2025 Shaping Australia Awards

Participate. Celebrate.
Shape Australia's future.

Vote for your favourite initiatives today

2025 People's Choice voting now open

Australia’s universities are extraordinary places full of extraordinary people who help transform lives and our nation for the better.
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From groundbreaking research and innovation to developing the skilled workforce of the future, our universities are driving impact in the communities they serve.

The Shaping Australia Awards celebrate this remarkable work. This year’s 15 outstanding finalists showcase how universities are solving real-world problems and creating a more sustainable and inclusive Australia

Be a part of this year’s program — vote for your favourite initiative across the following categories:

The Problem Solver Award

Recognises groundbreaking research work that has already transformed, or holds the potential to transform, the lives of Australians for the better.

The Future Builder Award

Celebrates an individual or a team who has gone above and beyond to equip their students with the knowledge and skills to make a positive impact in the world.

The Community Champion Award

Honours an individual, team or university with deep ties to its community and the people who call it home, beyond just those who attend the institution.

Key dates

People's choice voting closing in:

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Days

00

Hours

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Minutes

1

Entries open

04 June 2025

2

Entries close

5 September 2025

3

People’s choice voting opens

22 October 2025

4

People’s choice voting closes

19 January 2026

5

Winners announced

25 February 2026

Meet our 2025 finalists

CDU free tax clinic: building financial inclusion in the Northern Territory

Charles Darwin University

Community first - centring Autistic voices at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre

La Trobe University

Activism for Academic Freedom: students taking a stand for global scholars

Monash University

Affiliated Schools Program: redefining teacher education through partnership

University of Canberra

ACEMID: revolutionising early detection and the fight against melanoma

The University of Queensland

Black Soldier Fly farming: turning waste into wealth

Southern Cross University

Coffee-infused concrete breaks

"Receiving the Shaping Australia Award has significantly elevated our project's visibility, resulting in partnership inquiries from local and international companies across the construction sector, waste recycling industry, and businesses recycling solutions for their organic waste streams.The prestigious recognition has legitimized our coffee biochar concrete innovation, opening doors to funding opportunities and accelerating our pathway to commercial implementation."

Dr Rajeev Roychand, RMIT University

Problem Solver - People's choice winner

Saving our cereals

"We received some amazing media coverage, the partnership with the Australian newspaper was fantastic in spreading the word, which led to me doing a live prime time radio interview on ABC 702. That interview in turn resulted in me being contacted by quite a few people who wanted to know more about the work we do."

Professor Robert Park, The University of Sydney

Problem Solver winner

Delivering the future of our space sector

"I was genuinely honoured that our team’s work was recognised through the Shaping Australia Awards. National awards like this matter—they shine a light on the complex, often quiet work of capability-building that underpins our national resilience. Being recognised by respected leaders across the sector has raised the visibility of GEMBA and reinforced the value of the global collaboration it represents. Whether it’s through our partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Exeter, major defence primes or government agencies across AUKUS nations, this program is a shared effort—and the award has helped highlight just how important that shared effort is."

Professor Lan Snell, The University of South Australia

Future Builder - People's choice winner

Meet the judges

Ms Lisa Paul AO PSM – Chair of the judging panel

Former Secretary of the Department of Education

Annabelle Williams OAM

Paralympic Gold Medallist

Charlene Davison

CEO, GO Foundation

Professor Brian Schmidt AC FAA FTSE FRS

2011 Nobel Prize Laureate Physics

General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK AC (Mil) CVO MC (Retd)

Former Governor-General of Australia

Ms Michelle Gunn

Editor in Chief, The Australian

Mr Nicholas Moore AO

Special Envoy for Southeast Asia

2023 Shaping Australia Awards is now closed.
We will open later this year for 2024. Stay tuned.