UHR Awards 2026 Nomination Form

Additional Information

Please read this before you complete your application!

Prepare Your Submission
Review all questions on the form before completing it. You can download a Word copy of the form here. Submissions cannot be saved mid-process. We advise you to draft responses in the Word document first, then paste them into this online survey.

Award Categories
This form is for the main 7 award categories.
For the UHR Star Award you can complete the survey for that category here.

Purpose of the UHR Awards
To highlight HR innovation, creativity, and impact in UK universities; showcase how HR teams enhance organisational culture and performance and to encourage, motivate, and celebrate your team’s achievements.

Submission tips
Reflect on your team’s achievements and share insights on addressing specific challenges and constraints. Make sure you include learnings that other HR teams can adopt.

Winner Recognition

Winners will be announced at the UHR Conference 12-14 May. Trophies and certificates will be presented in person on 19, 20 or 21 May 2026, or can be mailed if preferred. Consider involving your Vice-Chancellor and planning PR/communications to celebrate the achievement.

Deadline
Submit your application by Friday 6 March 2026.

Part One: Your Contact Details

Question Title

* 1. Full Name

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* 2. Your Institution

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* 3. Job Title

Question Title

* 4. Contact Details - if you are successful, a member of the UHR staff or Exec Committee may visit you to present the award

Address 1

Address 2

City/Town

Postcode

Country

Email Address

Phone Number

Part Two: Confirmation of Nomination

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* 5. I confirm that the name entered below supports this nomination on behalf of my institution.

Please insert name of Vice Chancellor/HR Director/Chief People Officer with responsibility for people management issues in the organisation. The person named must be aware of, and support this nomination.

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* 6. Contact details of non-HR senior manager who may be contacted to comment on the nomination.

Name

Job Title

Email Address

Phone Number

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* 7. Please give the name of the function/team being nominated

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* 8. In which category is this entry being submitted? (you must choose only one category, the one that is most suitable). If judges feel the entry is better suited to a different category, we reserve the right to move it.

1. Organisational transformation, effectiveness and performance: this has driven and demonstrably enhanced organisational performance and competitive advantage, or transformation, demonstrating new ways of working, or the collaborative nature of HR success in working with other functions. This category could encompass how HR has driven sustainable change in challenging financial circumstances, and innovative approaches to activities such as the REF and enhancing academic performance.

2. Culture change and organisational development: this has achieved transformational culture change or greater staff engagement, or involved collaborative work with another organisation, enabling the university effectively to meet future challenges and uncertainty.

3. Equality, diversity and inclusion: this has improved equality, diversity and inclusion in the organisation, and brought demonstrable improvements to performance or engagement.

4. Reward, recognition and resourcing:  this has demonstrably improved the ability of the organisation to reward, recognise, resource or recruit staff effectively, particularly in the current challenging climate.

5. Wellbeing: this has enhanced the wellbeing of staff, and through that, improved the workplace and the student and/or staff experience.

6. Digital and technological innovation and change: this has enabled the HR team and the university to provide a better service and/or saved significant resources, with potential for further impact in the future.

7. Exceptional HR: for exceptional achievement by an HR team.

Part Three: Information on the nominated project or team

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* 9. Describe the work or project deserving an award, which may be completed or ongoing.

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

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* 10. How can the impact of this work be measured?

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

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* 11. Describe the longer-term impact of the work or initiative on the performance of the organisation and/or its staff.

For example, has it affected more than one business unit? How has the workplace or the team performance improved as a result of the initiative?

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

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* 12. How is the work linked to the organisation’s strategy and achievement of its objectives?

Maximum of 400 words for this box.

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* 13. What was innovative or outstanding about the work and how can that be demonstrated?

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

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* 14. How could other institutions or HR professionals learn from this work and use it in their own organisation?

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

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* 15. Any other information the judging panel may find relevant should be given here.

You may refer to material that can be accessed easily on your institution’s website without a password, but please note that the panel will not be under any obligation to view any material or information, other than in this online entry form.

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

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* 16. Please provide a brief summary of 150 - 200 words which encapsulates the project, learnings or achievement. This will be used on the UHR website and in other UHR publicity around the 2026 UHR Awards to explain the nomination.

Please limit your answer to 150 - 200 words for this box.

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* 17. During the awards process, on our website and in social media, and afterwards (for example at our Awards Showcase) we will need to refer to your project in the same consistent way – ideally something relatively short and memorable. Examples might be “Mytown HR Strategy Relaunch” or “Mytown: inclusive recruitment”. How would you like us to refer to your entry? Are there social media handles we should use in publicising your entry?

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* 18. There is an opportunity for winners’ trophies and certificates to be presented to you and your team personally on your campus on either 19, 20 or 21 May. This will involve a member of the UHR Executive or senior staff visiting you and you would be able to organise on site PR opportunities. Would you like to take advantage of this, or would you prefer us only to send the trophy to you without a campus presentation?

Please choose between the three options, namely 19 May, 20 May, 21 May, or postal delivery. If you have any issues selecting an answer for this question - please click on other and add your preference in there.

I would like to be presented to on campus on the 19 May

I would like to be presented to on campus on the 20 May

I would like to be presented to on campus on the 21 May

I would like to be presented to on campus on any of the dates (19/20/21 May)

I would prefer items to be sent by postal delivery

Other (please specify)

Thank you for completing the entry form.

Submission of this form means that you consent to UHR and PHES Ltd storing the information in it electronically and sharing this with members of the judging panel and the UHR conference organisers, Your Vision Events, in order to process nominations and make awards. Entrants and nominees may be featured in publicity, including newsletters, photographs and presentation of awards. Only organisations in membership of UHR are eligible for entry.

UHR Awards 2026 Nomination Form

Additional Information

Question Title

* 1. Full Name

Question Title

* 2. Your Institution

Question Title

* 3. Job Title

Question Title

* 4. Contact Details - if you are successful, a member of the UHR staff or Exec Committee may visit you to present the award

Question Title

Question Title

* 6. Contact details of non-HR senior manager who may be contacted to comment on the nomination.

Question Title

* 7. Please give the name of the function/team being nominated

Question Title

* 8. In which category is this entry being submitted? (you must choose only one category, the one that is most suitable). If judges feel the entry is better suited to a different category, we reserve the right to move it.

Question Title

* 9. Describe the work or project deserving an award, which may be completed or ongoing.Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

Question Title

* 10. How can the impact of this work be measured?Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

Question Title

Question Title

* 12. How is the work linked to the organisation’s strategy and achievement of its objectives?Maximum of 400 words for this box.

Question Title

* 13. What was innovative or outstanding about the work and how can that be demonstrated?Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

Question Title

* 14. How could other institutions or HR professionals learn from this work and use it in their own organisation?Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

Question Title

Question Title

* 16. Please provide a brief summary of 150 - 200 words which encapsulates the project, learnings or achievement. This will be used on the UHR website and in other UHR publicity around the 2026 UHR Awards to explain the nomination.Please limit your answer to 150 - 200 words for this box.

Question Title

Question Title

* 9. Describe the work or project deserving an award, which may be completed or ongoing.

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

* 10. How can the impact of this work be measured?

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

* 12. How is the work linked to the organisation’s strategy and achievement of its objectives?

Maximum of 400 words for this box.

* 13. What was innovative or outstanding about the work and how can that be demonstrated?

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

* 14. How could other institutions or HR professionals learn from this work and use it in their own organisation?

Please limit your answer to 400 words for this box.

* 16. Please provide a brief summary of 150 - 200 words which encapsulates the project, learnings or achievement. This will be used on the UHR website and in other UHR publicity around the 2026 UHR Awards to explain the nomination.

Please limit your answer to 150 - 200 words for this box.