The Critique and Awards (C&A) program recognizes excellence in communication skills. It is open to anyone who has produced communications projects or programs within the past year for an organization in the public sector.

Examples include work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a land-grant university, a state Extension Service or Experiment Station, or an international foundation. With the exception of entries submitted to the diversity category, non-English entries must provide an English translation.

Entries that were produced or received by the intended audience between Jan. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2011, are eligible for the 2012 program. Entries must be received by the ACE executive director by Feb. 10, 2012, to be eligible.

All entries must be registered online. Entries are asked to be submitted online for the ease of judging, but if an entry must be shipped, it must arrive by Feb. 10, 2012, to:

ACE C&A Entries

59 College Road, Taylor Hall

Durham, NH 03824.

Include a copy of the  registration page with the shipped entry.

The cost per entry remains the same as last year:

• $35 for ACE members. Dues must be paid for 2012.
• $85 for non-ACE members. Your $85 entry fee entitles you to a first-year ACE membership. Any other projects you enter will be at the ACE member rate of $35. Please go to the Membership page and fill out ACE membership information.
• $35 for teams with ACE members and non-members. Non-members on ACE teams who want to be recognized on awards and in promotional materials must pay an additional $35 each. Indicate number of non-members paying the extra $35.

Preferred payments for entry fees are online at www.aceweb.org (Visa or MasterCard), but if your funding source requires something besides a credit card, send payment to the same address listed above, again with a copy of the entry information. Entry fees are payable to ACE in U.S. dollars.

The lead entrant and/or the individual or institution paying for the entry is responsible for listing any teammates on the entry form. The ACE executive director cannot add teammates to entries after they have been submitted without the consent of the lead entrant and/or the individual or institution paying for the entry.

Judges have the option of disqualifying any entry that does not have the required elements or for which the supplemental description exceeds two pages. All entries must follow the rules of the category and class to which they have been submitted, as well as the general rules of the Critique and Awards program itself. ACE reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not adhere to these rules. All judges' decisions are final.