Gravure Association of America Technical Writing Competition

All full-time college or university students in either an undergraduate or graduate degree program approved by the PGSF may enter the competition. Papers may be submitted by graduating students as long as the work is completed prior to graduation.

Contestants may submit technical research papers that address any aspect of gravure technology. Only papers that are relevant to the gravure printing-process will be reviewed. The selected topic must be addressed comprehensively and in detail. Use of graphs and illustrations is required.

The formal write-up for each Technical Writing submission should be organized as follows:

• Executive Summary: A brief summary of the problem, solution, and recommendations. The summary should be less than 300 words.
• Introduction: A description of the problem at hand and the possible courses of action that could be taken. The introduction should not include any technical or numerical data (or a minimum of such data).
• Methodology: A description of the problem data and the modeling techniques that will be used to solve the problem. This section is where the bulk of the technical and numerical data belongs.
• Results: The results should be presented in a clear, easy-to-understand format.
• Concluding Remarks: This is where the case is “wrapped-up.” State that you have adequately addressed the problem at hand, discuss implementation of the solution, and state whatever concerns you may have about the recommended course of action.
• References: Material citations are to be placed here. Whichever citation style is chosen should be used consistently throughout the work.
• Appendix: Extra material such as pictures, graphs, etc., should be placed in this section.

Paper length should be approximately 10 pages or less excluding graphics and appendix. Microsoft Word document, 11 pt. font, double-spaced, and 1-inch margins.

Completed submissions should be attached to the completed entry from found on this page.

A panel of gravure industry representatives with extensive technical knowledge and experience is convened to determine the following:

• The relevancy of the topic to gravure
• The depth and comprehensiveness of the research
• The organization of material
• The clarity of presentation

Three winners will be selected. In addition to a cash prize, all winners will receive the GAA Award of Technical Achievement, which includes the  following:

• Acknowledgement of the winning paper in GravurExchange
• Posting of the winning papers on the GAAmericas Web site, www.gaa.org
• Added Bonus: One of the first place winners will also receive an all  expense paid trip to a GAAmericas Conference, as determined by the panel of judges.

Cash prizes will be distributed as follows:
Graduate Student Winner – $1,500
Undergraduate 1st Place Winner – $1,000
Undergraduate 2nd Place Winner – $500

Fill out the entry form and upload the completed paper on this site.

Papers must be received by May 31, 2021.

For more information (including technical information about the competition):
http://www.gaa.org/contact-us