Each year, ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ proudly recognises the achievements of its alumni through Distinguished Alumni Awards and the Excellence in Achievement Awards for Recent Graduates. These awards honour individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact in their respective fields, reflecting Cranfield’s commitment to excellence and values.
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science(FEAS) alumni awards are presented in five thematic areas, highlighting the breadth and depth of Cranfield’s global alumni community:
- Aerospace and Aviation
- AI, Robotics and Space
- Automotive, Energy and Photonics
- Environmental Sustainability
- Manufacturing, Materials and Design
For the Distinguished Alumni Awards, the selection panel considers sustained professional achievement, industry impact, leadership, innovation, and international influence.
For the Excellence in Achievement Awards for Recent Graduates, the selection panel looks at early career success, sector impact, leadership potential, and international experience.
Learn more about the criteria for each award below and discover how Cranfield alumni continue to shape industries and drive meaningful change worldwide.
How to nominate and top tips to make your nominee stand out
- Review the award criteria for the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences alumni awards.
- Think about who you know who meets the criteria and decide on your nominee(s).
- Complete the online nomination form details, telling us about yourself and your nominee.
- Write your nomination statement and ensure it is no longer than 4,000 characters and contains enough evidence to support your nominations.
- Hit submit.
Top nomination tips - how to make your nominee stand out
We know our alumni are achieving some amazing things and we can't wait to be inspired with this year's stories. Each year we receive lots of nominations, and that's a lot of stories to read, so we've pulled together our top do's and don'ts.
- DO - Think about how your nominee matches the award criteria and tell us about those aspects. Be sure to give us context and benchmark your nominee's achievements.
- DO - Make sure your nomination statement hits a balance – not so long that we get lost in the detail, but long enough to address all parts of the nomination criteria.
- DO - Give us evidence and examples, and put them in context - you can include links to websites or articles in your nomination if relevant.
- DON'T - Don't cut and paste your nominee CV or LinkedIn profile into the statement box - this rarely provides enough evidence and we don't need to know their every career move since leaving Cranfield.
- DON'T - Please don't use acronyms or technical jargon without explaining them. Our Selection Panel brings together alumni, Cranfield staff, and faculty, however, there maybe some non-technical selection panel members so please don't assume that we’re experts in all areas of the industry, or have specific scientific or engineering knowledge.
If you have any questions, please email us and we will be happy to help.
Criteria for the Distinguished Alumni Award
One of ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½’s highest honours, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognise individuals who have achieved sustained professional success at the highest levels. Recipients are role models in their industries, known for their leadership, innovation, and influence on a national or global scale.
In selecting the Distinguished alumnus/a of the year, the Selection Panel will consider the following:
- Sustained professional achievement at the highest levels, preferably extending into the year of selection. Professional achievement may be viewed in terms of:
- Technology/engineering leadership.
- Achieving transformational change in an organisation.
- Significant and successful project management.
- Contribution to company profitability, job creation and other factors.
- Significant impact on their industry and sector, beyond their own role and organisation.
- International visibility: influence/experience working across different geographic regions.
- Regarded as a role model for leadership.
- Innovation and creativity.
- Sustainability: reducing negative environmental impact.
- Other awards and recognitions.
- Previous relationship with Cranfield or benefit of a potential relationship with Cranfield in the future.
Criteria for the Excellence in Achievement Award for Recent Graduates
The Excellence in Achievement Award for Recent Graduates celebrates alumni who, within ten years of graduating, have demonstrated remarkable career progression and industry impact. It recognises individuals with the potential to reach the pinnacle of their professions while upholding the highest standards in their fields.
In selecting recipients of the Excellence in Achievement Award for Recent Graduates, the Selection Panel will consider the following:
- Technological/engineering/commercial leadership.
- National visibility.
- Early career impact on sector/industry.
- Demonstrable achievement beyond individual position and company.
- International experience and impact.
- Role model behaviours/highest standards of industry practice.
- Relationship with Cranfield since graduation or potential benefit of a future relationship.
Eligibility
Nominees must be a graduate alumnus/a of ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½, covering any postgraduate diploma, Master’s, or PhD. The awards are open to alumni from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences – along with all former Schools, including the College of Aeronautics, School of Engineering, School of Applied Sciences, School of Water, Energy and the Environment and the School of Aerospace, Transport, and Manufacturing.
Members of the selection panel will not be eligible for an award whilst serving on the panel or Council. Honorary graduates will also not be eligible for an award unless they are also a graduate alumnus of the University.
Alumni award nomination process
The Alumni Relations and Development Office shall seek nominations for each award through specially targeted messages to alumni, faculty, staff, and students. The closing date for nominations will be indicated and no nominations will be considered after this time.
- The nominator must be an alumnus/a, current or former member of Cranfield staff, current student, member of the Industrial Advisory Board for the Education Programmes, a Visiting Professor or Fellow, or Honorary Degree recipient.
- The nominator must complete the appropriate nomination form which will be available online from the Alumni Relations and Development Office.
- The nominator must provide a statement of no more than 4,000 characters describing the achievements and contributions that make the nominee worthy of the award. These statements should refer directly to the specific criteria for each award.
- All nominations will be treated as confidential.
Selection process
For all awards, the selection panel will consist of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Directors of Theme for:
- Aerospace and Aviation
- AI, Robotics and Space
- Automotive, Energy and Photonics
- Environmental Sustainability
- Manufacturing, Materials and Design,
and a representative of Alumni Relations and Development.
The selection panel will reach an agreement on the winners in each of the categories and award recipients will be notified. The selection panel reserve the right not to make an award if there are no candidates who meet the required criteria. The Alumni Relations and Development office will notify all nominators as to whether their nominee has been selected to receive an award. The selection process is confidential and the decisions of the selection panel are final. All unsuccessful nominations can be resubmitted for consideration in future years.