Best Collaboration
Best Collaboration
This award recognises teams that have engaged in outstanding collaborative activity.
It recognises where successful collaboration across roles and disciplines has made a significant and positive impact. This could be an established work team who carry out their daily tasks together, or individuals who have come together to deliver a specific project or initiative.
Prize
Prize money is capped at £5,000 which will be divided amongst the team.
Core Value
This award relates to our CONNECTIVITY value.
Entry Criteria
- Award entries should relate to work undertaken in the period between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024.
- Teams should comprise of no more than 20 members. While teams are capped at 20, in exceptional circumstances larger teams will be considered, although the prize money will remain capped at £5,000 - if nominating more than 20 people as part of a team, please be mindful that the £5,000 prize fund will mean a smaller monetary prize for individual members of the team. If you still wish to nominate more than 20 members, please complete the online form, and email the list of additional staff (including email addresses) to excellenceawards@qub.ac.uk.
- If the nominees have collaborated with partners outside Queen's for a particular project, they can be included in the nomination, however, please note that only Queen's staff members can be named as winners and awarded prize money.
Nomination Advice
The Judging Panel will be looking for details of how the team members worked together and what demonstrable and positive impact they have made.
The DfE Skill Up Project team launched the Skill Up programme in response to furlough during COVID, offering Level opportunities. The team secured funding from the Department for Education to support individuals enhancing their skills and expanded the initiative to other institutions. Following a successful pilot year, they received funding for three additional years. Through the team’s collaborative efforts, they have developed 27 Level 7 and short courses in key sectors, positively impacting Northern Ireland's workforce and economic growth by providing crucial skills in health, technology, and green manufacturing.
The Student Wellbeing team navigated significant changes this year, including a relocation to One Elmwood. Throughout the academic year the team supported over 2,300 students, handled over 13,000 student interactions and provided crucial support to over 130 students at immediate risk. Prioritising collaboration, the team go above and beyond, placing student voice and experience at the heart of everything they do.
This dedicated team made a significant impact on the University through the provision of childcare support. Described as the definition of teamwork, they worked tirelessly during the year to deliver this vital service, making a real difference to the lives of staff and students, as well as the children in their care.
This small core team played a vital role in supporting students and enhancing the student experience. This included preparing over 18,000 meals and making over 6,000 deliveries to international students isolating in University Accommodation as well as providing over 600 catering packs to those unable to travel home for Christmas. The team also came up with the idea of graduation hampers to allow students to celebrate their virtual graduation at home with their family and friends.
Because of their significant contributions, the Judging Panel decided to award 2020's Staff Excellence Award to all three teams in recognition of their very different but critical contributions to the University’s COVID response.
Estates Services Pandemic Support Team
This team was made up of members of the Estates cleaning operation, who worked on campus throughout lockdown to support staff involved in vital research and teaching. As well as cleaning research labs and washroom facilities, they fully disinfected 146 buildings, enabling staff and students to return to campus.
Queen’s Accommodation
Throughout the academic year, staff in Queen’s Accommodation provided extensive support to students living there. During various lockdowns, they remained on campus to support all residents both in student and staff and family accommodation, providing a safe and secure home for all.
Queen’s COVID-19 Virology Team, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
Since the start of the pandemic, Ultan Power, Connor Bamford and Lindsay Broadbent played an important role in helping to improve public understanding of COVID. As well as making over 1,500 national and international media appearances, providing a clear and balanced commentary, they led Queen’s research efforts on COVID-19 and have secured over £2m in funding.