Aberconway Award

In order to have a chance of winning the £500 award, you simply email a copy of your 10,000 word thesis/dissertation/project to us at the CIH before May 31st. Please take care to read through the conditions of entry, as well as the content and presentation guidance before submitting your entry.

Entries to: cih@horticulture.org.uk

 Entries should take the form of a 10,000 word written thesis/dissertation/project on a horticultural subject which has been completed in the last 5 years.

We require a digital copy of the project to be submitted. Projects prepared as part of the final year of a Higher National Diploma or first degree course within the last year should be submitted via a member of staff of the University or College, together with a confidential statement from the staff member as to the amount of guidance and/or special resources provided, and whether the work described was part of an existing departmental research project or an original idea of the student. Only two entries can be submitted from each Institution in any one year.

• The subject chosen should be relevant to horticulture. It should stress the appropriate scientific, managerial, aesthetic and horticultural principles.
• Submissions should be typed, sent digitally and be clear, concise and logical.
• They should include a title page, list of contents, acknowledgements and an abstract that outlines the findings.
• There should be an introduction that includes a review of existing relevant information. As well as a description of the methods and material used, and the main findings of the project.
• They should end with a discussion of the significance of the information presented. In addition to the conclusions reached, and any suggestions for further work.
• There should be a list of references to all the work cited using a consistent method of citation.

Finally the competition entries are assessed by a changing panel of usually three judges appointed by HorTECC. The Horticulture Training, Education and Careers Committee of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture.
The factors considered in the judging are:

• Relevance to the practice or science of horticulture or a closely allied discipline.
• Originality of topic or method.
• Thoroughness of background research, and basic understanding of the subject.
• Sound experimental technique, where appropriate.
• Critical appraisal.
• Considered conclusions and, where appropriate, suggestions for further study.
• Where a literature review comprises the main part of the project it should be comprehensive and lead to some conclusions.
• Overall effort and application.
• Evidence of plagiarism will disqualify a submission.