Filter Design Competition

IEEE MTT-S Technical Committees MTT-12 (Interconnects, Packaging, and Manufacturing) and MTT-8 (Microwave Filters, Multiplexers, and Passive Components) are co-sponsoring a Student Packaged Ultra-Wide-Band (UWB) Filter Design Competition at the IEEE International Microwave Symposium
IMS2009 to be held at Boston, MA.

A call for this competition can be downloaded here.