TARC and CanSat Open

Spaceref notes that 2009 registration is open for TARC and CanSat.

For TARC: This year's new task is transporting the one-egg payload lying on its side rather than positioned vertically, mimicking the position of an astronaut.

It isn't all about rocketry: Setting Up a TARC Team to Take Advantage of Tax Laws - Jeff Lane

This comment from the article is on TARC teams, but it probably has some truth in the professional business and engineering world, too:

They have a sense of ownership and pride when they raise the funds themselves and are much more accountable to contributors for their spending.Teams that get “free money” like grants tend to waste their dollars and achieve less-precise results.