Current staff

Nominate a team or individual for a UQ Award for Excellence

As a staff member, you can nominate an individual or a team for a UQ Award for Excellence.

Award selection is based primarily on written statements addressing the selection criteria. You must clearly demonstrate how the person or team has demonstrated:

  • significant and outstanding achievement
  • a meaningful and lasting impact at UQ

Key Dates for 2024

Nominations for all award categories

  • Nominations open: Tuesday 7 May 2024
  • Nominations close: Friday 7 June 2024

UQ Awards for Excellence ceremony

  • Ceremony date: Monday 18 November 2024

Eligibility

All UQ employees are eligible to be nominated. This includes professional and academic staff (continuing, fixed-term and casual) employed at UQ. Contractors are not eligible.

Depending on the quality of the nominations, up to 2 award winners may be selected for each award category. Subject to the quality of the nominations for a category, an award may not be made.

You can't nominate yourself or a team you're part of.

Individual nominations

You may choose to tell the person that you are nominating them before submitting your nomination. However, all nominees will be advised of their nomination via email once all submissions are received.

Team nominations

Team nominations would not normally exceed 10 members unless exceptional circumstances apply. You must advise team leaders of the nomination before you submit it to ensure that team composition and contributions are accurately reflected. A team member may be defined as someone who has made a significant contribution.

If submitting a team nomination, you will need to complete and upload the UQ Awards - Submission Template form (XLSX, 11.2 KB) in your application. 

Re-nominations

A nominee or recipient of a UQ Award for Excellence is only eligible for re-nomination in subsequent years on the basis that there were significant new achievements or developments to be considered.

How to complete the nomination

We recommend that you read the UQ Awards for Excellence Guide (PDF, 561.7 KB) and prepare and review your nomination in Word before copying into the online form.

When you are completing the nomination and general selection criteria, you must incorporate the award-specific criteria applicable for each category. Only one nominator is required.

Complete a nomination 

Overview of the nomination

Maximum 100 words.

This section should include a succinct overview of the nomination, including:

  • a description of the contribution, initiative, program, project or activity
  • how this outstanding and exceptional achievement or success exceeds normal expectations of performance.

This summary will be published on the recognition and reward webpage and in the UQ Awards for Excellence ceremony program.

General selection criterion A

Maximum 250 words.

This section should include a description of:

  • the contribution, initiative, program, project or activity
  • how this significant and outstanding achievement addresses one or more of the award-specific criteria

This section should also contain information to demonstrate how the contribution, initiative, program, project or activity supports one or more of the University’s values.

General selection criterion B

Maximum 250 words.

This section should include information to demonstrate the:

  • key outcomes and achievements of the contribution, initiative, program, project or activity
  • level of impact of the contribution, initiative, program, project or activity in terms of size, reach and significance.

Supporting information

Maximum of 3 pages.

Additional materials supporting the claims may be included. A maximum of 3 pages of supporting material will be considered and the relevance of any such material must be made clear in the nomination application.

Award-specific criteria

The nomination must incorporate award-specific criteria for each nomination category:

Community 

This award recognises and and celebrates outstanding individuals and teams who have implemented innovative programs that have made a demonstrable impact to Queensland communities or have strengthened access education at The University of Queensland.  

An individual or team must demonstrate one or more of the following criteria:    

  • Development and implementation of a unique or original approach to meeting UQ’s Queensland Commitment   
  • Development and implementation of new concepts, products or services that strengthens and broadens access to UQ education for individuals that come from a regional, remote, or low socio-economic background  
  • Contribution to reviewing and establishing more inclusive research systems or curriculum and teaching practices that break down barriers to education at The University of Queensland   
  • Promoting or leading the advancement of intellectual vitality and enrichment of the broader community through inclusive access to debates, public lectures, cultural events or UQ’s museums and libraries   
  • Implementation of an innovative project, program or activity that strengthens The University’s relationships with regional and remote communities within Queensland.  

Reconciliation

This award recognises and celebrates individuals and teams that have contributed to promoting reconciliation at UQ, specifically through exceptional practices, or implementation of one or more of UQ’s Reconciliation Action Plan deliverables in collaboration with Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples.

UQ’s Reconciliation Vision inspires us to move towards a strong sense of belonging at UQ, acknowledging and valuing the unique and diverse position Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, cultures and peoples hold within an Australian university that has global reach.

An individual or team must demonstrate one or more of these criteria:

  • Significant contribution to building strong, mutually beneficial relationships between Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous students, staff, communities, organisations and partners at UQ.
  • Implementation of an innovative project, program or activity which engages UQ staff, students and/or the community to gain an increased respect, understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, languages, achievements and/or cultural protocols.
  • Contribution to significant organisational change with regard to reconciliation at UQ. Organisational change may be in the areas of diversity and inclusion, equity and community involvement in UQ’s policies, initiatives and practices.
  • Implementation of initiatives that promote or strengthen opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations and communities within UQ and the higher education sector.
  • Significant contribution to reviewing and establishing more culturally appropriate research systems and/or inclusive curriculum and teaching practices.

Learn more about UQ's Reconciliation Action Plan (PDF, 4.9MB)

Innovation

This award recognises and celebrates individuals and teams that have implemented innovative and effective workplace practices or initiatives, including the development of new systems that improve UQ’s effectiveness and efficiency.

An individual or team must demonstrate one or more of these criteria: 

  • a significant improvement in systems, procedures or practices resulting in process and cost efficiencies at UQ
  • implementation or advancement in workplace practices or initiatives that improve UQ’s effectiveness and efficiency
  • implementation of a unique and original approach to meeting UQ’s strategic objectives
  • development and implementation of new concepts, products or services that significantly improve the student or staff experience.

Service

This award recognises and celebrates individuals and teams that have made an outstanding and significant contribution to delivering excellence in service to students, staff or the wider community.

An individual or team must demonstrate one or more of these criteria:

  • implementation of a significant and outstanding improvement or initiative that contributed to creating an exceptional student or staff experience at UQ
  • consistently provides outstanding and exceptional quality of service to University clients (employees, students or community)
  • significant contribution to building the professional standing and reputation of the UQ community.

Diversity and inclusion

This award recognises and celebrates outstanding effort made by individuals and teams in promoting equity, diversity and inclusion within UQ and proactively enhances a sense of community among staff, students and partners.

An individual or team must demonstrate one or more of these criteria:

  • implementation of an innovative project, program or activity that proactively enhances a sense of community within UQ
  • contribution to positive cultural change with regard to equity, diversity or inclusion in the UQ community
  • implementation of inclusive practices, programs or initiatives that lead to greater access, representation and sense of belonging for staff and students from disadvantaged or under-represented groups
  • improvement in working or learning experience at UQ for staff or students from diverse backgrounds, including specific priority under-represented groups, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; women in senior roles; women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) disciplines; culturally and linguistically diverse people; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) people; people with disability; and people from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds
  • demonstrating leadership in promoting and demonstrating inclusive and supportive behaviours in the workplace, learning environment or UQ community
  • enhancing the reputation of UQ in regard to equity, diversity and inclusion in the wider community.

Mental and physical health, safety and wellness

This award recognises and celebrates the contributions of individuals and teams who have implemented innovative and exciting ideas and practices which contribute to the mental and physical health, safety and wellness of our staff and students.

An individual or team must demonstrate one or more of these criteria:

  • development and implementation of an innovative project, program or activity that promotes and protects the mental or physical health of our staff or students
  • delivered a project or initiative that enhances the quality of life, wellbeing and work/study experience of students or staff living with a mental or physical illness
  • implementation of an innovative project, program or activity that proactively enhances wellness or workplace health and safety at UQ
  • enhancement of the staff and student experience by establishing an occupational health and safety or wellness activity within UQ which reduces or eliminates a health, safety and wellbeing risk.

Leadership

This award recognises and celebrates exemplary leadership supporting a positive, performance-based culture and contributing to the achievements of UQ. Such leadership may be demonstrated by individuals or teams in any role across the organisation.

An individual or team must exemplify one or more of the capabilities identified in the UQ Leadership Framework:

  • communicates a vision
  • purposefully leads change and innovation
  • exemplifies the UQ Values
  • builds positive culture
  • develops high performing teams
  • leverages collaborative relationships
  • drives accountability and results.