Awards

OVERVIEW

This section provides a general summary regarding the awards and competitions for both team and individuals at the Indiana Robotics Invitational (IRI) 2009.   (As hosts, teams 234, 45 and 1024 have asked to be excluded from the team awards. Students from these teams are eligible for scholarships and individual awards.)

TEAM AWARDS

The TechnoKats Spirit of Indiana Award
The TechnoKats Spirit of Indiana Award is award celebrates the top Indiana team regarding spirit, motivation and overcoming obstacles.

The Most Awesome Drive System Award
The Most Awesome Drive System award celebrates the team that has created, by the judge’s best approximation, the most awesome drive system.  The criteria and definition of the word ‘awesome’ is left up to the judges.

The Outstanding Quality Award
The Outstanding Quality Award celebrates quality and robustness in robot design, build, and operation.

The Leadership IN Control Award
The Leadership in Control Award celebrates an innovative control system or application of control components to provide unique functions and a competitive edge in this year’s game.

The Imagery and Design Award
The Imagery and Design Award celebrates attractiveness and uniqueness in engineering, aesthetics, design or construction.

The Driving Tomorrow’s Technology Award
This Driving Tomorrow’s Technology award celebrates an elegant and advantageous feature of a machine.  The criteria for this award are based on the team’s ability to verbally describe, as well as demonstrate said feature.

Best Payload Specialist Award
The Payload Specialist Award celebrates the best overall Payload Specialist, based on accuracy, decision making and strategic play.  THIS IS VOTED BY ATTENDING TEAMS.

Best Scoring Robot Award
The Best Scoring Robot Award celebrates the best scoring robot, with ‘best’ left to the judges. THIS IS VOTED BY ATTENDING TEAMS.

The Team Spirit Award
This Team Spirit Award celebrates the team who shows the best team spirit both in the stands and in the pits.

The Judges Award
This Judges award celebrates the team that the judges would like to “take home”.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

The Indiana Robotics Invitational Mentor of the Year
This award celebrates the selected the mentor from a team participating in the 2009 IRI.  The nominated Mentor must be in attendance at the IRI. Each team may nominate one individual for this award.  Nominations should be a one page typed or two page hand written essay describing the mentor’s activities to help his/her team grow within itself and to help the FIRST community. Nominations should be brought to the competition and placed in the Mentor of the Year Box. Judging will be by a select group of FIRST Alumni.  Nominations should have the nominee’s name, team number, and team name in the footer.

IRI Scholarships
The 2009 IRI will award multiple Technical Scholarships and one $1500 Education Focused Scholarship. The value of the Technical Scholarships has not yet been set, but will be $1000 or higher. These scholarships will go to a graduating senior student from any team competing at the 2009 IRI.  Students must apply through the IRI website and follow the instructions there. Two references are required for a student to be considered for a scholarship.

Students will be required to complete a short essay (500 words) to answer the following question:

• How FIRST participation has impacted your life and your future career plans.

Students will require two reference letters -

• A reference form from a Mentor, Engineer or Teacher on your team.
• A reference from one other adult.

Complete applications (Essays and Reference Letters) must be received by July 1, 2009 to be considered.  Scholarship decisions will be made by the sponsoring companies.

Scholarship Criteria

Technical Scholarships
Up to four of the scholarships will focus on students pursuing engineering,  science or technical fields in post-high school education.

Marcia Beatty Memorial Scholarship
Marcia Beatty was a lifelong educator and dedicated to young people. She was also a dedicated member of Team Hammond and FIRST in Indiana. To honor Marcia, the Marcia Beatty Educational Foundation and the Indiana Robotics Invitational are awarding a scholarship to a 2009 FIRST team graduate who is pursuing a career in education.