University of Galway Societies Society Awards 2020

Society Awards 2020

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Society Awards

The deadline is extended to Wednesday April 2nd at 2pm so this gives you more time.


This could be your year, we have very few applications in at the moment, so I encourage you all to enter, just download the application and set it up as a shared doc in your google drive and share it with whoever on your committee wants to work on it as editable. 

Given the times that is in it we are adding one extra award that we will choose from the calendar from march 16th 2020 until the college reopens. It is the Best Online society Engagement Event Award. The winner will be announced at the Society Awards on September 17th. So if you have an idea for an online event to share with your members post it to the calendar, you can include images and videos in your events. We will be publishing the What's Happening Guide again from this coming Monday and every Monday until the college reopens. So get creative and create moments of fun and engagement for you members in these isolating times.

The BICS Award deadline is now May 29th which gives time to add your portfolio and 5 minute video (if applicable to the award.) 

We will be virtually announcing the winners so that if you win you have time to enter for BICS, but we will be presenting the trophies at the awards on September 17th. In addition to the 2 free tickets for every society who enters we will give 2 more to each of the winners.

Here is the info and links for all the applications

Click below on the title of each award to download the application form. Please fill this out, upload to your google drive and submit it to the societies office through the following Google Form


GOOGLE FORM AWARDS 2020


Any questions,  send us an email on socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie

The deadline for all Awards is now April 1st and the BICS Awards deadline is May 29th. The BICS Awards applications will require a application form, a PDF portfolio and a 5 minute video. There will be no interview. The Awards ceremony will take place either late August or September and will be an evening event.


To get the application form to download click on the name of the award.

NB Please not you only need the application form for our awards, the BICS in the links below denotes an award is eligible for BICS, you will only go to BICS if you win the award in NUI Galway. We aim to announce our winners on April 10th. This will give our winners until May 29th to enter for the BICS Award.

Best Societycharity/ civic category

BICS 

Your Society must engage your members with an off campus entity.
The benefit or benefits must include at least two of the following elements:  financial, volunteering, education and/or awareness raising for your target entity or entities.
It can benefit one or more entities and must be an integral part of your society’s aims and objectives.
There is no distinction or value judgement made on the thematic area or perceived value of the target entity or whether the target entity is local, national or international.
Your society must be in existence for more than 2 years.

Best Society cultural / Academic/ Social category

BICS 

If your society’s main aim is charity, civic engagement or advocacy please fill in the Best Charity/Civic Society. If not this is the application for all other societies. Your society must be in existence for more than 2 years.

Best New Society

BICS 

Must be in existence for no more than 2 years.

Most Improved Society

BICS 

Must compare with last year and show significant improvement. Must be in existence for more than 2 years. You need to have made a significant improvement.

Best Event

BICS 

Events that have taken place after than March 13th 2017 are eligible.

Best Individual

BICS 

you can nominate yourself, or be nominated, you will need 2 letters of recommendation. Do talk to your committee.

Best Fresher

BICS 

A Fresher is deemed to be a society member who is in their first year in a third level institution.

Best Departmental Society

BICS 

Must be linked to an academic department/college.New as a BICS Award this year

Best Publicity Campaign

Non BICS 

Best Promo Video

BICS 

Best Mental health Promoting Award

BICS 

New this year to NUIG Awards the winner will represent the college at BICS

Best Green Initiative

BICS

New this year to the NUIG Awards and the winner will represent the college at BICS

Best Cultural Contribution

Non BICS 

Best Small Publication

Non BICS 

This can be a printed booklet no more than 60 pages, a brochure, programme or on line publication.A pdf version is now required, not a hard copy.

Best Website

Non BICS

This is chosen from all the websites linked on your profile, there is no application form.

Phoenix Award

Non BICS 

this is for a society resurrected from almost completely inactive, does not require an application and will be chosen form the societies who enter for any award.

Most Soccessful

Non BICS 

This is chosen from all the societies who apply for awards and is deemed to contribute the most to campus life and collegiality. This does not require an application.

Best Photo

BICS 

This is chosen from the photos on the society Gallery uploaded by April 1st at 2pm and if you are shortlisted you will be sent a short application, please return by April 6th. Your photo must not have been taken by a professional photographer. So please add who took your photo when uploading it in the gallery in your dashboard.

Best Poster

BICS (deadline March 25th 12pm)

This is chosen from the posters on the Societies Website uploaded in your dashboard by April 1st at 2pm and if you are shortlisted you will be sent a short application, please return by April 6th

Most ALIVE

(deadline March 30th 12pm)

The award will go to the society with the most complete applications.

BICS Applications will be expected to be in a position to enter for the BICS Awards the deadline for applications is May 29th Details here 

There is an additional BICS Awards you can enter the Beat Intervarsity, not limited to one per college. Details on BICS Website bics.ie Deadline 29th May.

Best Intervarsity,

more than one intervarsity can enter, your intervarsity needs to have taken place between March 14th 2019 and March 19th 2020



Click below on the title of each award to download the application form. Please fill this out, upload to your google drive and submit it to the societies office through the following Google FormGOOGLE FORM AWARDS 2020
Any questions, pop into us in the office or send us an email on socsbox@socs.nuigalway.ie

The deadline for all Awards is now march 30th and the BICS Awards deadline is may 29th. The BICS Awards applications will require a application form, a PDF portfolio and a 5 minute video. There will be no interview. The Awards ceremony will take place either late August or September and will be an evening event.

Best Societycharity/ civic category

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

Your Society must engage your members with an off campus entity.
The benefit or benefits must include at least two of the following elements:  financial, volunteering, education and/or awareness raising for your target entity or entities.
It can benefit one or more entities and must be an integral part of your society’s aims and objectives.
There is no distinction or value judgement made on the thematic area or perceived value of the target entity or whether the target entity is local, national or international.
Your society must be in existence for more than 2 years.

Best Society cultural / Academic/ Social category

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

If your society’s main aim is charity, civic engagement or advocacy please fill in the Best Charity/Civic Society. If not this is the application for all other societies. Your society must be in existence for more than 2 years.

Best New Society

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

Must be in existence for no more than 2 years.

Most Improved Society

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

Must compare with last year and show significant improvement. Must be in existence for more than 2 years.

Best Event

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

Events that have taken place after than March 13th 2017 are eligible.

Best Individual

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

Best Fresher

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

A Fresher is deemed to be a society member who is in their first year in a third level institution.

Best Departmental Society

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

Must be linked to an academic department/college.

Best Publicity Campaign

Non BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

Best Promo Video

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

Best Mental health Promoting Award

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

New this year the winner will represent the college at BICS

Best Green Initiative

BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

New this year the winner will represent the college at BICS

Best Cultural Contribution

Non BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

Best Small Publication

Non BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

This can be a printed booklet no more than 60 pages, a brochure, programme or on line publication.A pdf version is now required, not a hard copy.

Best Website

Non BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

This is chosen from all the websites linked on your profile, there is no application form.

Phoenix Award

Non BICS (deadline March 30th 12pm)

this is for a society resurrected from almost completely inactive, does not require an application and will be chosen form the societies who enter for any award.

Most Soccessful

Non BICS 

This is chosen from all the societies who apply for awards and is deemed to contribute the most to campus life and collegiality. This does not require an application.

Best Photo

BICS (deadline March 25th 12pm)

This is chosen from the photos on the society Gallery up loaded by Friday, March 25th at 12pm (there will be a short list, and societies shortlisted will be sent a short application form to return by Monday, March 31th. at 12pm Note it cannot be taken by a professional photographer.

Best Poster

BICS (deadline March 25th 12pm)

This is chosen from the photos on the Societies Website up loaded by March Friday 25th at 12pm. There will be a short list, and societies shortlisted will be sent a short application form to return by Monday, March 31th. at 12pm

Most ALIVE

(deadline March 30th 12pm)

Our awards application may take place before the ALIVE deadline so the award will go to the society with the most complete applications by the deadline, this means your volunteers need to have applied for their ALIVE cert, completed all the questions and added in their hours and submitted their application and the Society needs to have added in their short paragraph. 


BICS Applications will be expected to be in a position to enter for the BICS Awards which take place in Athlone on April 9th Details here 


There is an additional BICS Awards you can enter by submitting short application. Details on BICS Website bics.ie Deadline 29th May.

Best Intervarsity

The Society Awards will be announced virtually and celebrated on September 17th

Tickets will be on sale from Socsbox! Committee Members can avail of tickets for €20, There are 2 complementary tickets per Society who enter for an award. and 4 for the societies who win an award. If unable to attend the meal, there will be a limited number of Afters tickets for €10. (NOTE: AFTERS TICKETS are only for Committee Members). There will be free shuttle buses to and from the hotel. Note this years committee will bet preference.

Non-committee members can be added to a Reserve List at Socsbox details will be made available nearer the date.

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