diff --git a/api.php b/api.php
index 58d2f43..98cfeff 100644
--- a/api.php
+++ b/api.php
@@ -1056,8 +1056,9 @@ switch($request[0]) {
 			/*	APIDOC: project/view
 				description(Displays the current project information)
 				return(project array)
-				object(project: {project_id integer, projectdivisions_id integer, title varchar(255), language char(2), req_electricity enum('no', 'yes'), req_table enum('no', 'yes'), req_special varchar(128), summary text,safetyquestions array of question})
+				object(project: {project_id integer, projectdivisions_id integer, title varchar(255), language char(2), req_electricity enum('no', 'yes'), req_table enum('no', 'yes'), req_special varchar(128), summary text,safetyquestions array of question, specialawards array of specialaward})
 				object(question: {id,question,type,required,ord,answer})
+				object(specialaward: {id,name,criteria,self_nominate,selected})
 			*/
 			case 'view':
 				if($u=user_load($_SESSION['users_id'])) {
@@ -1081,6 +1082,7 @@ switch($request[0]) {
 				description(Edit an existing project.  "language" notes the language a participant wishes to be judged in. "req_electricity" notes whethor or not the project requires an electrical outlet. "req_table" states whether or not the project needs a table. "req_special" is a field for special requirements.)
 				object(project: as per project/view)
 				object(question: for sake of not re-transmitting all the safetyquestion text, the only fields required to save are {id,answer})
+				object(specialaward: for sake of not re-transmitting all the specialaward text, the only fields required to save are {id,selected})
 				return(project array)
 			*/
 			case 'edit':
diff --git a/participant.inc.php b/participant.inc.php
index 7b9d61a..e0caa21 100644
--- a/participant.inc.php
+++ b/participant.inc.php
@@ -104,16 +104,17 @@ function emergencycontactStatus($reg_id="")
 
 	$sq=mysql_query("SELECT id FROM users WHERE registrations_id='$rid' AND conferences_id='".$conference['id']."'");
 	$returnval = 'complete';
+	$fields = array('firstname', 'lastname', 'relation', 'phone1', 'phone2', 'phone3', 'phone4', 'email');
 	while($sr=mysql_fetch_object($sq)) {
-		$u = user_load($sr->id);
-		if(!array_key_exists('emergencycontacts', $u)){
+		$q = mysql_query("SELECT " . implode(',', $fields) . " FROM emergencycontact WHERE users_id = $sr->id ORDER BY id");
+		if(!mysql_num_rows($q)) {
 			$returnval = 'incomplete';
 			break;
 		}
 		$oneValid = false;
-		foreach($u['emergencycontacts'] as $contact){
+		while($contact=mysql_fetch_assoc($q)) {
 			$valid = true;
-			foreach($rquired_fields AS $req){
+			foreach($required_fields AS $req){
 				if(!$contact[$req]) $valid = false;
 				break;
 			}
@@ -151,10 +152,8 @@ function projectStatus($reg_id="")
 	if(!mysql_num_rows($q))
 		return "empty";
 
-	while($r=mysql_fetch_object($q))
-	{
-		foreach ($required_fields AS $req)
-		{
+	while($r=mysql_fetch_object($q)) {
+		foreach ($required_fields AS $req) {
 			if(!$r->$req) {
 				return "incomplete";
 			}
diff --git a/projects.inc.php b/projects.inc.php
index ba46790..1b89f5d 100644
--- a/projects.inc.php
+++ b/projects.inc.php
@@ -319,18 +319,19 @@ function getProjectId($registrations_id){
 
 function getAwardListing($project_id){
 	$returnval = array();
-	$eligibleAwards = getSpecialAwardsEligibleForProject($projectId);
-	$nominatedawards = getSpecialAwardsNominatedForProject($projectId);
+	$eligibleAwards = getSpecialAwardsEligibleForProject($project_id);
+	$nominatedawards = getSpecialAwardsNominatedForProject($project_id);
 	$nominatedawards_list=array();
 	foreach($nominatedawards AS $naward){
 		$nominatedawards_list[] = $naward['id'];
 	}
-	$idx = 0;
 	foreach($eligibleAwards AS $eaward){
-		$returnval[$idx] = $eaward;
-		if(in_array($eaward['id'],$nominatedawards_list)) $returnval[$idx]['selected'] = true;
-		$idx++;
-		
+		if(in_array($eaward['id'],$nominatedawards_list))
+			$eaward['selected']=true;
+		else
+			$eaward['selected']=false;
+
+		$returnval[] = $eaward;
 	}
 	return $returnval;
 }
diff --git a/register_participants.inc.php b/register_participants.inc.php
index 839609b..9f20ff7 100644
--- a/register_participants.inc.php
+++ b/register_participants.inc.php
@@ -334,6 +334,23 @@ function saveProjectData($data){
 				}
 			}
 
+			//and update the special award nominations
+			//but make sure they dont sign up for anything they're not allowed to :p
+			if(is_array($data['specialawards'])) {
+				$eligibleAwards = getSpecialAwardsEligibleForProject($data['project_id']);
+				$eligibleAwardsList=array();
+				foreach($eligibleAwards AS $ea) {
+					$eligibleAwardsList[]=$ea['id'];
+				}
+				mysql_query("DELETE FROM projects_specialawards_link WHERE projects_id='{$data['projects_id']}' AND conferences_id='{$conference['id']}'");
+
+				foreach($data['specialawards'] AS $sa) {
+					if($sa['selected']==true) {
+						mysql_query("INSERT INTO projects_specialawards_link (award_awards_id,projects_id,conferences_id) VALUES ('".intval($sa['id'])."','".intval($data['projects_id'])."','{$conference['id']}')");
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
 			if($message == ''){
 				$message = 'success';
 			}
@@ -499,6 +516,10 @@ function getProject($userId){
 
 	$safetyquestions=getSafetyQuestions($regId);
 	$returnval['safetyquestions']=$safetyquestions;
+
+	$specialawards=getAwardListing($returnval['id']);
+	$returnval['specialawards']=$specialawards;
+
 	return $returnval;
 }
 
diff --git a/user_edit.php b/user_edit.php
index 3ecf274..bb4e45c 100644
--- a/user_edit.php
+++ b/user_edit.php
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@ if(array_key_exists('join', $_GET)){
 
 	// this is a request to join this conference
 	// get the corresponding account id to go with this user id
-	if($edit_id == null){
+	if(!$edit_id) {
 		// this will happen if they have no user record
 		$edit_accounts_id = $_SESSION['accounts_id'];
 	}else{
-		$q = mysql_query("SELECT accounts_id FROM users WHERE id=$edit_id");
+		$q = mysql_query("SELECT accounts_id FROM users WHERE id='$edit_id'");
 		if(!$q){
 			echo mysql_error();
 			exit();
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ if(array_key_exists('join', $_GET)){
 		user_save($u);
 		$edit_id = $u['id'];
 	}
+	else {
+		$u=user_load_by_accounts_id($edit_accounts_id);
+		$edit_id=$u['id'];
+		//echo "we have {$data[0]} users already";
+	}
 }else{
 	$joinConference = false;
 	if($edit_id == ''){
@@ -87,6 +92,10 @@ if(array_key_exists('join', $_GET)){
 require_once("user_edit_tabs.inc.php");
 
 $u = user_load($edit_id);
+if(!$u) {
+	echo "Could not load user id $edit_id";
+	exit;
+}
 $types = array_keys($u['roles']);
 $selected = $_GET['tab'];
 if(!array_key_exists($selected, $tabs)) {