Print ISSN: 1937-5247 Online ISSN: 1937-5255

Frequency: Bi-annually (April/May & Nov/Dec) and continuously as preprint online

Print ISSN: 1937-5247 Online ISSN: 1937-5255

DOI: 10.37308

Frequency: Bi-annually (April/May & Nov/Dec) and continuously as preprint online

DFI Journal - The Journal of the Deep Foundations Institute

Paper Competitions

The Deep Foundations Institute and the DFI Educational Trust annually hold paper competitions in the categories Student Paper and Young Professor Paper. The criteria for both categories are as follows:

The 2024 Student Paper and Young Professor Paper Competitions are closed. The 2025 competitions will open October 7, 2024.

Student Paper Competition Criteria

  • Student must be enrolled in an accredited college or university in an undergraduate or graduate program.
  • Focus of study must be engineering/construction/geological sciences.
  • Paper must be based on student’s own work, and in her/his own writing.
  • Paper must be primarily concerned with the design and construction of deep foundations/excavations.

The individual contest winner will be invited to attend the DFI Annual Conference on Deep Foundations to present her/his paper. Conference registration, two nights of lodging and a $1,000 stipend for travel expenses will be provided to the winner. Both the winner and first runner-up will have their papers published in the DFI Journal and receive a library of up to 20 DFI Publications and a gratis two-year Individual Membership in DFI.

Young Professor Paper Competition Criteria

  • Paper must be primarily concerned with the design and construction of deep foundations/excavations.
  • The candidate professor should be an entry-level member of the faculty (e.g., Assistant Professor or equivalent) of an accredited college or university, engaged in teaching and/or research in any of the professional fields including engineering/construction/geological sciences.
  • Paper must be based on the professor’s own work, and may include contributions from the professor’s research student(s) as secondary author(s).

The primary author of the winning paper will be invited to attend the DFI Annual Conference on Deep Foundations to present her/his paper. Conference registration, two nights of lodging and a $1,000 stipend for travel expenses will be provided to the winner. Both the winner and First Runner-up will have their papers published in the DFI Journal and receive a library of up to 20 DFI Publications and a gratis two year Individual Membership in DFI.

All students and professors with abstracts submitted will be included in the paper competition, unless the subject matter is deemed inappropriate. Papers will be judged based on their submitted drafts. Comments will be offered to the winning paper author for preparation of the final version.