About The Awards

The ISCN Excellence Awards recognize outstanding contributions made by universities to advancing sustainability initiatives, programs, and projects. In its fifteenth year, the 2023 Awards will continue to serve as a way to showcase global best practice examples for the higher education community.

The ISCN Awards recognize excellence in the areas of Whole Systems ApproachPartnerships for Progress, and Cultural Change for Sustainability. An additional Honorary Member Award is granted to an outstanding project at a non-member institution.

Winners of the awards will be recognized at an Award Ceremony, receive a plaque and be featured on the ISCN website where they will serve as case studies to inspire university members on what is possible and how successful projects can be developed.

Application Process and Timeline

The ISCN Award Jury is comprised of an international panel that will score the completed applications based on standardized criteria and determine the winner in each category. The Awards organizers will inform the winning candidates via email after the judging process has concluded and will coordinate the winners for their presentation and commendation during the Awards Ceremony.

Applications open: February 16, 2023
Applications close: March 21, 2023
Winners notified: April 7, 2023

To apply for an Award

  1. Identify the appropriate Award Category for your application.
  2. Ensure you comply with the Conditions of Entry listed below.
  3. Complete the online application form.
  4. Submit your completed application by March 21, 2023

Conditions of Entry

By submitting to the 2023 ISCN Excellence Awards you are agreeing to the following conditions:

  • All applications must be completed via the online application form.
  • Applicants must be current ISCN Members to apply for the following categories: Whole Systems Approach, Partnerships for Progress, and Cultural Change for Sustainability.
  • Only non-member institutions are eligible to apply for the Honorary Member Award category.
  • All applications must be submitted by the official deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.
  • Applications must be from higher education institutions. Applications from individuals will not be accepted.
  • All information contained in the submission is true to the best of the applicant’s knowledge.
  • By submitting an application, the winners of the Awards are committing to providing a short video (1 to 3 minutes) of the winning project to be available online by the ISCN Awards Ceremony.
  • Winners of the Awards grant permission to the ISCN to publicize winning projects to enable the sharing of ideas, to inspire other campuses, and to stimulate new partnerships and collaborations.
  • Projects that have been awarded a non-ISCN Award at the national, regional or international level are still eligible to apply.
  • If an institution is granted the Honorary Membership Award it is ineligible for a future Honorary Membership Award.
  • The organizers of the Awards reserve the right to verify the information included in applications.