The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is the principal
association for geotechnical engineers in the United Kingdom.

Cooling Prize

The Cooling Prize competition is held annually by the British Geotechnical Association (BGA) and is awarded to a geotechnical professional in the early stages of their career. Candidates submit a poster, and selected finalists present their poster at an evening meeting, at which the winner is selected by a panel of judges. The winner is invited to prepare a 2000-word paper for publication in Ground Engineering Magazine.

In addition to the prestige of winning the Cooling Prize, the winner receives a cheque for £200, BGA sponsorship to the next European or International Young Engineers Conference on Soil Mechanics, and publication of the winning paper in Ground Engineering magazine.

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The Cooling Prize competition is held annually by the British Geotechnical Association (BGA) and is named after Dr Leonard Cooling, one of the founders of British Soil Mechanics, a former chair of the BGA, and the 2nd Rankine Lecturer. The Cooling Prize competition is intended for professionals in the geotechnical/ground engineering industry in the early stages of their careers.

Dr Leonard Cooling

Dr Leonard Cooling

Entrants may submit a poster on any topic dealing with the engineering behaviour of the ground, whether it be a description of an industrial design or construction project, development of a new piece of equipment, or research. The winner is invited to produce a 2,000 word paper (based on their poster and presentation) for publication in Ground Engineering magazine.

Some recent Cooling Prize winning papers can be viewed on the website of Ground Engineering Magazine here. BGA Members who have not already done so must register with that website using the BGA Member option.

The aim of the competition is to encourage young engineers to present their work; the work presented should not have been previously published or submitted for publication. Equal merit will be given to high quality industrial experience as to state-of-the-art research. The work does not have to be solely that of the author, but the author’s part should be stated clearly.

The call for Cooling Prize Entries is now CLOSED - Deadline Friday 1 March 2024.

The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is pleased to invite Early Career Geotechnical Professionals to submit posters on any topic dealing with the engineering behaviour of the ground, whether it be a description of an industrial design or construction project, development of a new piece of equipment, or state-of-the-art research.

Entrants must submit a poster, and those shortlisted will present their poster at the Cooling Prize event in London on 15 October 2024. The winner will be invited to prepare a 2000-word paper for publication.

The poster must be prepared using the template below. The completed poster (with a completed application form and short CV) and must be submitted via the BGA Prizes page HERE.

The deadline for submission is Midnight on Friday 1 March 2024.

Full details of eligibility and entry requirements can be downloaded below.

Cooling Prize Rules 2024

BGA Cooling Prize Form 2024

Cooling Prize Poster Template

Cooling Prize Poster Examples


List of winners of the Cooling Prize

2023Diarmid Xu, University of Cambridge
2022Stan Jun Qi, Atkins / Imperial College London
2021Alice Duley, Jacobs
2020Emily Riley, CVB JV Tideway East
2019Harry Postill, Loughborough University
2018Joe Newhouse, Mott MacDonald
2017Francesc Mirada, Arup
2016Helen Dunne, University of Oxford
2015William Beuckelaers, University of Oxford
2014Katherine Jones, Dunelm Geotechnical & Environmental
2013Frederick Levy, National Grid / University of Southampton
2012Jonathan Dewsbury, Buro Happold
2011Gabrielle Wojtowitz, University of Southampton
2010Kevin Briggs, University of Southampton
2009Alice Berry, Arup
2008Esteban Litvdis, Atkins
2007Mei Cheong, Mott MacDonald
2006Dave Edwards, Imperial College London
2005Keith Emmett, Sheffield University
2004Dimitrios Selematas, Cambridge University
2003Alistair Hitchcock, University of Southampton
2002Felix Schroeder, Imperial College London
2001Fleur Loveridge, Babtie Group
2000Andreas Frangoulides, Cambridge University
1999Antoine Andrei, Kvaerner Cementation Foundations
1998Archie Mundegar, Ove Arup and Partners
1997Judith Harvey, Cambridge University / Imperial College London
1996Edward Ellis, Cambridge University
1995Fiona Chow, Imperial College London
1994Trevor Addenbrooke, Imperial College London
1993Paul Gildea, Mott MacDonald
1992Darren Russell, Mott MacDonald
1991No Cooling Prize was held
1990Carl Erbrich, Earl & Wright
1989Sarah Stallebrass, City University
1988Vicki Hope, University of Surrey and Wimpey Laboratories
1987Neil Dixon, Kingston Polytechnic
1986Tom Henderson, University of Oxford
1985Nicholas Mettyear
1984William Hewlett
1983Roger Finn
1982Richard Harris, Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick
1981Matthew Symes, Imperial College London
1980Paul Martins, Imperial College London
1979Ken Been, University of Oxford
1978Derek Morris, Cambridge University
1977Clive Williams, University of Plymouth
1976Nigel John, University of Portsmouth
1975Mark Randolph, Building Research Establishment/Cambridge University
1974Duncan Nicholson, George Wimpey & Co
1973Nicholas Withers
1972Eddie Bromhead, Imperial College London/Ove Arup & Partners
1971John Endicott, University of Cambridge
1970Howard Roscoe, Rendel Palmer & Tritton

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