Professor Brian Cherry with Nick Birbilis, Deputy Dean of Engineering and Computer Science at ANU (and former student) at the ACA’s 2017 International Concrete Symposium held in Brian’s Honour
Brian Cherry Award 2026
The Brian Cherry Award, introduced by the ACA Victorian Branch in 2009, honours the late Professor Brian Cherry of Monash University and his significant contribution to corrosion education, consulting and the Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA).
The Brian Cherry Award Forum is open to postgraduate research students and final-year undergraduate students studying at an Australasian university.
Applicants may be studying any aspect of corrosion, including but not limited to metallic and non-metallic corrosion, corrosion management, corrosion mitigation and corrosion protection.
Taking part in the Forum provides students with an opportunity to present their corrosion-related research, showcase their work to their peers and the wider Australasian corrosion industry, and connect with potential employers and industry professionals.
Generous cash prizes are available for the top four student presenters.
2026 Event Details
Application deadline:
COB Friday, 16 October 2026
Finalist notification:
Successful applicants will be notified during the week of 19–23 October 2026.
Brian Cherry Award Forum:
Wednesday, 4 November 2026
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Online via Zoom
Register for the Brian Cherry Award Forum here
Prizes
1st Place: $1,000 + one-year ACA Student Membership (valued at $40)
2nd Place: $750 + one-year ACA Student Membership (valued at $40)
3rd Place: $500 + one-year ACA Student Membership (valued at $40)
4th Place: $250 + one-year ACA Student Membership (valued at $40)
Eligibility Guidelines
To be eligible to apply:
- Applicants must be attending an Australasian university.
- Applicants must be either a postgraduate research candidate or a final-year student undertaking corrosion-related study or research.
- PhD candidates must not have submitted their thesis prior to the Brian Cherry Award Forum.
- The research may relate to any aspect of corrosion, including metallic and non-metallic corrosion, corrosion management, corrosion mitigation and corrosion protection.
- Prizes will only be awarded in response to applications received. If the Judging Panel determines that no applications warrant an award, a prize may not be awarded.
- The Judging Panel’s decision is final.
- Award recipients must provide permission for their name and image to appear in ACA publications.
What You Need to Submit
Applicants must submit:
1. An abstract
Your presentation abstract must be no more than one A4 page, including any illustrations.
Submit your abstract via the Brian Cherry Submission Form
2. Supervisor approval
Applicants must obtain permission from their supervisor and confirm this by completing the required pro-forma.
Download the Supervisor Approval Pro-forma
Applications close COB Friday, 16 October 2026.
Abstract Guidelines
Your abstract should:
- Be directly related to corrosion and/or corrosion prevention.
- Explain how the work relates to real-world or industrial corrosion problems.
- Be concise.
- Provide a short background where appropriate.
- Clearly state the aim of the work.
- Outline the theoretical and/or experimental work undertaken.
- Include the key conclusions.
- Where appropriate, identify further work or implications.
- Present current material.
- Not repeat a conference paper that has already been presented.
Selection and Judging
Applications will be reviewed and selected finalists will be invited to present at the Brian Cherry Award Forum.
Presenters will be judged on both:
- Scientific content
- Presentation skills
The judging panel will consist of three independent ACA members who have no association with the selected participants.
Award decisions will be made and announced on the night of the presentations, with prizes issued following the conclusion of the Forum.
Finalist Presentation Guidelines
The 2026 Brian Cherry Award Forum will be held online via Zoom.
Each finalist will be allocated:
- 15 minutes for their presentation
- 5 minutes for audience questions and answers
Presentations should be delivered in a standard PowerPoint-style format.
Finalists will be assessed by the judging panel on both the scientific content of their work and the quality of their presentation.
Questions?
If you have any questions that are not covered above, please contact the 2026 Brian Cherry Award Coordinators:
Dr Muhammed Awais Javed
mjaved@swin.edu.au
Prof Scott Wade
swade@swin.edu.au