Internationalisation

U21 RISE Awards

RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment) 

Applications closed for 2025. A new round will open in April/May 2026.

RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment) is U21’s international showcase of student achievement in sustainability and social innovation. RISE is designed to accelerate the scale and impact of student-led projects, by connecting them with a network of experts in academia and industry. 

As a U21 member, the University of Glasgow is usually invited to nominate up to 4 student-led projects based on an aspect of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Below is an example of the application process

Ideas for the projects will be presented initially in a short statement of interest. Successful internal applicants will then be asked to present their ideas in a short video pitch as Glasgow's entries for the U21 RISE awards. Successful U21 RISE project videos will receive $2000 (USD) in funding.

Eligibility
Open to all students (UG or PG) or recent graduates (2 years or less). Projects can be individual, or group led with a nominated project lead identified.

Initial application process
Please submit a statement of interest (no more than 500 words) detailing:

• Information about your proposed project
• How the chosen SDG relates to your current or previous studies
• What you would hope to gain from the experience

An internal judging panel will review all statements. Successful projects will be notified and asked to submit a 3-5 minute video pitch outlining their project. 

Prizes
All nominated videos will be entered into the U21 RISE Awards. The judging panel will then review all videos and select which it considers to be Most Impactful, Most Innovative, Most Collaborative and having the Most Potential. Winning teams will receive $2000 (USD) funding and ongoing networking and promotional support.

Application questions
The student handbook is designed to help with the application process or you can email geraldine.Brown@glasgow.ac.uk