Fellow-Led CAE Events

TheThe CAE welcomes Fellows who wish to propose events that advance the Academy’s strategic priorities and provide meaningful value to Fellows, the engineering profession, researchers, industry, government, or the public.

Because the CAE has limited staff capacity and event funding, all Fellow-led event requests are reviewed carefully to ensure that the proposed event is a good fit for the Academy and that the necessary resources are available.

Before You Submit a Request

Please review the following parameters before submitting an event proposal:

  • Minimum six-month lead time: Event requests must be submitted at least 6 months before the proposed event date. This allows sufficient time for planning, budgeting, communications, speakers, venues, and other logistics.
  • Maximum one Fellow-led event per month: CAE can support a maximum of one Fellow-led event per month, subject to staff capacity and other organizational commitments (no in-person events in July, August or December: These months are not available for in-person Fellow-led events).
  • Strategic alignment: Proposed events should have a clear connection to CAE’s Strategic Plan. The request form will ask you to identify the relevant strategic priority and explain how the event supports it.
  • Clear value: Proposals should explain who the event is intended to serve and what value it will provide to CAE Fellows, the engineering profession, researchers, industry, government, or the public.
  • Fellow involvement: The Fellow proposing the event is expected to play an active role in its development and delivery, including providing timely information, assisting with speakers and participants, and meeting agreed deadlines.
  • Staff capacity: CAE has limited staff time available to support events. The amount of staff coordination and administrative work required will be considered when reviewing each proposal.
  • Staff time is a cost: Staff time is an important component of the overall cost of an event and will be considered alongside direct expenses such as venue, catering, travel, accommodation, AV, and other event costs.
  • External sponsorship and funding: Fellows are encouraged to identify sponsors or other external funding to help offset event expenses and, where appropriate, the cost of CAE staff, or external event support. Proposals that reduce the financial and operational resources required from CAE may receive additional consideration.
  • External event support: For events requiring significant coordination, CAE may require the event lead to arrange funding for an external event coordinator or other support rather than relying entirely on CAE staff.
  • No unauthorized commitments: The CAE must approve the event scope, budget, responsibilities, and level of CAE support before expenses are incurred or commitments are made on the CAE’s behalf. This includes commitments to speakers, travel, accommodation, catering, honoraria, or other expenses.
  • Travel and other expenses: Travel, accommodation, meals, honoraria, venue costs, AV, catering, and other event expenses are not automatically covered by CAE. Any financial support must be specifically approved as part of the event planning process.
  • Planning deadlines: Once an event has entered the final planning stage, changes to the date, format, speakers, venue, catering, technology, communications, or other arrangements may not be possible to accommodate.
  • Registration and attendance: CAE cannot guarantee a particular level of attendance or participation.
  • Approval is not automatic: Submission of a request does not guarantee that CAE will approve or support the event. Requests may be declined or deferred based on strategic alignment, timing, staff capacity, available funding, scheduling, operational requirements, or the overall level of CAE support required.

How Requests Are Assessed

CAE will consider each proposal based on factors including:

  • Alignment with CAE’s Strategic Plan
  • Benefit to CAE Fellows and the broader engineering community
  • Clarity of the event purpose and intended audience
  • Timing and availability in the CAE calendar
  • Staff time and administrative resources required
  • Direct financial costs to the CAE
  • Availability of external sponsorship or funding
  • Availability of speakers, partners, or other participants
  • The level of involvement and support provided by the Fellow proposing the event
  • Complexity of the event, including travel, technology, venue, catering, and communications requirements

Events that require substantial staff involvement may require additional external funding to cover the associated staff, contractor, or operational costs.

Important

Please do not make financial, travel, speaker, or other commitments on behalf of CAE before receiving approval.

The event request form is intended to help CAE understand the proposed event, the support being requested, and the resources that would be required. Submitting the form is a request for consideration, not an approval to proceed.

If your proposal meets the parameters above, please complete the Fellow-Led Event Request Form below.

REQUEST FORM