Why You Should Apply for a Postgrad Award (And How to Win!)
 by Sarah Hastings-Woodhouse
Posted on 12 Mar '24

Why You Should Apply for a Postgrad Award (And How to Win!)

Every year, our Postgrad Awards shine a spotlight on the people and projects that are making waves in the world of postgraduate study.

Nominations are now open for 2024, and we’ve added a new commercial category: Best Postgraduate Project or Campaign. This award recognises any project aimed at improving the experiences of prospective or current postgraduate students, whether it’s a wellbeing programme, marketing campaign or value-adding initiative.

Keep reading to find out why you should put forward your university’s project for an award – and for a behind-the-scenes peak at what our judges are looking for in a winning entry!

Why nominate?

We know that a tremendous amount of dedication, talent and passion goes into recruiting and creating supportive university environments for postgraduate students – hard work that often flies under the radar. We created our commercial Postgrad Awards category to bring much-deserved attention to the initiatives that are making a real difference.

Working in higher education can be demanding, and it’s tempting to jump straight from one campaign to the next without taking the time to reflect on successes. Applying for an award is a great opportunity to analyse impacts, take note of key learnings and celebrate wins.

Not only will our winners receive a physical trophy and certificate to commemorate their achievement (get sharing on social!), they will also benefit from invaluable exposure across our international platforms, and can use the award in their postgraduate marketing and recruitment messaging.

What are our judges looking for?

We’re looking for campaigns that have had a measurable, positive impact on the postgraduate community, and have a unique ‘X Factor’ that sets them apart from the rest.

This year, we wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to submit nominations for our commercial category. All we’re asking for in your initial application is one short paragraph describing your project. If your description catches our eye, we’ll follow up with a request for more information.

For now, there’s no need to worry about detailed explanations of your project’s impact or supplementary evidence – we’ll get to all that later! Think of your initial submission like a blurb for a novel – a quick description that packs a punch, succinctly explains what your project is all about, and peaks our interest.

For more inspiration and guidance, check out our sample nominations and hear from our previous winners!


Our Postgrad Awards will be open until Tuesday 17 May 2024 – so get working on those nominations! We can’t wait to hear from you.