Social Responsibility and Sustainability

Changemaker Award (closed)

Do you know someone who's gone above and beyond to make the University more sustainable, or to inspire others to make change? Nominate them for our SRS Changemaker Award!

Hand holding up a megaphone. Changemaker Award - Make a nomination by 24 March.
The University of Edinburgh Social Responsibility and Sustainability Changemaker Award. Make a nomination by 31 March.

Individual and small group recognition

The Changemaker Award recognises current students and staff who have made a noticeable positive impact by: 

  • undertaking an impactful socially responsible or sustainable project; 
  • or by inspiring others to act in a more socially responsible or sustainable way.

How it works

Individuals or groups will have undertaken this either within the University (for the benefit of fellow students and staff); within the Edinburgh and Lothians region (the local community), or somewhere else entirely (other communities worldwide).

The activity will have occurred between March 2022 and March 2023, and may have been a one-off activity or may be ongoing. 

Examples could be: 

  • Going above and beyond the expectations of a task to incorporate sustainability into a project or assignment 
  • Organising a team sustainability challenge that improved the environment and brought people together 
  • Volunteering in the local community to tackle social inequality or improve wellbeing  
  • Embedding climate awareness into teaching  
  • Organising a successful online event to raise awareness of a particular Sustainable Development Goal or related issue 
  • Supporting a community elsewhere in the world to become more sustainable 
  • Successfully encouraging friends, classmates or colleagues to make sustainable changes to their daily lives  

The individual’s or group’s actions should be in addition to activities they are expected to undertake as part of their programme of study or job role. Individuals and groups are welcome to nominate themselves or others.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Submit a nomination (closed on Friday 31 March)

Submissions that can demonstrate a measurable positive impact, that have shared or communicated their actions to others and that align with the University's Social and Civic Responsibility Plan and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are more likely to be successful.  

Nominations were open from Monday 27 February 2023 to Friday 31 March 2023.

Be inspired by past changemakers

See the inspiring staff and students who have bagged changemaker awards in previous years.

2021-22 changemakers

2020-21 changemakers

2019-20 changemakers

Successful 2022-23 changemakers are to be released soon.