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Each section of the Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award application focuses on essential dimensions of inclusive excellence and belonging and each plays a vital role in an institution's growth, evolution and impact.
This award honors colleges and universities where inclusive excellence and belonging is woven into an institution’s vision, actions, and impact. They use creative and transformative initiatives to reshape teaching, learning, research and administrative processes to better meet the evolving needs of students, employees, and society in our rapidly changing global landscape.
Recipients of the 2026 HEED Award are shaping the future of higher education. Their efforts lead to measurable results and serve as national exemplars for what’s possible when bold ideas meet a defined and continuous commitment to their own campus, community, and society as a whole.
Why Institutions Should Apply
The HEED Award goes beyond just celebrating new ideas. This recognition signals to campus constituents, communities, peer institutions, policymakers, and partners that you are a forward-thinking leader and recognize the needs of today's global workforce. It reflects a campus designed not just to keep pace, but improves how learning and community are experienced.
Receiving a national award for higher education inclusive excellence and belonging:
- Elevates your national profile among your peer institutions as a leader and a forward-thinker
- Attracts the best and brightest students to your campus
- Attracts top talent to fill faculty and staff positions
- Strengthens funding and philanthropic opportunities through donations, grants, and alumni outreach
- Positions your institution as a role model for other higher education leaders
This award honors campuses that don’t simply react to change, but use creativity and a deep understanding of their community to shape it, building institutions that are resilient, relevant, and focused on uplifting the people they serve.ScoringEach application is reviewed by the Insight Into Academia HEED Award committee receives two scores--one is embedded in the application itself, the second is computed by committee members' input after a comprehensive review. Each institution that meets a minimum total score as set forth by the committee will be named a 2026 Insight Into Academia HEED Award recipient. Winners that exceed a higher minimum score will have the opportunity to be recognized as a HEED Award Champion.The award committee evaluates each institution within the context of its own mission, resources, and opportunities. We understand that every institution is different, may have limited resources, the same level of research activity, or the ability to take on costly initiatives—and that’s why our process centers on context. Rather than comparing institutions to one another, we focus on how each school uses the tools it has to create meaningful, forward-thinking change. Inclusive excellence and belonging isn’t about scale—it’s about impact, intentionality, and continued progress on your campus.
Who Can Apply
- ONLY not for profit U.S. accredited institutions of higher education may apply for the award. No individual schools or colleges may apply (i.e. the College of Business, the College of Education), only the institution as a whole. No system administrative offices can apply, only their individual member colleges and universities.
- We offer you the opportunity to submit additional information on every question via a "comment box". We highly recommend using these boxes to offer any additional details of programs or efforts, clarifications, explanations, descriptions, or insight that you feel will be helpful in our review. DO NOT include website links in your application.
- IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT A SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION FOR COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY BEFORE SUBMITTING, and that you save/print a copy of your application for your records.
- The deadline to submit your Insight Into Academia 2026 HEED Award application is June 11, midnight EST.
This application is comprehensive, covers many areas of campus organization and structure, and may necessitate reaching out to other offices for assistance in completing some of the sections (the instructions for how to email to colleagues are on the next page). Once you begin an application, you can save and return to it at any time beginning on the second page. Simply enter your email address in the box at the bottom of the page and you will receive a link that will return you to your partially completed application when you wish to continue.What Each Winner Receives
Each award winner will receive a free press release template announcing this national recognition. Each will be included in the list of winners in the special HEED Award section of the October 2026 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine. We will also feature selected programs to highlight. If you have any questions about the HEED Award or this application, contact Lenore Pearlstein at lenore@insightintoacademia.com. Any reproduction of this instrument is strictly prohibited without the written consent of Potomac Publishing, Inc.
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