Terms and conditions

The closing date for the 2025 award is 31 August 2025.

The Annual IHBC Gus Astley Student Award is presented in memory of Gus Astley, former Membership Secretary of the IHBC, and supported by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and the Gus Astley Memorial Fund. See https://gasa.ihbc.org.uk

  1. Submissions are valid only when made through the dedicated IHBC web site. Essential Details required to validate submissions are:
    • Student’s name (or ‘lead student’ in group submission) 
    • Student’s email (including home email address) • Course (& year)
    • College/University
    • Tutor’s name
    • Tutor’s email
    • Full Title of Dissertation
    • Other information, e.g. existing qualifications
    See 'Submitting files'
  2. The award is presented for an outstanding item of taught-coursework accepted as part of either under-graduate or post-graduate courses ending in the academic years either to 31 July 2024 OR 31 July 2025. The subject should relate to one or more aspects of ‘Built or Historic Environment Conservation’ including, in terms of the IHBC’s membership criteria, our Areas of Competence, its evaluation (eg history, research or surveying), management (eg policy, finance, planning or operations such as site management), and/or intervention (eg design, technology or architecture). The IHBC’s Membership Standards and Guidelines for Applicants provides further information on our conservation models and the related membership criteria Link.
  3. Each submission must include the information identified in the on-line submission process, including details of the relevant course and contacts for the course tutor. If the submission is selected, the tutor will be asked to validate the submission as coursework. An award cannot be made for a submission that cannot be properly validated by a tutor or their representative. Failure to include relevant information, including a working email address for student and/or tutor, may invalidate a submission.
  4. The award is open to all students, individually or, with a named ‘lead student’, in groups, who have engaged in under-graduate or post-graduate taught courses in the United Kingdom during the relevant period. Where group submissions are involved, candidates may participate in more than one submission for the same award year, but only up to two submissions per student or ‘lead student’ is allowed in any one award year.
  5. The sum allocated for the award is not increased for group submissions. Awards will be made to groups only if all named students confirm their agreement for its distribution, or appropriate authorisation is granted by the tutor. The lead student in a group is responsible for addressing the terms of group awards.
  6. Submissions can only be made ‘via the online form' Submissions are deemed to be received by the IHBC only if they are logged as received before the end of the closing date for the relevant year. Enquiries only to: studentaward@ihbc.org.uk. Submission to any other email address without written authorisation will invalidate the submission.
  7. The closing date for the 2025 award is 31 August 2025.
  8. Any format for original coursework may be considered for the award (including drawings, papers, presentations, videos etc) provided the IHBC can receive a digital record of it through the on-line submission process AND the course tutor can validate it as representing genuine coursework. Where non-digital coursework is presented in digital form - such as a recording of a presentation - the submission should be as close as possible to the original presentation.
  9. The IHBC may create shortlists of candidates for final assessment.
  10. The IHBC reserves the right to make no award or additional awards
  11. A condition of entry is that the applicant agrees to the publication of their name, course, submission title and educational body. The IHBC reserves the right to encourage candidates to publicise their works (including through the IHBC); to refer to any submission by title or summary as part of its promotion of the award, and to use the submissions as an indicator of current trends in conservation, in line with our charitable objectives. Copyright of submissions will remain with the originator(s).
  12. The decision of the judge(s) and/or panels is final.
  13. The winner(s) of the award will be announced in Context, the journal of the IHBC, on the IHBC’s ‘NewsBlog’ news information alert service (subscribe HERE) and at the IHBC’s Annual School. Applicants may be offered the opportunity to speak to their work, or related material, at linked events following the announcement of the results. Limited travel bursaries are available for low waged. See the IHBC website & below for details.
  14. Students applying for the award are not required to be members of the IHBC. However interested students are encouraged to join the IHBC, typically as Supporter Members and at reduced rates where this applies. See more on joining the IHBC HERE. . The IHBC also has enhanced its financial support for fees paid by students in need, in particular those keen to develop skills as volunteers. Reductions on full fees of 75%, and on occasion up to 100%, are available. For details see link.
  15. For queries, school bursary information and further details, contact the IHBC’s Membership Services Officer at membershipservices@ihbc.org.uk or see the website HERE  
IHBC NATIONAL OFFICE September 2021