FAQ's - How to Submit
Who can Submit?
The Global Undergraduate Awards Programme accepts submissions from undergraduate students in the final or penultimate year of an undergraduate degree course, and those who have graduated in the last year.
An undergraduate student refers to an individual studying full-time for a bachelor’s degree, which is usually 3 or 4 years in duration.
Part-time Degrees
Individuals who are studying for an undergraduate degree on a part-time basis are eligible to submit, once they have completed two-thirds of the required coursework for their degree.
Honours Degrees
In countries with an optional honours year, such as Australia, your eligibility is determined by your expected graduation year.
If you are planning to complete a four-year degree, you are eligible to submit in your third or fourth year of study. If you are planning to undertake a three-year degree, you are eligible to submit in your second or third year of study.
Integrated Masters Bachelors Degrees
Entrants enrolled in integrated master’s/undergraduate master’s degrees may only submit coursework that was completed for the bachelor’s degree component of their degree. This generally means that work completed for the final year of the degree is classified as postgraduate coursework and therefore ineligible for submission.
If you have any queries relating to submitting work as a student enrolled in an integrated master’s/undergraduate master’s degree, please contact us.
Is there any cost to submit?
What is the prize?
I've registered, but now how do I submit?
Do I need to register again for every paper I want to submit?
No, you only need to register once. You may submit up to three different papers to any combination of categories with your account.
How many pieces of coursework can I submit?
You can submit up to three papers/projects.
What qualifies as an A grade or equivalent?
I am unsure of which category to submit to. Can you help?
Can you submit the same paper to two different categories?
Can I edit my coursework to incorporate feedback from my lecturer/supervisor before I submit it to GUA?
Can I submit work that I completed on a summer program?
I've registered but I selected the wrong category, what do I do?
I've forgotten my password, am I locked out of my form?
I'm the first year of an undergraduate degree course, can I submit?
Unfortunately, the GUA only accepts submissions from students in the final or penultimate year of an undergraduate degree course. So, if you are undertaking a three-year degree, only students in their second or third year of study can submit. If you are undertaking a four-year degree, only students in their third or fourth year of study are eligible to submit. You might consider becoming a Campus Ambassador in your first year though, encourage others and learn about the process before it’s your turn to enter. Plus our most active Campus Ambassador also wins a free ticket to the Summit! Find out about becoming a Campus Ambassador here.
I am a part-time student, can I still submit?
Can I submit a paper/project that is written in a language other than English?
The GUA only accepts submissions in English. However, we would encourage students who have completed work in a language other than English to translate essays into English and submit the translated paper/project. You are free to seek any guidance necessary during this translation process.
Can I submit a paper/project that I completed in a previous year?
What is an abstract?
How do I write an abstract
What is an Artists Statement for the Architecture and Design or Visual arts category?
Is there a maximum or minimum word count?
What does the word limit include?
The word limit includes the main body of your paper and the footnotes, if footnotes are included. It does not include the bibliography/reference page, list of contents or appendices.
Is there a specific style of referencing I need to use?
Can I include images/graphs in my paper?
Yes, you can include images and graphs. Any text accompanying the image, will be included in the word count. However, images/graphs that are included in the appendix will not be included in the word count. Please be mindful that if your images/graphs contain any identifying elements like the University name or an identifiable person this will breach the anonymity rule and should be removed for the judging process.
Does mentioning a city, area, lake, river etc. in my paper violate GUA's anonymity requirements?
My paper/research has been previously published, can I still submit?
No, you cannot submit work that has been published online or in print before the submission deadline.
Entrants are also advised that publishing their work while the Judging Process is underway (June-September) could breach the anonymity of their entry and result in disqualification.
My paper/research is part of a group project, can I still submit it?
The following categories will be accepting group work:
- Architecture & Design
- Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Computer Science
- Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Engineering
Life Sciences - Mass Communications
- Mathematics & Physics
- Medical Sciences
A piece of group work must meet the following criteria to be eligible to submit:
- A maximum of 5 contributing authors
- All contributing authors need to meet the eligibility requirements
- All contributing authors must consent to the work being submitted
- One contributing author is nominated by the group to submit the work and represent the group if their entry is awarded.
Group work IS ONLY accepted in THESE categories and are subject to the same submission criteria, word count and anonymity requirements as individual entries. Look over these options in more detail in the Category Selection page.
Why do I need to submit my CV/resume?
Does the CV/resume that I include with my submission need to be anonymous?
I will not have received the grade for my coursework before the deadline, can I still submit?
If necessary, you can submit to GUA with a ‘predicted grade.’ i.e. the grade you expect to receive based on your marker’s comments or past coursework. In some cases you may be requested to upload a transcript to prove your previous grades should you win. For this reason, it is an optional part of the submission process and should not be anonymised.
My paper wont upload, what could be the problem?
What is metadata and why should I remove it?
Metadata is information embedded in your PDF file that can include details like the author’s name, document creation date, and editing history. Removing metadata is crucial because it can reveal your identity, which could compromise the anonymity of your submission. Ensuring your entry is anonymous allows the judging process to be completely impartial.
How do I remove metadata from my submission?
Removing metadata from your PDF is a simple process. We recommend this simple free online tool. You can also use PDF editing software like Adobe Acrobat if you have access to that. Always double-check that all identifying information is removed before submitting by viewing your document’s information.
Is removing metadata really necessary for submission?
Yes, in recent inetrations of our judging process this has become more of an issue and judges have advised in many categories that this is now an integral part of undergraduate study. Therefore, removing metadata is a critical part of meeting the anonymity requirements for your submission as judges are looking at this as part of the review process. So failing to do so could result in your entry being disqualified, as anonymity is a key element in ensuring a fair judging process. Make sure to remove all metadata before submitting your PDF to maintain the integrity of the competition.
Do you have any other queries?
For queries pertaining to your submission process or the awards programme that can’t be answered with our FAQ’s or our online assistant (floating to your right on this page), contact us directly
