Introducing the HERSA2026 Awards

After growing the HERSA family for the last 5 years, we are excited to announce the introduction of the HERSA2026 Awards which are now open for nominations!

The HERSA Awards are designed to recognise and celebrate the achievements of professionals working in Research Security within the higher education sector. The Awards provide an opportunity to highlight the excellence, and dedication and be a platform for acknowledging the exceptional talent within the sector.

The HERSA2026 Awards Ceremony will be held on the evening of Wednesday 3 June as part of the conference dinner at the HERSA Annual Conference 2026.

The 2026 Award Categories

Nomination Process - nominations can be made on behalf of yourself, your team, a colleague or another team from within or outside your own institution.

Institutions may be nominated for more than one award category.

You may also submit up to 500 words of supporting evidence with your nomination, including a maximum of two references.

Nominations will be judged by a panel of representatives drawn from within the sector, led by HERSA secretariat.

Please note the following eligibility criteria:

• Only institutions with membership of HERSA are eligible to nominate and be nominated.
• Institutions may only make one nomination per category.
• Please use one nomination form per nomination entry.
• Submissions with longer than 500 words will not be considered.
• The nominee's consent is required for any and all nominations.

To make a submission, please complete the HERSA2026 Awards Nomination Form and return the completed form, along with any supporting evidence, to enquiries@hersa.co.uk by 5pm on Wednesday 13th May.

Call for Volunteer Judges

In addition, we invite expressions of interest from colleagues willing to serve on the HERSA Awards judging panel. Judges will be part of a sector‑led panel, overseen by the HERSA Secretariat, and will play a key role in reviewing and assessing nominations.

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to the HERSA community and support the recognition of excellence across the sector. The required time for the judging will be depending on number of nominations received, however please allow 2 hours (with flexibility to extend up to 6 hours). Meeting(s) will be conducted online via MS Teams as required.

If you are interested in volunteering to support this initiative as a judge, please contact us at enquiries@hersa.co.uk.