Fellow membership criteria
When applying for Fellowship of the IET, applicants must show evidence of their specific personal contributions, achievements and the associated impact in two and no more than three of the nine membership criteria.
You can download a PDF copy of the criteria at the bottom of this page.
Creativity
Describe the key findings of your independent contributions to original research, including the associated outcomes and impact that have resulted in national and /or international recognition.
Include a selection of the following examples that cover the full 5-year period:
- Published publicly available outputs (as principal author), for example books, book chapters, journal and conference papers
- Patents granted– Prestige invitations as conference chair, to organising committees, keynote speakers etc
- Externally awarded research grants and funding as principal investigator
- Number of doctoral students currently managed and graduated
- Staff responsibilities, including number of research staff currently and previously managed
- Other Scholarly activities (e.g. visiting professorships, doctoral examinations, external examinerships, etc.
Enterprise
Summarise your personal creation and development of successful business(es) or significant business unit(s) in areas relevant to the IET, including details of products and services developed and delivered.
Include details of:
- Business turnover – Number of employees
- Funding sources utilised for enterprise life cycle
- Sectors, markets and key customers served
- External acknowledgement and recognition of associated achievement(s).
Influence and contribution
Indicate any other activities that demonstrate the expectations for IET Fellow not covered by the criteria above.
There must be evidence of personal impact but there is no other constraint on the type of activity that might be considered under this criterion.
It could include any of the following:
- Any activity that fulfils the wider goals and aims of the IET and is of a standard commensurate with the other Fellowship criteria. Our mission: To inspire, inform and influence the global
engineering community, supporting technology innovation to meet the needs of society - Engineering or technology activity which has a significant positive impact on society, humanity or the environment– Promoting public understanding of engineering and technology, both nationally and internationally
- Encouraging the next generation of engineers, for example, through STEM activities within schools
- Exemplary demonstration of the IET’s values and supporting behaviours
Innovation
Describe your personal responsibility for significant technological innovation and achievements in bringing product(s) and/or service(s) to market, including:
- Details of your involvement in successful innovative projects(s)
- Details of scale of acknowledgment and media coverage
- Numbers and timescale of the products or services that you have developed and delivered
- Patents, peer-reviewed papers in learned journals, international conferences and other public output that demonstrate the innovation
- The impact of the innovation on business (includes non-profit) exploitation, utilisation, development of products, services and processes
Insight and experience
Show your roles as a consultant, business manager, technical specialist/subject area expert/functional head in fields related to engineering and technology.
Please provide:
- Details of the range of clients and geographies served, nationally and internationally (customers, suppliers, governmental etc)– The level of recognition nationally and internationally
- The typical value of personal commissions or budget responsibility in the context of the organisation for which you work
- Details of the level advised within client organisations
- Evidence of the sphere of personal influence within the organisation described
- The business impact, outcomes and consequences of the insights and experience that have been provided.
Leadership
Describe your senior role(s) that set, directs or significantly influences an organisation’s vision, strategic and operational aims.
Please include an organisational chart that shows your title and position within your organisation both upwards and downwards, including the number of professional engineers and other professional people that report directly and indirectly to you.
Demonstrate how you have shown leadership, for example, in the following areas:
- Your sphere of influence in your organisation
- The level at which you represent the organisation externally and internationally
- The extent and nature of your accountability for wider financial and non-financial actions and resources
- Influence on the type and status of corporate or functional standards, policies and procedures– Championing professionalism within engineering
- Evidence of resultant achievements and associated significance and business impact
- Role and authority in investigating major accidents/incidents and leading any subsequent corrective actions
- Efforts in originating and completing transformational events
- Personal engagement (coaching/mentoring) of people and groups for effective development, motivation and releasing potential.
Repute
Provide evidence of public recognition of standing at national and/or international level, which may include one or more of the following:
- National and international awards such as decorations and honours
- Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering or the Royal Society
- Fellowship (or equivalent) of another professional institution (where Fellowship equivalence is demonstrated)
- Honorary degrees in engineering disciplines awarded
- Prizes and awards from the IET and other professional bodies (student awards are not appropriate)
- Non-executive directorships in engineering-related business
- Senior government science and engineering advisory roles
- Member of a public enquiry team related to engineering issues
- Expert witness in engineering-related topics
- Honorary professorships etc.
Responsibility
Summarise your operational responsibility for significant programmes, activities, risks and resources within an organisation (commercial, industrial, government, military or academic).
Include an organisational chart that shows your title and your position within your organisation, both upwards and downwards, including the number of professional engineers and other professional people that report directly and indirectly to you.
Include:
- The size and scope of your budget, and the influence and responsibility held in setting and managing it
- The size and scale of the projects or activities delivered
- Key achievements, their consequences and impact, nationally, internationally and/or globally
- Scope of strategic decision-making responsibilities
- The number, type and professional status of the staff reporting to you directly and indirectly
- Ensuring compliance with national/international legislation, regulation and standards, and influencing industry changes
Service
Describe the impact of your outstanding service as Chair or other senior position on committees at the IET or other relevant organisations in engineering and technology disciplines such as non-government and government committees, not-for-profit organisations etc.:
- This will be service at national and/or international level, although outstanding service with an IET Local network will be considered. Note that committee work should not be the main focus of your paid employment
- Examples of the consequences and outcomes of your committee service
- Leading the setting of national or international engineering standards.