University College Dublin - The President’s Awards

UCD President's Awards

You get public recognition from the President of University College Dublin (UCD) for voluntary work that goes well beyond what is expected of a student. This is an honour, not a cash prize. Winners are celebrated at a ceremony each March in O'Reilly Hall on the UCD campus. The award recognises contributions in five areas: impact, innovation, leadership, service and collaboration. Examples include running a UCD society or club, helping with the Students' Union or student support services, or competing in inter-varsity sport.

Who can be nominated

• University: You are a registered student at UCD. Undergraduates, postgraduates and PhD students are all eligible for nomination.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Nationality: All nationalities welcome.
• Voluntary work: Your contribution must be unpaid. Paid roles (such as ambassador or research assistant) only count if your additional contribution is entirely independent of the paid role.
• Nominated by others: You cannot nominate yourself. You must be nominated by a student or member of staff at UCD. Organised campaigns to solicit nominations may result in disqualification.
• Not eligible: Sabbatical representatives from the full-time students’ representative body cannot be nominated.

How to apply

A student or member of staff at UCD nominates you via an online form, describing your contribution and its impact in a maximum of 200 words. Joint nominations by up to three students are permitted, provided that the work was clearly carried out jointly. The nomination period usually begins on 1 December and ends on 31 January; the awards ceremony takes place in March.

How realistic are your chances?

Between 15 and 24 students have been honoured in recent years. Almost 400 students have received the award since it began.

You can find more scholarships in our guide Scholarships in Ireland.