Nominations are now open for UCL’s Inclusion Awards 2026

Is there someone at UCL who deserves recognition for their equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) related work? Shine a spotlight on the staff and students who are driving positive cultural change by nominating them for an Inclusion Award 2026.

The awards recognise outstanding EDI citizenship - the commitment individuals and teams show in advancing equality, diversity and inclusion beyond their formal roles. They honour those embedding inclusive practice into everyday work and driving tangible progress across the institution. 

Who can be nominated

Any UCL student or member of staff/team/department can be nominated. There are no restrictions on who can submit a nomination within the UCL community; nominators simply need to clearly demonstrate how the nominee meets the award criteria. 

The awards are designed to recognise EDI institutional citizenship beyond designated posts. Therefore, people in full-time paid EDI roles (such as members of the central  Equality ,  Diversity  and  Inclusion team  or those who have equivalent roles in departments and faculties) are not eligible.  

How will the awards be judged?

Nominations will be considered by the Inclusion Awards judging panels, whose members are drawn from across UCL. As decisions are based solely on the information provided in the nomination form, nominators are encouraged to include clear, detailed evidence of impact and how the nominee’s work aligns with the award criteria. 

To avoid any potential bias, members of the EDI team will not participate in the judging panels. Panel members will also be asked to declare any connections with nominees and will not take part in scoring nominations where a conflict of interest exists. 

Awards ceremony 

The award winners will be announced at a formal ceremony on 8 July, from 6-9.30pm. The ceremony will be live streamed with live captioning, for those that cannot attend in person. BSL interpreters will be present. 

How to submit nominations

You can find out all the details and submit your nominations via the form on the EDI website. There are six categories under which nominations can be made, and n’ominators will be asked to provide a statement (maximum 300 words) explaining how the individual or team meets the purpose of the award for which they are being nominated (please refer to the award categories above). 

To ensure nominations can be fairly assessed, nominators should focus on the specific criteria for the award, providing clear information that enables the judging panel to score the nomination accordingly. 

You can find answers to frequently asked questions about the Inclusion Awards here.

The deadline for submissions is  19 April 2026. Late nominations will not be accepted.

Find out more and make your nomination here!

If you would like to discuss the awards further, please  contact the EDI Team.
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