FDS Undergraduate Award

The FDS Undergraduate Award recognises the initiative, contribution and hard work of undergraduate students to the dental profession. The award is intended to celebrate students who have been involved in a project and made an exceptional contribution, developed an outstanding initiative or gone the extra mile. Applicants should demonstrate excellence and endeavour beyond the requirements of the curriculum.

The Undergraduate Award was created in line with our strategy to develop the confidence, skills and knowledge of our members at all career stages and to continue to embrace diversity and inspire professionals of the future.

Applications for the 2025 FDS Undergraduate Award are now closed.  We will re-open the competition in the Autumn, inviting applications to apply for the 2026 awards. 

Who can apply?

All United Kingdom dental undergraduate students at the time of application can apply, including those on foundation or intercalation years. No group applications will be considered. Applicants do not need to be a member or affiliate of FDS to apply for this award.

Award value

A regional finalist will be identified from each of the 16 dental schools. The 16 finalists will have the opportunity to produce a short video presenting their work, which will be published across our social media channels. All finalists will be issued a formal certificate.

The overall winner of the FDS Undergraduate Award will receive a prize of £400 and a medal.

Stage 1 (application form)

Students wishing to apply should complete the online application form including:

• A supporting statement describing your project (200 words maximum).
• A supporting statement of how you feel this project meets the criteria for this award (100 words maximum).
• A name and email of a member of staff who has agreed to support your application.

If you have any queries, please contact the fellowships and awards team: f&awards@rcseng.ac.uk

Stage 2 (for information only)

The top-scoring application for stage 1 at each dental school will be asked to prepare a 90 second video about their project, suitable for dissemination on social media.

The video will be assessed for demonstrating initiative, originality, presentation skills and patient or professional impact.  

Stage 2 Deadline will be Monday 15 September 2025.

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Meet our 2025 FDS Undergraduate Prize Award winner

Sana Thagia

“I'm a fifth year dental student at the University of Manchester and have always been passionate about widening participation and making dentistry more accessible. When I learned that Dental Cold Spots frequently mirror wider inequalities in accessing dental education, where some young people rarely get the chance to imagine a career in dentistry, I wanted to help change that.

With funding from NHS England and support from the Dental Schools Council, I collaborated with the Head of Dental Admissions to co-develop an online Summer School. My aim was to create a hands-on experience of dentistry in a virtual format that overcame financial and geographic barriers, providing activities, student-led sessions, and insights into the field of dentistry. I was instrumental in all elements of project design and delivery, notably securing sponsorship from dental brands and hand-packing Welcome Packs. One of my favourite parts was designing an indirect-vision mirror exercise, which quickly became a highlight.

Seeing participants grow in confidence and successfully secure a place at dental school has been immensely rewarding. I'm honoured to receive this recognition from the Faculty of Dental Surgery and deeply grateful for their support in championing widening participation and promoting equity and opportunity within dental education.”

 2025 FDS Undergraduate Award runners up and finalists

Congratulations to our 2024 runners-up and all finalists from UK dental schools. Hear more about their initiatives.