Nominations Open: 2026 Engagement Institute Fellows

Nominations Open for 2026 Engagement Institute Fellows

The Engagement Institute is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 Fellow (FEI) category as part of our Professional Recognition Program.

Fellowship recognises long-standing members who have demonstrated distinguished service to both the Engagement Institute and the stakeholder and community engagement profession. It celebrates individuals whose leadership, expertise and commitment have helped strengthen engagement practice and advance the profession over many years.

Admission as a Fellow is by nomination to the Board of Directors. Members may nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague by completing the online application process.

To be eligible, nominees must:

A person may be nominated for the Fellow category if the following criteria are satisfied:

• The person must be a current financial member of the Engagement Institute and to have been a member for at least the last three (3) consecutive years.
• The person is of good standing and professionalism as expected by the Engagement Institute (the Standards).
• The person has made a personal and professional contribution which demonstrates they have the required skills, knowledge and experience.
• The person has been eminent in the field of engagement / P2 and has provided distinguished service to the Engagement Institute, and the stakeholder and community engagement profession.

You may also find the terms and conditions here.

The CPD requirement does not apply as a prerequisite for eligibility to admission into, or for membership renewal of the class of Fellow.

Nomination Process

Admission as a Fellow is by nomination to the Board of Directors only. Persons may self-nominate or be nominated by someone else by completing the online application form by the due date.

Each nomination must be accompanied by documentation which:

• outlines relevant current and previous professional positions held by the nominee
• explicitly addresses each of the four eligibility criteria
• includes references / testimonials from at least three individuals who meet the following criteria:
• are current financial members of the Engagement Institute (any membership category except student)
• have held continuous membership for a minimum of five (5) years
• have held or currently hold a senior-level role within the stakeholder and community engagement profession (e.g. director, principal, senior advisor, practice lead)
• can speak directly to the applicant’s leadership in the engagement field and their demonstrated service to the Engagement Institute (formerly IAP2 Australasia), and the stakeholder and community engagement profession.
• completed nominations must be received by the due date. Nominations for the 2026 Fellows will close on Sunday 13 September 2026.

Submissions should be completed online here.

Selection panel

An Assessment Panel, appointed by the Board shall review applications for Fellow to the required Standards, and provide a recommendation to the Board for approval.

The Assessment Panel may elect to undertake interviews with candidates or to seek further information from those nominating the person.

An Assessment Panel, appointed by the Board shall review recommendations for automatic entry to Fellow, and provide a recommendation to the Board for approval.

Key dates

• Nominations open: Monday, 20 July 2026
• Nominations close: Sunday, 13 September 2026 (11.59pm AEST)
• Fellows announced: Thursday, 29 October 2026 at the Engagement Institute Annual Conference.

Recognising the leaders who have shaped our profession is an important part of building a strong and connected engagement community. If you know someone whose service and contribution deserves recognition, or if you believe your own experience meets the Fellowship criteria, we encourage you to submit a nomination.

Submissions should be completed online here.

For further information, please contact membership@engagementinstitute.org.au.