Best Paper Prizes

Each year ARCOM awards a number of sponsored prizes for best papers. This is an important recognition of the hard work the delegates have put into conducting much interesting research and developing the papers that publish those efforts. The awards all enjoy a £250 prize (or equivalent) together with the certificate that honours the award.

ARCOM has a number of commemorative awards we give annually on surveying/project management (Paul Townsend Commemorative Award), innovation (Rod Howes Commemorative Award) and social impact/significance (David Langford Commemorative Award). The past members of our community ARCOM commemorates each made a significant contribution to the field.

Paul Townsend was a strong supporter of ARCOM and an industry representative on the ARCOM committee for many years. He became an academic at Sheffield Hallam later in his career. The ARCOM award was instituted to celebrate his contribution following his untimely death.

Rob Howes is one of the founders of ARCOM and our first chairman, a charming and eloquent man, who was one of the key members in our community for many years.

David Langford, ARCOM’s Honorary Life President, sadly passed away in 2010. He led many of the ARCOM’s activities especially in the 1980s and 1990s.

The professional institutions (CIOB and RICS) and publishers associated with ARCOM (Wiley Blackwell, Taylor and Francis and Emerald) also award prizes at the conference. Themes for these prizes include the best international paper, innovation and sustainability, best technical paper, best theoretically informed contribution, and research methodology.

Click on the links below to view the prize winners for each year.

  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • CIOB Innovation and Sustainability Award

    Sage, D., Dainty, A., Tryggestad, K., Justesen, L. and Mouritsen J. – “All that fuss, just for some bloody badgers? The politics of wildlife in infrastructure construction”
    The reviewers found this an excellent paper and discussion, which addresses an area of study little researched. Due to the unusual subject matter and fine wording of the title and main argument it provided a thought-provoking contribution to the conference.

    ‘David Langford’ President’s Award

    Sherratt, F. – “Et in Arcadia ego? ‘Zero target’ safety programmes in the UK construction industry”
    The reviewers identified this to be a strong, well- written paper which offers a very valuable contribution to the conference. “A clear winner.” The paper presents an insightful critical discussion of a topical issue and clearly identifies a methodological position, which allows the researcher to express a well- articulated position on ‘zero’ and safety programmes.

    Taylor and Francis Award

    Smiley, J., Dainty, A. and Fernie, S. – “Analysing the discourses surrounding change and reform in the construction sector: the need for a marriage between critical theory and a socio-historical cultural perspective”
    The rationale for choosing this paper for the Taylor and Francis award was based on the strength of the conceptual material and the way the authors introduce abstract theoretical concepts to construction management research.

    Paul Townsend Commemorative Award

    Bijleveld, F. R. and Dorée, A. G. – “Method-based learning: a case in the asphalt construction industry”
    This was the highest ranking paper with Project Management orientation – it includes connections to project processes and quality control together with learning on multiple levels.

    Wiley Blackwell Best Technical Paper

    Stojanovic, V., Falconer, R., Isaacs, J., Gilmour, D. and Blackwood, D. – “Interactive visualisation to support sustainability assessment in land use scenario planning”
    A commendable technical contribution to the conference: this paper reports on the development of a piece of software and link in with discussions about BIM. In the top ten of all nominated papers for prizes.

    ‘Rod Howes’ Commemorative Award

    Sergeeva, N. – “Making sense of innovation in the UK construction sector”
    This paper encapsulates innovation and construction management practice well. It ranked highly on ‘authorship’ and the thoroughness and criticality of the literature review.
     

    CIOB International Award

    Ju, C. and Rowlinson, S. – “Institutional determinants of construction safety management strategies of contractors in Hong Kong”
    We were most pleased to award the CIOB International award to our conference delegates from Hong Kong; not only were the authors ‘international’ the paper itself discusses matters related to developing our understanding and knowledge of health and safety internationally.

    RICS Sustainability Award

    Gluch, P., Gustafsson, M., Thuvander, L., Baumann, H. – “Corporate environmental strategies and performance: a longitudinal study”
    This was the highest placed sustainability paper (along with the paper by Sage et al who won the CIOB Innovation and sustainability award) and fitted the prize criteria very well.

  • 2012