The National Council of Structural Engineering Associations (NCSEA) is seeking speakers for the 2026 Structural Engineering Summit, scheduled for October 27 - 30, 2026 in San Francisco, California, at the Hilton Union Square.

Education sessions deliver pertinent and useful information that is specific to the practicing structural engineer, in both technical and non-technical tracks.   

Potential submission topics include (but aren’t limited to):   

• Structural materials (concrete, masonry, steel, and wood)
• Design -best practices
• New codes and standards
• Recent project case studies
• Advanced analysis techniques
• Management and business practices
• Ethics
• Diversity and inclusion
• Resilience
• Sustainability
• Technology updates (AI, new platforms, etc)

Presentations should appeal to seasoned engineers or younger engineers new to their careers (or both). The goal of Summit presentations is to provide structural engineers with tools, techniques and tips that will help them and their firms operate more efficiently and effectively. Submissions will be reviewed by the NCSEA Education Committee, and speakers will be notified if they have been accepted by early June. Speakers will be provided with required speaking guidelines after acceptance of their submission. 

NOTE: NCSEA does not pay for any meeting-related costs for accepted presenters including hotel travel or registration fees. If you are chosen to be a presenter, you are required to register and pay to attend the conference. NCSEA does provide a reduced registration fee for selected speakers.

DEADLINES NCSEA reserves the right to change and revise the following deadlines. All deadlines are in effect at 11:59 PM (central) on the day it is posted.   

Speaker Submission Deadline: April 3, 2026 

Selected/Non-Selected Notifications Sent: June 2026   

Questions about the abstract process or the Summit? Contact Amelia Moony, Education Manager, at amoony@ncsea.com. 

The NCSEA Structural Engineering Continuing Education Committee is seeking presentations for the Webinar program. Ideal presentations are between 60 and 90 minutes and deliver pertinent and useful information that is specific to the practicing structural engineer, in both technical and non-technical tracks. Sessions are 60-90 minutes total, including time for Q & A. Submissions on best-design practices, new codes and standards, recent projects, advanced analysis techniques, management, business practices, and other topics that would be of interest to practicing structural engineers, are desired. Other desired topics include:

Engineering Topics

• New codes and standards
• Loads - Dead, Live, Snow, Wind, Seismic, Ice, Tornado, etc.
• Material Design - Steel, Concrete, Masonry, Wood, etc.
• Best-design practices - project management, quality control, etc.
• Recent projects
• Advanced Analysis techniques
• Case Studies
• Lessons Learned

Business Practice Topics

• Management
• Contracts
• Training
• Ethics
• Bettering Communication
• Accounting
• Client Growth

Speakers will be provided with required guidelines after acceptance of abstract. 

The NCSEA Special Awards are presented at the NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit to members who have provided outstanding service and commitment to the association and to the structural engineering profession. 

The deadline for nominations is June 26, 2026.  

NCSEA Service Award

This award is presented to an individual who has worked for the betterment of NCSEA, Member Organizations and the profession, to a degree that is beyond the norm of volunteerism. It is given to someone who has made a clear contribution to the organization and therefore to the profession.    

Nominees can be submitted by any SEA Member. NCSEA Board members are not eligible. 

Robert Cornforth Award

This award is presented to an individual for exceptional dedication and exemplary service to a Member Organization and to the profession. The award is named for Robert Cornforth, a founding member of NCSEA and treasurer on its first Board of Directors, and a member of OSEA.    

Nominations can only be submitted by SEA Leadership (any Delegate, President, Executive Director, or someone acting on behalf of the organization as a whole.) NCSEA Board members are not eligible.  

Susan M. Frey NCSEA Educator Award

The Susan M. Frey NCSEA Educator Award is presented to an individual who has a genuine interest in, and extraordinary talent for, effective instruction of practicing structural engineers. The award was established to honor the memory of Sue Frey, one of NCSEA's finest educators.    

Nominations can be submitted by any SEA Member. 

Susan A. Jorgensen Presidential Leadership Award

The Susan A. Jorgensen Presidential Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership potential through their activities within NCSEA and/or their SEA (even if they did not serve in a formal leadership role). The award is bestowed on candidates who embody Susan’s passion, vision, and legacy of leadership in at least one of the following:

• mentorship and support for younger engineers, women engineers and/or underrepresented engineers;
• demonstrated leadership skills and/or visionary leadership in a particular initiative such as SE licensure;
• active engagement at multiple levels within the profession, whether formal or informal.

This award was created to honor the late NCSEA Board President and advocate for the profession, Susan A. Jorgensen, who passed away in November 2020. Its intention is to award increased participation of emerging leaders and encourage recipients to engage (or continue to engage) in formal leadership. In addition to free registration to the NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit, the recipient of this award will be granted a $1,000 travel stipend. During the Summit, there will be a dedicated time scheduled for the recipient to meet and interact with current NCSEA leadership, ideally providing the opportunity to discuss future leadership roles within NCSEA or within the recipient’s SEA.   

Nominations can be submitted by any SEA Member. Special Award recipients will receive complimentary tickets to the Awards Celebration 

Judging Criteria 

The NCSEA Board of Directors reviews all nominations to determine the recipient(s) each year.    

All awards are based on worthy recipients and may not be awarded each year. 

Questions about the nomination process or the Special Awards? Contact us at ncsea@ncsea.com. 

NCSEA is once again offering scholarship opportunities to young members for the 2026 Structural Engineering Summit being held on October 27 - 30, 2026 at the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco, CA. 

First-time scholarship recipients will receive free registration to the Summit which includes all educational sessions, access to the trade show, and a travel stipend of $1,000 to use toward transportation and hotel costs. 

 For those who have previously been awarded a scholarship, a returning scholarship will cover Summit registration only.    

The 2026 Young Member Scholarship travel stipends are generously sponsored by Computers & Structures Inc.  

To qualify for a scholarship, the applicant must be:

• 35 years of age and younger at the start of the Summit (October 27, 2026)
• A current member of an NCSEA Member Organization (SEA)

For more information on the NCSEA Young Member Support Committee, visit the Young Member Group page of the NCSEA website.

Submission deadline is June 26th at 11:59 PM Central Time.   

NOTE ABOUT SUMMIT REGISTRATION If you are applying for this scholarship, please wait to register for the Summit. If you do not receive the scholarship, contact NCSEA at ncsea@ncsea.com so we can register you for the early bird rate.

Annually, NCSEA presents the “Young Member Group of the Year Awards" during the NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit. This accolade recognizes exceptional Young Member Groups (YMGs) affiliated with one of the Structural Engineering Associations (SEAs). The primary focus of this recognition is to acknowledge YMGs that contribute to the advancement of their young members, SEAs and communities. This year, in addition to selecting an overall “YMG of the Year”, we will also be recognizing a “Breakout YMG of the Year” and “Best Event/Initiative of the Year”. 

YMGs interested in competing for any of these awards will complete the following single application.

The “YMG of the Year” and “Breakout YMG of the Year” winners will each receive $1,000 for their Young Member Group to use for future activities. The winner for “Best Event/Initiative of the Year” will receive $500 to go towards continuing or expanding their event/initiative in the future.

One representative from each of the three winning YMGs will receive complimentary registration to attend the Structural Engineering Summit and a $1,000 travel stipend to use toward transportation and hotel costs. Travel stipends are generously sponsored by Computers & Structures, Inc.

Please note: Finalist groups are strongly encouraged and will be asked to share how they made their initiatives and programs successful with other YMGs, through various events planned during the coming year. 

Please limit written responses to a maximum of 300 words when describing activities for the previous 12 months (April 2025 - March 2026). Past YMG Award recipients may apply.

Submission deadline is June 26th at 11:59 PM Central Time.