Community Engagement

The Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award for Community Engagement recognises individuals and teams who have established outstanding, culturally informed, and reciprocal partnerships that deliver measurable social, cultural, environmental, or economic value in alignment with Impact 2030.

Award Themes

The Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards recognise academic and professional staff whose external community engagement demonstrates going above and beyond the requirements of their roles to build meaningful connection, mutual exchange, and sustained achievement.

Nominations should focus on one or more of the following themes:
  • Fostering authentic, reciprocal partnerships with external communities and stakeholders that align with place-based and anchor institution approaches.
  • Embedding ethical, culturally informed engagement practices, including deep and sustained collaboration with First Nations and/or local communities
  • Demonstrating purpose-led initiatives that deliver clear social, cultural, environmental, and/or economic value.
  • Strengthening the University’s porosity to partners, enabling a two-way exchange of people, knowledge, and ideas responsive to local contexts.

Award Criteria

Nominations should address the following criteria:

  • Place-Based and Reciprocal Engagement

    Evidence of sustained, place-based external engagement characterised by shared decision-making and collaborative outcomes that measurably advance both community and institutional priorities.

  • Culturally Informed Practice

    Showcases meaningful, ethical engagement that transcends borders, featuring deep, sustained collaboration with First Nations and/or local communities rooted in mutual respect and cultural humility.

  • Impact and Strategic Alignment

    Demonstrates outstanding, purpose-led outcomes that deliver measurable social, cultural, environmental, or economic value, creating lasting local or global impact in alignment with Impact 2030 and the External Community Engagement Framework.

Nominate now

Submit a nomination

Nominations in the Professional Staff categories should be guided by the above award themes and criteria, as well as the overall awards eligibility guidelines below.

Submit a nomination