ASTM's ongoing efforts to promote early-career professionals.

Feb 27, 2026

ASTM International Awards Grants to University Students for 2025 Standards Projects

ASTM International announced five $500 grants for university students to help with senior or graduate design projects that contain an ASTM International standards component. 

“These grants allow ASTM International to support students who are directly engaging with our standards in real-world scenarios as they work on capstone projects,” said Travis Murdock, ASTM’s academic outreach coordinator. “The goals of these innovative projects, from accessibility-focused technology to helmet safety, support what we strive to do every day: help the world work better.”

The following students have won 2025 project grants:

• Teresa Thornton, Garrett Wright, Jackson Lawrence, Safiya Akpinar, Therese Osborn, Landen Higgins, Sreeram Ravichandren, Nimah Rahman, Jiji Ong, Virginia Tech, for Drone/GIS water sampling system for waterborne diseases
• Renee Adamson, Brayden Fairrel, Brandon Hour, Annie Lupton, University of Georgia, for ASTM Upper Body Exoskeleton for Firefighters
• Sue Lee Jave, Yara Saleh, Kemuel Perez, Cesar Briones, University of South Florida, for Lunar Surface Construction Technology
• Clara Hartlaub, Alice Margovskiy, Josh Thekkumthala, Andrew Duong, Drexel University, for Bioresorbable Meshes for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair
• Ally Meyers, Andrew Langenau, Cooper Eckert, Luke Keegan, Alex Avila, Widener University School of Engineering, for Design and Development of a Biomimetic Robotic Fish for Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring

Students interested in applying for 2026 grants should submit an abstract, including: 

• Summary of the project goal,
• List of ASTM International standards that are being considered to achieve that goal,
• Declaring intent to submit an application paper for publication by ASTM International on completion of the project, and
• Statement of endorsement by a faculty member.

The deadline for the annual submission is Oct. 31, 2026. 

ANSI Student Paper Competition

The theme of ANSI’s Student Paper Competition is: Imagine a world without rules or standards — what would happen?

Standards are the unseen forces that keep our world running, and the behind-the-scenes rules that support many of our daily activities. Entrants will write papers that explore how standards may be “invisible” but still impact our daily lives. 

Here are the requirements to enter the ANSI 2025-2026 Student Paper Competition:

• All entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on June 5, 2026, to Lisa Rajchel (LRajchel@ansi.org). 
• Must be written by high school student(s) or associate, undergraduate, or graduate student(s) in any discipline enrolled during the period of September 2025 to June 2026 in the United States or its territories.
• Must be an original — not AI-generated — work and not previously published.

More information on the ANSI 2025-2026 Student Paper Competition can be found on the ANSI website.  

ASTM Now Accepting 2026 Graduate Scholarship Applications

The ASTM International Graduate Scholarship is presented each year to as many as four high-potential graduate students, contingent upon merit and available funds. The scholarship rewards graduate students who have demonstrated high levels of interest or involvement with ASTM Standards. During the year of the award (not necessarily at the time of application), the student must be accepted in a master’s or doctoral program from an accredited institution, or one that is recognized by the national responsible agency, and shall possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education. 

All applicants must be proficient in the English language and pursuing studies in an appropriate curriculum related to the scope of the activities of ASTM International. Finalists chosen for consideration must agree to be interviewed, either by teleconference or virtual meeting.

Each recipient of the ASTM Graduate Scholarship will receive $10,000 to be used for their educational expenses to include tuition, books, fees, and materials. Deadline for application is April 30. For more information, contact Travis Murdock at tmurdock@astm.org.

Nominations Sought for Emerging Professionals Program

The Emerging Professionals (EP) program seeks to create opportunities that facilitate participation for new members who have demonstrated the potential to be industry and committee leaders. ASTM committees are invited to nominate candidates who exhibit the desire to advance in their field and become more active on their committees.

Up to ten selected candidates per committee week will:

• Receive round-trip domestic economy airfare to and from the committee week (up to $650).
• Receive two-night accommodations in the committee week hotel.
• Attend an EP Workshop for a comprehensive introduction to ASTM and its standards development process.
• Receive leadership development training from a professional facilitator and learn skills such as negotiation, consensus building, and problem solving.
• Participate in technical committee meetings with a committee mentor.
• Be provided with complimentary participation in CliftonStrengths Assessment. This assessment identifies an individual’s top five strengths to help EPs discover their inherent strengths and leverage this knowledge to develop, grow, and contribute to their workplace, volunteer, and personal interactions.
• Receive the opportunity to participate in a virtual workshop. Both incoming and former members of the EP program are invited to participate in this workshop after completing the CliftonStrengths assessment. Hosted by McKinley Advisors and offered approximately 4-6 months post EP Workshop date, this offers another added benefit for EP graduates’ personal and professional development.

Potential candidates for the program must meet the following criteria:

• Experience: One to five years of experience in standards development or in using ASTM standards in their work.
• Employment: Must work for a company, association, or government agency that is currently using and/or developing ASTM standards.
• Membership: ASTM membership is required for the candidate and mentor. Student membership is acceptable for the nominee.
• Availability: Nominee must be available to attend the entirety of the EP workshop on Tuesday. 

The following EP workshops will take place in 2026:

• June 2, 2026 - Dallas, TX (Nominations due by March 31, 2026).
• June 23, 2026 - Chicago, IL (Nominations due by April 21, 2026).
• October 6, 2026 - Jacksonville, FL (Nominations due by August 4, 2026).
• October 13, 2026 - Dubai, UAE (Nominations due by July 7, 2026) held in conjunction with ASTM BOD meeting.
• November 3, 2026 - Jacksonville, FL (Nominations due by September 1, 2026).

For more information, contact Katerina Koperna at +1.610.832.9728 or email: kkoperna@astm.org. 

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