Secretary's RAISE Award to recognize student innovation in aviation, aerospace

As National Transportation Week continues, and we take the time to appreciate the transportation that gets us safely where we need to go, we should also think about the future of transportation. How can we encourage America's students to consider transportation-related careers? How can we channel the creativity and analytical skills of students in STEM subjects--science, technology, engineering, and math--toward improving our transportation system?

One way to get our students thinking about transportation is to simply challenge them. So today, I'm delighted to announce a new competition to recognize students who create unique scientific and engineering innovations in aviation and aerospace.

The Secretary's “Recognizing Aviation and Aerospace Innovation in Science and Engineering” Award, called RAISE, is a new tool to motivate high school, college and university students to develop creative solutions to aviation and aerospace issues, and to share their results with the broader community.

This new challenge recognizes innovative scientific and engineering achievements that will have a significant impact on the future of aviation and aerospace. It was developed in response to recommendations by our Future of Aviation Advisory Committee.

The Secretary's RAISE Award is open to students at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels. Both individuals and groups may participate. Students’ RAISE submissions will be judged--by the Federal Aviaion Administration's Centers of Excellence program director and an advisory committee of academic and government (DOT, FAA, and NASA) experts--on their originality, impact, practicality, measurability, applicability and technical merit.

For more information about the RAISE Award, including submission deadlines, rules and specific information about what applicants should include in their submission packages, please visit www.challenge.gov, the official web site for all government awards and competitions.

I encourage teachers, parents, research supervisors, academic advisors, and anyone else aware of students who are interested in exercising their STEM skills to spread the word about the RAISE Award to your students.

And, if you're a student, I strongly encourage you to participate in this unique event. We are looking to you for the innovations that will advance aviation into the future. Are you the next Orville or Wilbur Wright? You won't know until you try.