The ServiceNow Academic Excellence Awards program recognizes outstanding IT and business students who have developed innovative ServiceNow-related projects as part of their capstone studies. There are several criteria that a capstone project must meet in order to be eligible for submission for this awards program.

The capstone project must utilize ServiceNow’s platform software in a meaningful way. This could include developing applications, workflows, plugins/addons, or other solutions that leverage ServiceNow’s low-code development capabilities. Preference is given to projects that solve real-world business problems or demonstrate practical use cases for ServiceNow rather than purely technical proofs of concept. The project needs to showcase the students’ understanding of IT service management principles and how ServiceNow can beneficially be applied in an enterprise setting.

The capstone project submission must be accompanied by a written report/paper that thoroughly documents the project scope and objectives, planning and development process, demonstration of the working solution, and analysis of the business value/outcomes. This report is expected to be well-structured, clearly articulated and between 10-20 pages in length. It should provide enough details for the reviewers to understand what problems the project aimed to address, how ServiceNow was implemented, and what benefits could potentially be realized. Proper citations, references and adherence to typical academic writing standards are expected.

Projects completed as part of a Master’s thesis, undergraduate dissertation/thesis, or other structured academic program culminating in a major written work are eligible. Projects do not need to have been completed during the current academic year but must have been concluded no earlier than 12 months prior to the submission deadline date. Preference will be given to more recently finished projects that demonstrate a higher level of technical skills and innovative use of ServiceNow capabilities.

The submission must include information about the academic institution, specific program of study (if a graduate program), project supervisor details, and short bios of all student contributors. Supporting documents from the academic institution like letters of endorsement from faculty members will strengthen the application. Extra credentials of the students like relevant work experience, professional certifications, publications, etc. can also be highlighted.

The project and submission materials must be the original work of the student applicants. Plagiarism in any form will lead to automatic rejection. Students are expected to have played the primary role in conceptualizing, designing and developing the project with appropriate guidance from supervisors/professors. Joint submissions by teams of 2-4 students working on the same capstone project are allowed.

Projects will be evaluated on parameters like innovation, technical skills, demonstration of ServiceNow platform capabilities, clarity of documentation, potential real-world impact and overall presentation. Preference is given to submissions that check all eligibility boxes, provide thorough documentation of the capstone work, and exemplify the highest standards of research, analysis and technical proficiency. Geographical and institutional diversity of the applicants may also be considerations in the final selection.

Winners of the Academic Excellence Awards receive a cash prize, plaque, invitation to the ServiceNow Knowledge conference and potential job opportunities. Shortlisted finalists also get recognition on ServiceNow’s website and social media platforms. Participation in this prestigious program is a great credential for IT and business students looking to launch their careers in digital transformation fields.

To be eligible for ServiceNow’s annual Academic Excellence Awards, a capstone project submission must centrally feature meaningful utilization of ServiceNow’s platform, solutions a real problem, include thorough documentation, adhere to academic integrity guidelines, demonstrate strong research and technical skills, and preference is given to recent innovations with clear potential business impact. Following these detailed criteria allows students to highlight outstanding academic work and strongly position themselves for recognition and career opportunities.