IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) invites students, student chapters, and educators to participate in the following competitions, awards, and scholarship programs, many of which have approaching deadlines:

For Students:

IMA Student Case Competition – Teams of students respond to a case by preparing and submitting a videotaped presentation, which is then judged by select IMA members. The top four teams receive $3,000 and are eligible to present to an audience at IMA's Annual Conference & Expo; the winning team receives an additional $2,000. Deadline: February 2, 2021.

IMA Memorial Education Fund (MEF) Scholarships and Stuart Cameron & Margaret McLeod Memorial Scholarship (SCMS) – IMA student members who have not previously received awards under these programs can apply for these scholarships, which bestow awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Deadline: March 10, 2021.

IMA Century Scholarship Award – This scholarship is available to undergraduate junior and senior students of IMA-endorsed schools or schools with IMA student chapters. The recipient will receive an award of $7,500. In addition to the monetary award, the recipient will be offered a CMA Scholarship. Deadline: March 10, 2021.

IMA Student Manuscript Competition – This program provides any IMA student member with the opportunity to share his or her IMA student membership experience via an 800-word essay. View the 2020 winning submission by Kiara Sims of University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Deadline: March 20, 2021.

CMA Scholarship Program – Students must be nominated by faculty members to receive this scholarship, which allows a student to take the CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) exam at no cost. Limit of 10 students per school per academic year. Deadline: June 30, 2021.

CMA Doctoral Scholarship Program – This scholarship program was created to encourage doctoral students in management accounting or financial management to pursue their CMA certification at no cost. Deadline: rolling.

IMA Doctoral Scholars Program – This program provides support for students at various stages in their doctoral education in accredited programs, enabling them to work on studies that will advance management accounting research and practice. Research dollars awarded up to $10,000 total. Deadline: rolling.

For Student Chapters:

IMA also offers a variety of awards for IMA Student Chapters, some of which include monetary prizes and/or recognition for specific students and their respective chapter:

Award of Excellence and Outstanding Student Chapter Competition – Student chapters compete for a gold, silver, or bronze Award of Excellence by promoting IMA's mission and vision and by providing a variety of activities and services to their student members. 

Up to five chapters will be selected from all qualifying Gold submissions to be recognized as Outstanding Student Chapters. The chosen chapters will receive a monetary award of $1,000 in addition to a trophy, scheduled to be presented at IMA’s Annual Conference & Expo in June 2021 or IMA’s Student Leadership Conference in November 2021. The first submission was due by October 31, 2020; the second submission is due by March 31, 2021

Clark Johnson Achievement Award – This award recognizes a student chapter whose efforts best reflect outstanding leadership through innovation, organizational development, and interdependent partnerships. View the 2020 winning entry from Stark State College. The winning chapter receives a $5,000 award. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

For Educators:

Carl Menconi Case Writing Competition – This annual program, named in memory of Carl Menconi, aims to develop and distribute teaching cases focused on business ethics with specific application to management accounting and finance issues. The winning case will be featured in Strategic Finance magazine, and the case author or team will receive a cash prize and is scheduled to be recognized at IMA’s Annual Conference & Expo in June 2021. Deadline: January 19, 2021.

Distinguished Scholar Award – This award recognizes a researcher who has made outstanding contributions over a sustained period of time to the applied management accounting literature. This award recognizes the accomplishments of a mid-career or later nominee. Candidates must have received their terminal degree (e.g., Ph.D., DBA, Ed.D.) at least 10 years previously. This award may be awarded jointly to researchers who have collaborated extensively together. Deadline: January 31, 2021.

IMA Emerging Scholar Award – This award recognizes an early-career researcher who has made a meaningful and important contribution to the applied management accounting literature. Nominees must have published at least one single-authored manuscript or a co-authored article where they were the lead author. Nominees must have a terminal degree (e.g., Ph.D., DBA, Ed.D.) and have received their degree within the prior five years. Recipients of this award will receive an award of $2,500. Deadline: January 31, 2021.

Management Accounting Section Dissertation Award – Sponsored through the Dissertation Award Committee of the AAA’s Management Accounting Section, this award recognizes an outstanding doctoral dissertation in the area of cost or management accounting. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Jim Bulloch Award for Innovations in Management Accounting Education – This award, administered by the Management Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association, honors academicians for their outstanding contribution to the field of management accounting education. Deadline: March 1, 2021. 

Faculty Leadership Award – This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated (at the national, regional, and/or local level) exemplary leadership within and service to IMA. Please consider nominating a deserving colleague or yourself. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Ursel K. Albers Campus Advocate Award – This award was established to provide an opportunity to recognize an IMA student chapter advisor who has made significant contributions to IMA overall and to IMA student members in particular. Please consider nominating a deserving faculty advisor. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

R. Lee Brummet Award – Named for a former IMA president, this award honors academicians who promote achievements of management accounting and financial management through teaching, research, and service. Please consider nominating a deserving colleague or yourself. Deadline: March 1, 2021.

Research Grant Program – The IMA Research Foundation funds timely research on accounting and financial management subjects that can be applied to current and emerging business issues. Deadline: rolling.

IECJ® Spring Short Case Writing Competition – Submit short cases in any area of management accounting. Those reflecting “real-world” situations are strongly preferred. Deadline: April 30, 2021.

IECJ Summer Case Writing Competition – IMA educators are encouraged to submit entries for a case writing competition in the area of management accounting or related fields. Deadline: July 31, 2021.

**********

To find out more about any of these awards, please visit the Student Scholarships and Awards and Educator Awards pages on the IMA website or contact Kerry Butkera, IMA research and academic relations administrator, at kbutkera@imanet.org.