The John F. Kennedy Student Paper Competition was established by the IAHR Council in 1992 to honor the memory of Professor John F. Kennedy, IAHR President (1979-1983) and Honorary Member (1989-1991). Professor Kennedy made significant and lasting contributions to the Association, and is remembered particularly for his efforts to foster younger-member membership and participation.

The competition is associated with each IAHR world congress. A panel of judges appointed by the congress Local Organizing Committee (LOC) selects the winning paper on the basis of written and oral presentations. The winner of the competition is awarded a cash prize from the Award fund, and a commemorative plaque, at the congress closing ceremony. The LOC may offer additional cash prizes and certificates to runners up from its own resources. The Award fund, established by Professor Kennedy's family, is maintained by the Association and is authorised to receive contributions from Association members and from friends of Professor Kennedy.

Scoresheet

The IAHR Secretariat, working with the LOC, will ensure broad distribution of announcements regarding the Competition, including announcement of the winners. The Secretariat will submit a brief summary of each Competition, along with a copy of the winning paper, to the Kennedy Family after each biennial congress.

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for each biennial congress will have responsibility to organise and conduct the Competition. Plans for the Competition will be presented to the IAHR council for approval two years beforehand.

The Competition must include an initial screening of student papers submitted for consideration, and selection of papers to be presented at the congress and published as part of the proceedings. Papers accepted for the Competition must be formally presented by the author at the Competition technical session of the congress. The papers will be judged, on both the written and oral presentations, by an international panel of experts convoked by the LOC. This panel of experts will have full responsibility for selection of the winning contribution.

The Competition is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students who, at the time their written submission is made, are actively pursuing an academic degree in the general area of hydraulics and water resources. The written submission shall be accompanied by an official statement from the research advisor affirming the status of the student.

Submissions must be original works (not previously published elsewhere) and be sole-authored by a student only. Award papers must be innovative.

The overall winner of the Competition will be awarded a cash prize from the John F. Kennedy Student Paper Competition Award Fund (hereinafter referred to as the Fund). The cash prize, along with a commemorative plaque provided by the IAHR Secretariat, will be awarded to the winner at the congress closing ceremony.

The LOC is encouraged to provide additional cash awards and certificates to other Competition participants.

The IAHR Secretariat will maintain the Fund, and receive contributions in addition to those provided by the Kennedy Family from the IAHR membership and friends of Professor Kennedy.

The IAHR Secretariat, working with the LOC, will ensure broad distribution of announcements regarding the Competition, including announcement of the winners. The Secretariat will submit a brief summary of each Competition, along with a copy of the winning paper, to the Kennedy Family after each biennial congress.

2019

• Rosa Camila Timana Mendoza, IAHR UTEC-Peru Young Professionals Network Peru

• Siddharth Seshan, IAHR-Baden Württemberg (IAHR-BW) Young Professionals Network Germany

2017

• I. Schalko, Switzerland: Large wood accumulation probability at a single bridge pier

• S. Chamoun, Switzerland: Venting of turbidity currents: when to act?

2015

• D. Ferras, Switzerland and Portugal: Fluid-structure-interaction in pipe coils during hydraulic transients: numerical and experimental analysis

• P. Ouro, UK: Large-eddy simulation of vertical axis tidal turbines: study of the blockage effect 

2013

• S. Van Emelen, Belgium: Erosion Modeling over a Steep Slope: Application to a Dike Overtopping Test Case

• Rafael Duarte, Switzerland: Air Concentrations in Plunge Pools due to Aerated Plunging High-Velocity Jets and Dynamic Pressures in Underlying Fissures

• Mengzhen Xu, China: Experimental Study of Bio-fouling Control of Golden Mussels (Limnoperna Fortunei) in Water Transfer Tunnels

2011

• F. Bagherimiyab, Switzerland: Coherent structure and particle turbulence interaction in suspended sediment-laden laboratoy open-channel flows

• P. Brady, Australia: A Novel ILES/VOF solver of the simulation of turbulent free surface flows

2009

• S. Miyawaki, Japan (2009 Poster Presetation Winner): Numerical Investigation of Three-Dimensional Scalar Transport at a River Confluence

• F. Ye, China (2009 Oral Presentation Winner): Integrated Modelling Of Riparian Vegetation Dynamics Subjected To Reservoir Operation

2007

• H. Yoshimura: Analysis of open-channel flow with strip roughness using immersed boundary method

2005

• B. Spinewine, Belgium: Two-layer flow behaviour and the effects of granular dilatancy in dam-break induced sheet-flow

2003

• K. Kramer, Switzerland: Bottom air concentration of aerated chutes

2001

• D. Hurther, Switzerland: Sediment transport assessment in suspension flow based on coherent structures characteristics

1999

• H. Class, Germany: Numerical simulation of non-isothermal steam injection processes in NAPL – contaminated porous media

1997

• J. L. Sansalone, USA: Infiltration as an urban source control for metal elements and solids

1995

• B. Jefcoate, UK: A model to investigate the roles of texture and sorting in bed armouring

1993

• G. Huang, China: Effects of moisture and roughness on urban heat island - an analytical and numerical study