Background

The Aquatec Equipment Awards, first launched in 2012 by Aquatec Group, is an annual awards program that promotes the development of marine sciences, encourages environmental research, and raises awareness on sustainability issues. Each year, early career university researchers and postgraduate students from all over the world can win the opportunity to use high-tech, commercially established subsea instrumentation designed and manufactured by the company

To apply, candidates must fill out a simple online form and write a brief presentation of their research project proposal, including project aims, planned deployment, use of the instrument, and time required. Aquatec Group's judges the applicants on the scientific and innovative merit of their proposals, the practicality of the planned experiment, and the demonstration of a clear need for the chosen instrument.

At Aquatec, we are passionate about the scientific insight that users of our instruments can gain. Since launching the Equipment Awards we have enabled many young scientists to get hands-on experience with our state-of-the art instrumentation so they can share that passion at the very outset of their careers.

Every year, the awards give a loan of an instrument varying from 2 to 3 months’ time to carry out the research, and a travel grant.

Statistics

So far there have been 13 successful awardees who have applied from or deployed instruments in over 14 countries spanning five continents, in flumes, lakes, rivers, and coastal seas. Over the years, Aquatec has made awards of the AQUAscat® 1000R and 1000LT acoustic suspended sediment profilers, the AQUAlogger® 210TY and 310TY turbidity data loggers, and the AQUAlogger® 520 temperature and depth logger, according to availability of instruments from their demonstration or rental pools.