INCE-USA Honors and Awards

The Institute of Noise Control Engineering presents honors and awards in recognition of outstanding service and activity to the noise control community.

These awards are made possible with the generous support of the INCE Foundation.

A summary history of INCE-USA awards, including winners through 2017 is available here.


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 - Professional Awards

 - Student Awards

 - Honors from the Institute

 - List of all INCE-USA Awards

Upcoming INCE Awards and Honors for 2025

For Noise-Con 2025, the Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the United States (INCE-USA) and the INCE Foundation are excited to be accepting nominations for the following major awards:
  • Nancy Timmerman Member's Choice Award - Deadline: March 15, 2025
  • Martin Hirschorn IAC Prize – Best Paper Award - Deadline: March 15, 2025
  • George C. Maling Award for Excellence in Noise Control Engineering (ongoing applications)
  • Distinguished Service Medal - Deadline: March 15, 2025
  • INCE-USA Member’s Choice Award - Deadline: March 15, 2025
  • INCE-USA Student Scholarship - Deadline: March 15, 2025
  • Student Paper Competition Award - Deadline: Due at Registration
  • Classic Papers in Noise Control Engineering Presentation Award - Deadline: Due at Registration
  • Leo Beranek Student Medal for Excellence in Noise Control
  • Undergraduate Student Project Award - Deadline: March 15, 2025
  • Travel Awards - Finegold & Hallberg - Deadline: Abstract Submission Deadline

These awards will be presented at the upcoming Noise-Con 2025 conference. A brief summary for each of the awards, including submission/nomination deadlines, is provided below.

 

Interested in Applying?

To receive an application for these awards, please use the links below or send a request to:

Andrew Barnard, Ph.D., INCE Bd. Cert., CLD
INCE Vice President, Honors & Awards
E-mail: vp_awards@inceusa.org
 

Professional Awards

INCE-USA Nancy Timmerman Members' Choice Award

Award: Certificate and recognition of achievement in conference and INCE-USA materials

Submission Deadline: March 15, 2025

Download the application here.

INCE-USA is offering the Nancy Timmerman Members’ Choice Award to acknowledge notable project(s) and/or product(s) completed in the field of noise control or architectural acoustics. The primary candidate must be an Associate or Full Member of INCE-USA. Of the applications received, finalists will be selected for voting by INCE-USA Members. One or more projects or products may receive the award during any given year.

 

INCE-USA Outstanding Educator Award

Award: Certificate and $2,000

This award will be offered again in 2027

Download the application here.

The INCE-USA Outstanding Educator Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Noise Control Engineering is intended to honor a person who has significantly advanced the technology and practice of noise control engineering through unique contributions to the education of future noise control engineers, as demonstrated by one or more of the following qualifying accomplishments listed on this page.

 

William W. Lang Award for the Distinguished Noise Control Engineer

Award: Certificate and engraved medal

This award will be offered again in 2026.

Download the application here.

The William W. Lang Award for the Distinguished Noise Control Engineer recognizes individuals who have rendered conspicuous and consistently outstanding service to the Institute and to the field of noise control engineering over a sustained period. This honor corresponds to the title "Distinguished Professor" in academia and to the Honorary Fellowship Award of professional societies such as the Acoustical Society of America.
 

Laymon N. Miller Award for Excellence in Acoustical Consulting

Award: Certificate and bronze engraved medal

This award will be offered again in 2026.

Download the application here.

The Laymon N. Miller Award for Excellence in Acoustical Consulting is an annual award provided jointly by the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE-USA) and the National Council of Acoustical Consultants (NCAC) on alternating years.

This award recognizes that individual who has practiced acoustical consulting in an exemplary manner over a sustained period of time, to improve acoustical environments in and around buildings, transportation systems, work places, recreational and other occupied spaces, such that the quality of life for citizens and communities is significantly enhanced.
 

George C. Maling Award for Excellence in Noise Control Engineering

Award: Engraved Memento and Honorarium of $3,000

Submission Accepted on an Ongoing Basis

Download the application here.

The George C. Maling Excellence in Noise Control Engineering Award is intended to provide, and disseminate widely, recognition for an outstanding project, product, or processes in the applied practice of noise control engineering. The project, product or process should demonstrate a significant contribution toward a quieter environment. Some examples may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Innovative consumer or industrial products developed specifically for the purpose of noise control or noise reduction,
  • Improvements to existing consumer or industrial projects to significantly reduce noise levels or noise exposure,
  • Development of new or improved techniques, materials or products for noise control, for buildings and construction,
  • Development or improvement of noise policy, guidance or standards resulting in greater or more consistent noise control engineering application or practice,
  • New or innovative techniques used in noise assessment or control for large transportation, energy or industrial projects, including environmental studies, design or construction projects,
  • Development or improvements of tools, equipment, processes, practices, computer programs and applications for use in noise analysis and control.

Nominations may be developed to recognize an individual or group of individuals for closely related contributions which constitute collectively a significant specific contribution to noise control engineering. The award shall consist of an engraved memento and an Honorarium of $3,000. A suitable nomination package for this award is not trivial and will require some time to prepare.

Martin Hirschorn IAC Prize Best Paper Award

Award: Certificate and $4000

Submission Deadline: March 15, 2025

To be considered for this award, send the paper directly to the VP of Awards (vp_awards@inceusa.org) via email by the listed deadline.
All NCEJ papers are automatically considered for this award.

The Martin Hirschorn / IAC Prize (Best Paper) is funded with the income from a $100,000 gift given in 1999 by the New York Community Trust, Martin Hirschorn IAC Fund. The prize is awarded in even-numbered years for "The best paper on new and/or improved cost effective noise control and/or acoustical conditioning products as published in the two years preceding the award."

 

Student Awards

Award Eligibility for INCE-USA Student Awards

A person who has won any of the student/young professional awards previously is not eligible this year for that same award. A person may be nominated for both travel awards but will only be able to receive one of them. Participating in the Student Paper Competition does not affect eligibility for either of the travel awards. Student travel awardees must be Student Associates of INCE-USA. Applications to become an INCE-USA Student Associate are available at www.inceusa.org and membership is free for students. Awardees are determined solely by the INCE-USA Honors and Awards Committee and any independent volunteers who may be solicited by the committee. The INCE-USA Honors and Awards Committee will make awards based on nominee/applicant qualifications and available funding. Many thanks to the generous donors who make these awards possible.

INCE Student Membership -- Become a Student Associate

Full-time students enrolled in engineering, physics or architecture at a college or university having at least one ABET- or ACSA-accredited program, are eligible to become Student Associates of INCE-USA at no cost.

To become an INCE-USA Student Associate, find out more information here.

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INCE Student Scholarship

Award: Certificate and $6,000

Submission Deadline: March 15, 2025

Download the application here.

The INCE Student Scholarship is granted to a college student studying noise control or architectural acoustics in the United States of America who, through personal qualifications and proposed research experience, is judged to exhibit the highest potential for performing research benefiting some aspect of noise control and promoting its usefulness to society. An application must be received for each candidate wishing to be considered for this award.

Student Paper Competition

Award: Certificate and $500 - $1,500

Download the application here.

INCE-USA is pleased to announce a Student Paper Competition for Noise-Con 2025, with up to 5 awards given to the most outstanding papers. The Winners of the Student Paper Competition Awards will receive $500 USD, plus an additional $500 award if they attend the Awards Ceremony. If a winning paper is expanded and accepted after peer review for publication in the Noise Control Engineering Journal, the student will receive an additional $500 award.
 

"Classic Papers in Noise Control Engineering" Competition

Award: Certificate and $1,000*

Download the application here.
Accepted Classic Papers for this year will be available at a future date. Check back soon!

INCE-USA is sponsoring a special session of seminal noise control papers open to students, "Classic Papers in Noise Control Engineering" for Noise-Con 2025. Students will present on one of the classic papers listed in the entry form. An award will be given based on the student's presentation itself. The abstract should focus on the main thrust of the original paper and the focus of the presentation, which could also include additional work that has been done by the student presenter. The additional work could include reproduction of the results in the original paper, additional analysis, or influence of the original paper on subsequent research or noise control practice, etc. A winner, as determined by the INCE-USA judging panel, will receive $1,000 *if she or he attends the Awards Ceremony.
 

INCE-USA Student Travel Awards

Submission Deadline: Paper Submission Deadline for NOISE-CON 2025

Download the Hallberg Foundation Award Application here.

Hallberg Foundation Award (for student travel)
INCE-USA is pleased to be able to offer the Hallberg Foundation award, supporting North American undergraduate or graduate students traveling to NOISE-CON to present their work in any areas of noise control engineering. Multiple awards will be offered. As with the Michiko So Finegold Award, qualified students can apply. This award is funded by the INCE Foundation through an endowment from the Elizabeth L. and Russell F. Hallberg Foundation.


Honors from the Institute

Click the links below for listings of the individuals who have earned Honors from the Institute.


Full Listing of INCE-USA Awards

Click the links below to learn more about each award and when it will be offered next.

Professional Awards from the Institute:

Student Awards from the Institute:

Information on awards and support for students and educators is summarized on the Students and Educators page.

Sustaining Members

  • Acentech
  • CT
  • CGA
  • ECORE
  • GERB
  • Herrick
  • Hush Soundproofing
  • Illingworth
  • NCE
  • PLITEQ
  • SVI Dynamics Logo small
  • PSU
  • Seti Media
  • Wilson Ihrig