What are the UD Student Awards?
The awards recognise student projects that demonstrate the principles of Universal Design. These are projects that feature solutions and ideas which work for everyone in society, regardless of age, size, ability or disability.
Read more about Universal Design and the 7 Principles
Who can enter?
We are delighted to accept entries from third level students and recent graduates of undergraduate and master level courses in higher level educational institutions based in the Republic of Ireland. We accept individual entries and those from teams of up to five people.
This year, the UD Student Awards event will be held in the University of Galway alongside the UD26 Conference. We encourage PhD students to submit their projects for inclusion in the UD26 conference.
How to enter?
Entries are accepted through our online awards platform, AwardForce. Entrants can set up an account at any time, but entries can only be created while the entry window is open. Entries will be accepted in 2026 between 18 March and 02 June.
Entrants will be asked to give a brief summary of their design idea and describe how at least 3 of the Principles of Universal Design relate to the project. Supporting images, presentations or videos can also be attached.
UD Student Award Categories
The winner of each category below receives a cash prize of €1000 and a coveted UD Student Award trophy.
Digital
This category is for all things techy. This is your chance to share with us everything from apps and websites to interactive experiences, games and eLearning. Prototypes, mock-ups, working demos, or even compelling concepts—if it lives on a screen, server or cloud, it belongs here!
Active Ease
Shannon Aisling Forde
Munster Technological University
View full project on AwardForce
Active Ease is a digital platform designed to help individuals with severe mental illness engage in physical activity independently. Co-designed through public and patient involvement, the platform incorporates visual guides, videos, voiceovers, and printable resources, making physical activity more accessible across devices including smartphones, tablets, desktops, and smart TVs.
Built Environment
This category is all about reimagining our physical world. Whether you’re designing innovative architecture, dreaming up sustainable urban plans, crafting inspiring interior spaces, or rethinking public areas like parks, plazas, and campuses, show us how thoughtful design can make our environments more functional, beautiful for all. Sketches, models, renderings, and concepts are all welcome!
Flúirse, a Mental Health and Wellness Centre
Amy Byrne
Technological University Dublin
View full project on AwardForce
Rooted in Universal Design principles, Flúirse creates a serene, inclusive, and supportive environment through features like adaptable therapy rooms, a sensory garden, tactile signage, and wheelchair-friendly access.
Products & Services
This category celebrates tangible products and innovative services that make everyday life better by meeting real user needs. Maybe it’s a tool, packaging or wearable. Maybe it's a service that reimagines how people connect, shop, travel, or care for themselves and others. From physical prototypes to service blueprints, if it’s something people can use or experience, we’re excited to see it!
AMY
Leah Shanahan
University of Limerick
View full project on AwardForce
AMY is a pregnancy test designed to be accessible to all through a three-senses approach, touch, sight, and sound. Currently, most pregnancy tests rely on faint visual cues, forcing users with vision impairments to depend on others to interpret results. AMY, designed in collaboration with blind and visually impaired women, empowers users to access this deeply personal moment independently.
Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Award
Finalists of the UD Student Awards are eligible for an additional Commercialisation Award in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland.
This award provides a commercial case feasibility grant of up to €15,000 which can be used to engage an independent industry expert consultant to conduct a market opportunity assessment and/or to explore potential routes to commercialisation of a project. Further terms and details will be shared with finalists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once application close, an esteemed panel of international UD experts review the projects over the summer months. They choose 3 finalists in each of our 3 categories and these finalists are invited to present their projects at our UD Student Awards event which will take place in the University of Galway on 03 November 2026. Keep an eye on your emails in August/September!
Educators are the real driving force behind Universal Design in Irish Education. Each project must be sponsored by a tutor or supervisor from a third-level educational institute in Ireland and they are of course invited to attend the UD Student Award event.