Winners archive
The names of the Prize-winners are listed as they were at the time of recognition. Some name changes may have occurred since.
Medicine and Health, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Prifysgol Aberystwyth University
Protecting people, animals and economies from harmful parasitic worms
The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
University of the Arts London
Shaping the fashion industry of the future
Medicine and Health, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Bangor University
Wastewater-based monitoring: a holistic approach
Engineering and Technology, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
University of Birmingham
Supporting sustainable UK manufacturing of aero-engines
Education and Training, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Bridgwater & Taunton College
Nursing home-grown talent
Education and Training, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
City College Plymouth
Leading the way for the UK on marine and maritime skills
Education and Training, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
City of Glasgow College
Saving seafarers’ lives by tackling oxygen depletion in enclosed spaces
Education and Training, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
University of Glasgow
Editing and curating Robert Burns for the 21st century
Education and Training, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Hopwood Hall College & University Centre
Widening participation of 16-18 year olds in education
Medicine and Health, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
The Institute of Cancer Research, London
Transforming lives through world-leading breast cancer research
Education and Training, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Lakes College West Cumbria
Developing highly skilled technicians for nuclear and low carbon energy
Engineering and Technology, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
University of Lincoln
Innovation in agri-food technology
Science and Mathematics, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
University of Liverpool
Pioneering chemistry research for the benefit of society
Medicine and Health, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Tiny Targets: vector control for the elimination of sleeping sickness
Education and Training, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Loughborough College
World-class space engineering programme
Environment and Conservation, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Newcastle University
Research programme of global excellence in water security
Education and Training, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
The Open University
Online distance-learning at scale
Engineering and Technology, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
University of Oxford
Innovation in autonomous robotics
Education and Training, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Plumpton College
Growth and sustainability of skills for the UK wine industry
Medicine and Health, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Scotland's Rural College (SRUC)
Improving animal health and welfare through excellence in veterinary services
Engineering and Technology, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
University of Strathclyde
Excellence, innovation and entrepreneurship in photonics
Science and Mathematics, Round 15 Prize-winner, 2023
Swansea University / Prifysgol Abertawe
Harnessing public data to improve population health and wellbeing
Environment And Conservation, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
University of Aberdeen
Innovations in soil science to combat climate crisis
Medicine And Health, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
Anglia Ruskin University
Harnessing the power of music to help people living with dementia
Humanities, Social Sciences And Law, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
University of Bradford
Building the future by rebuilding the past
The Arts And Creative Industries, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
Chichester College Group
A leader in craft skills for furniture-making and upholstery
Engineering And Technology, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
Exeter College
National impact in digital educational technology
Medicine And Health, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
University of Glasgow
International research centre accelerating virology capability
Engineering And Technology, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
Grimsby Institute (The TEC Partnership)
Transforming lives through digital skills training
Engineering And Technology, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
Heriot-Watt University
Pioneering photonics with global impact
Engineering And Technology, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
University of Huddersfield
Cutting-edge manufacturing providing smart solutions
Medicine And Health, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
Imperial College London
Critical modelling and research in the face of the global COVID pandemic
Environment And Conservation, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
University of Leeds
Equipping communities against climate challenges
Medicine And Health, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Empowering alumni to save lives
Environment And Conservation, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
The London School of Economics and Political Science
Providing a multi-disciplinary response to climate change
Education And Training, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
The Manchester College
A mission to support social mobility
The Arts And Creative Industries, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
Nottingham Trent University
Advancing cultural heritage science
Medicine And Health, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
University of Oxford
Life-saving rapid response to COVID-19
Environment And Conservation, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
University of Reading
Connecting communities with climate change
Environment And Conservation, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
South West College
Leading the way in the green economy
Engineering And Technology, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
University of Strathclyde
Driving innovation and job creation in advanced manufacturing
Environment And Conservation, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
Swansea University
Revolutionising applications for renewable energy
Engineering And Technology, Round 14 Prize-winner, 2021
Warwickshire College
Bridging skill gaps in industry
Engineering and Technology, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
Belfast Metropolitan College
Driving economic growth through excellent digital IT provisions
Education & Training, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
MidKent College
A model programme for customer service
The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
Birmingham City University
A shining example for the jewellery industry
Engineering and Technology, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
Coventry University
A road map to the future for automotive industry graduates
Engineering and Technology, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
Cranfield University
Experiential learning flies to new heights
Education and Training, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
Dudley College of Technology
Advanced vocational education sparks a bright future
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
Heriot-Watt University
Homing in on homelessness
Medicine and Health, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
King's College London
AI-enabled healthcare provides early patient diagnoses
Engineering and Technology, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
London South East Colleges (LSEC)
Cementing talent in the housing sector
The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
Manchester Metropolitan University
The power of poetry in embracing cultural diversity
Education and Training, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
Queen's University Belfast
Shared education nurtures community relations
Environment and Conservation, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
The University of Kent
Protecting the planet’s natural diversity
Science and Mathematics, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
The University of Manchester
Supporting the UK’s leading position in biotechnology and biomanufacturing
Environment and Conservation, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
The University of Plymouth
World-leading micro-plastics discovery work
Medicine and Health, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
The University of Sheffield
Tackling neuro-degenerative diseases
Engineering and Technology, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
The University of Strathclyde
Pushing the boundaries for clean power
Engineering and Technology, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
Tyne Coast College
Digital modelling to improve port access and shipping management
Environment and Conservation, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
University of Exeter
Combatting the effects of marine plastic pollution
Environment and Conservation, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
University of Greenwich
Keeping pests and disease at bay
Engineering and Technology, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
University of Huddersfield
Keeping the UK on the rails
International Engagement, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
University of Oxford
A unique framework for tackling global poverty
Environment and Conservation, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
University of Stirling
Leading aquaculture work for sustainable food production
Science and Mathematics, Round 13 Prize-winner, 2019
University of York
Putting proteins at the forefront of industrial biotechnology and new drug approaches
The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
The Arts University College at Bournemouth
Distinguished degree-level costume design
Environment and Conservation, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
Cranfield University
Management of large-scale soil and environmental data
Medicine and Health, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
Cardiff University
Treating vision problems for children with Down’s syndrome
Engineering & Technology, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
Harper Adams University
Innovative agricultural engineering
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
London School of Economics and Political Science
Building future cities
Medicine And Health, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Responding to the Ebola crisis
The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
National Film and Television School
Nurturing big and small screen success
Engineering and Technology, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
Newcastle College
Supporting the development of transport infrastructure in the North of England
Environment and Conservation, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
Scotland’s Rural University College
Managing the environmental impact of dairy cattle
Medicine And Health, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
The Institute of Cancer Research
Pre-eminent work in cancer research
Medicine And Health, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
The University of Edinburgh
Improving women’s health
Medicine and Health, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
University of Aberdeen
Improving practice and delivery of health care
Engineering & Technology, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
University of Birmingham
Advancing the UK rail industry
Medicine And Health, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
University of Durham
Influential research on parent/infant sleep
Environment and Conservation, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
University of East Anglia
Advancing understanding and protection of the environment
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
University of Essex
Improving lives with authoritative social and economic research
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
University of Glasgow
The Historical Thesaurus of English
Medicine and Health, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
University of Liverpool
Vital work on HIV drug therapies
Engineering & Technology, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
University of Southampton
Photonics to drive a faster internet
Medicine And Health, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
University of Surrey
Informing public policy on dietary related issues
Education & Training, Round 12 Prize-winner, 2017
Weston College
Employment and education opportunities for those with special needs and disabilities
Education & Training, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Abingdon & Witney College
Courses for horses
Engineering and Technology, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Blackpool and The Fylde College
Partnerships for engineering
Engineering and Technology, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Bridgwater College
Energy Skills Centre at the heart of local business training
Medicine And Health, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Improving production of prosthetics and implants
The University took a pioneering role in developing 3D digital scanning and printing for maxillofacial reconstructive surgery, enabling faster production of custom-made prosthetics and implants, reducing invasive procedures and treatment times and bringing direct benefit to over two thousand patients.
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Medicine and Health, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Cardiff University
Discoveries in schizophrenia, autism, ADHD and Alzheimer’s
The University’s Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics is an international centre of excellence for research into the genetic basis of mental disorders, making landmark discoveries about the risk of schizophrenia from cannabis use and genetic links to autism, ADHD and Alzheimer’s.
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International Engagement, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Cranfield University
Bringing water and sanitation to the poorest parts of the world
The University has pioneered applied research in water and sanitation, making a sustained and important contribution over twenty five years to improving the quality of life for large numbers of people in some of the poorest parts of the world and training a substantial cohort of professionals in many countries.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Edinburgh Napier University
New standards in timber construction
Engineering & Technology, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Heriot-Watt University
Experimental science aiding the oil and gas sector
The University’s Institute of Petroleum Engineering has played a lead role in innovation in the UK oil and gas sector for forty years, through experimental science and computer software applied widely in the industry to improve production, increase gas recovery and reduce contaminants.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Lancaster University
Furthering understanding of language
The University has a high reputation for excellence and innovation in the computer-based analysis of language, English and other major languages, and has developed that work in new directions such as speech recognition and analysis of emotional states and attitudes in social media.
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Science and Mathematics, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Nottingham Trent University
Research and technology development to improve public security
The University has a leading reputation for research in public safety and security, initially in food and more recently for innovative 3D x-ray imaging technology that has been patented and adopted commercially in aviation security and counter-terrorism applications around the world.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Queen's University Belfast
Creating jobs whilst protecting citizens and businesses from technology viruses and more
The University’s Centre for Secure Information Technologies is home to the UK’s largest cyber-security research cluster, creating nearly 1,000 new jobs through spin-out activity and ground-breaking work in lip biometrics, anti-counterfeit and anti-virus technology to protect citizens and businesses.
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Medicine And Health, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
The University of Edinburgh
Advances in diagnosing coronary heart disease
The University’s Centre for Cardiovascular Science has established an international reputation for excellence in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease, playing a major role in the reduction in death rates through innovative treatments and guidelines and saving very many lives.
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Medicine and Health, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
University of Bradford
Improving national care for Dementia patients
The University’s School of Dementia Studies has taken a pioneering role in developing personalised care in dementia, setting national standards that are transforming care practice, providing training on dementia for NHS staff and working with care staff across four continents to improve services.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
University of Bristol
Research into the risks of volcanic activity to aviation
The University’s Volcanology Research Group has achieved international recognition for its outstanding research into the risks posed by volcanoes to aviation, developing an innovative computer model for predicting ash plume movement and helping to make airspace safer for the public.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
UCL Institute of Education
An international reputation for policy and practice of education and applied work in social science
The Institute has built up, over one hundred years of work, a leading international reputation in the policy and practice of education and applied work in social science, through innovative cohort studies, exploitation of new technology and the largest UK provision of postgraduate teacher education.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
University of Greenwich
Improving natural resources capacity in Africa
The University’s Natural Resources Institute has achieved significant impact over a number of years in Africa combating virus diseases and other problems affecting the production and marketing of the important staple crop cassava, strengthening local capacity and training key staff in the field.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
University of Huddersfield
Making an impact in the international music industry
The University has built a world leading reputation for the promotion, production and presentation of contemporary music, creating state-of-the-art facilities, running two highly regarded international festivals and applying innovative research on acoustics and audio technology in industrial contexts.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
University of Hull
Outstanding research into the history of slavery
The University’s Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation has won global recognition for its applied research into slavery in all its forms and for bringing the lessons of the past, through its ground-breaking Global Slavery Index, to the combating of modern slavery.
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Medicine And Health, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
University of Oxford
Innovations in biomedical engineering
The University’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering has brought engineering and medical researchers together to enable a wide range of innovations including self-management of diabetes, organ preservation and software for cancer diagnosis, with commercial spin-out and major health benefits.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
University of Warwick
Applied mathematics helping solve contemporary societal issues
The University has built a world-wide reputation for outstanding excellence in applied mathematical sciences and statistics, helping the analysis and understanding of major problems in energy, epidemiology, risk and financial services and underpinning a wide spectrum of human activity.
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Education & Training, Round 11 Prize-winner, 2015
Westminster Kingsway College
Collaboration and innovation in the culinary arts
Environment and Conservation, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
Cardiff University
Geoenvironmental solutions to major challenges of land, groundwater quality and regeneration
Cardiff University’s Geoenvironmental Research Centre has pioneered the field of geoenvironmental engineering, solving critical global problems relating to high level nuclear waste disposal, groundwater contamination, land regeneration and energy conservation.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
Coleg Cambria
Centre of excellence for aerospace training
Education & Training, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
Cornwall College
Vocational training for land-based industries empowering and developing the local rural economy
Engineering & Technology, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
Loughborough University
Research and skills development in High Value Manufacturing creating new products, processes and economic growth
Loughborough University’s exceptional research, teaching and partnerships with industry help drive the development of High Value Manufacturing across many sectors, creating new processes and products, and increasing competitiveness and economic growth.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
MidKent College
Engineering and construction training for the Army producing a major contribution to the local economy
A major contract to provide engineering and construction skills for the Army Engineers has strengthened the College’s position as a provider of vocational training and revitalised historic skills in the local economy.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
Northumbria University
The Student Law Office: a distinctive contribution to legal education providing access to justice in the local community
The University’s Student Law Office promotes learning through service to others. Students secure access to justice for individuals and community groups and through this develop a deep understanding of the law, ethics and professionalism.
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Education & Training, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
Teesside University
Growing digital business start-ups by graduates and creating entrepreneurship and opportunity in the local economy
‘DigitalCity’ at Teesside University is an ambitious partnership-based regeneration initiative with a record including the recent creation of 143 new businesses, 389 new jobs and an estimated contribution of over £15m to the local economy. It provides talented graduates with finance, mentoring and access to high-end facilities to enable them to develop innovative ideas and start up in business.
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Medicine And Health, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
The University of Edinburgh
Extending professional and academic skills in surgery through international online training at Masters level
Since their launch six years ago, The University of Edinburgh’s distance learning masters programmes have re-shaped postgraduate surgical education by combining the professional and academic development of surgical trainees worldwide.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
The University of Kent
Improving the quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
The University’s Tizard Centre has made an outstanding contribution to improving the lives of people with disabilities and their families through its research, teaching and consultancy work, both in the UK and in countries ranging from Australia to Romania.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
The University of Manchester
Pioneering imaging techniques for advanced materials and manufacturing
The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
University of the Arts London
Industrial and product design contributing to the strength of the creative economy
Since 1938 product and industrial designers who have graduated from the University's Central Saint Martins have made major contributions to industry, commerce and the profession of design, both in the UK and internationally.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
University of Bedfordshire
Applied research on child sexual exploitation influencing new safeguarding policy and practice
The University of Bedfordshire's pioneering work to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation has led to its recognition as a form of child abuse and influenced UK safeguarding policy and practice.
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Medicine And Health, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
University of Bristol
Obstetrics and neonatal practice: saving babies’ lives around the world
The University of Bristol is at the forefront of research which is changing lives - an obstetrics emergency training programme (PROMPT), a revolutionary treatment for new borns who have suffered oxygen shortage at birth, and research which has meant a dramatic drop in global incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ('Cot Death').
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Medicine And Health, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
University College London
Creating the bioprocess engineering base for converting research into new medicines
Biochemical Engineering, pioneered at UCL, converts life science discoveries into vaccines, regenerative medicine cures and therapeutic drugs. The research and training has generated a new global industry. Successes include the processes for semi-synthetic penicillin production, the world's first anti-virals against influenza, and the vaccine for cervical cancer.
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Medicine And Health, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
University of Dundee
Research in human anatomy applied to forensic and victim identification worldwide
The University’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification is one of the world’s foremost institutions for the study and application of human anatomy, forensic human identification, disaster victim identification and forensic and medical art.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
University of Glasgow
Research on links between human activity and animal ecology, bringing international health benefits
The University’s Boyd Orr Centre is recognised for the scientific excellence and global impact of its work on infectious diseases to benefit the health and livelihoods of agricultural communities and wildlife conservation in the UK and in many developing countries.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
University of Leicester
Inter-connected research and expertise in history, heritage and archaeology, highlighted by the discovery of Richard III
The University of Leicester is recognised for its long record of exceptional research, commercial archaeology and public engagement in history and heritage, highlighted by the work of the team that discovered the remains of King Richard III beneath a car park.
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Medicine And Health, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
University of Oxford
Practical and cost-effective improvements in prevention of stroke
By research on more effective use of existing treatments, the University’s Stroke Prevention Research Unit has revolutionized prevention of stroke, improved management of hypertension and provided new insights into prevention and treatment of cancer.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
Newcastle University
Long-term research and new strategies for the rural and social economy
Newcastle University's internationally-recognised research on sustainable rural economies and societies, and the idea of an economy beyond agricultural development nurtured by dynamic rural communities, has influenced policy and practice around the world.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 10 Prize-winner, 2013
University of Stirling
Research into the impact of product marketing on children’s health which has widely influenced international policies
University of Stirling research has shown that children’s health must be protected from commercial marketing of alcohol, tobacco and junk food; helping national and international policy makers to respond accordingly.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
Bournemouth University
World-class computer animation teaching with wide scientific and creative applications
The University’s National Centre for Computer Animation is at the forefront of computer graphics and computer animation research and education and has a world-wide reputation for the innovative integration of art and design with mathematics and computer science. Its work has had an important influence on the film and games industries and in medical applications.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
Brunel University
Protecting the environment from hormone-disrupting chemicals and pollutants
The University’s Institute for the Environment has pioneered research into water-borne pollutants, human hormones and artificial chemicals found in waste-water, identifying risks to the natural environment and to human health. The work has influenced UK policy and practice to improve the condition of aquatic ecosystems.
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Education & Training, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
Coleg Llandrillo Cymru
An original and large-scale approach to high quality training in hospitality and catering
The College’s long established hospitality and catering programme is the largest training provision in this sector in Wales.Its innovative combination of master classes and apprenticeship placements make a substantial contribution to the hospitality industry in Wales through partnerships with many local businesses.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
Cranfield University
World-leading work in aviation safety through research and training in air accident investigation
The University is a world-leading provider of air accident investigation training and research and has made a major contribution to international aviation safety. It provides training for air accident investigators from a wide range of countries and has an ongoing influence on cabin design and safety procedure in both civil and military aviation as well as in land-based transport.
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Education & Training, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
Hackney Community College
Enabling people with mental health needs to gain education and employment skills
The College’s Mental Health Education and Employment Service has been notably successful in enabling students helped by local mental health services to make transitions to suitable educational provision. Its unique partnership with the local Mental Health Trust has led to improved student retention rates and employment prospects.
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Medicine And Health, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
Queen's University Belfast
Boosting cancer survival rates
International Engagement, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
South Nottingham College
Education, sports training and volunteering in the community, at home and overseas
The College has developed a unique, innovative sports-based leadership programme for students aimed at tackling major social challenges in deprived communities at home and abroad, notably in townships in South Africa. Student motivation, retention and attainment rates have improved significantly through involvement in this programme.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
The University of Manchester
Internationally renowned research and skills training for the nuclear industry
The University’s Dalton Nuclear Institute is a world class provider of education in nuclear science and has established the largest nuclear skills training capability in UK, covering nuclear fission, safety and decommissioning and research into applications vital for the industry.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
The University of Plymouth
Education and research solutions for the global marine sector
The University’s Marine Institute has a world wide reputation for marine education and research. Innovative technologies including computer simulation of wave power implications for navigation have contributed to better management of the coastal environment and the marine ecosystem in the UK and in many other countries.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of Bath
Influential applied research into child poverty, and support for vulnerable people
For over thirty years the University’s Department of Social and Policy Sciences has undertaken pioneering and original research in the field of family wellbeing including the first ever studies into the needs of lone mothers and children in poverty. This work has influenced national programmes seeking to alleviate poverty in the UK, as well as international activity.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of Birmingham
New technologies and leadership in formulation engineering in support of UK manufacturing
The University’s Centre for Formulation Engineering is a world leader in applied, innovative research which supports multinational industrial partners in the development and manufacture of high quality products with complex microscopic structures. These include foods, paints, detergents and pharmaceuticals.
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Medicine And Health, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University College London
Internationally-distinguished research and pioneering clinical therapy in eye disease
UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology is a world leader in eye and vision health and has an outstanding reputation for education and research. In partnership with Moorfields, it is at the cutting edge of translational research delivering new therapies, diagnostic tools and preventive measures to patients suffering from visual impairment or blindness conditions.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of East Anglia
Groundbreaking and inventive programmes in creative writing with wide international impact
The University’s Creative Writing programme is recognised internationally as a centre of excellence in the academic discipline and contemporary practice of literature. The programme has inspired and mentored many well-known international authors and developed ground breaking approaches to writing and to associated creative industries.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of Leeds
Innovative joint replacement and regenerative technologies to improve quality of life
The University’s Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering is a world leader in applied bioengineering research and especially in the development of innovative knee and hip technology and regenerative medical procedures. Over 100,000 people have directly benefited from improvements in quality of life resulting from this work.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of Nottingham
A comprehensive and multifaceted approach to global challenges of food security
The University’s School of Biosciences has a world class reputation in fundamental and applied research, working with commercial food suppliers and grain producers to develop solutions to challenges of global food security. The work has led to improvements in bio-fortification, increased crop yields and prevention of crop disease.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of Oxford
Wildlife and environmental conservation: WildCRU’s leading work in applied science and community action
The University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) was established to research and identify practical solutions to biodiversity and conservation problems arising in the natural environment. WildCRU has developed an unrivalled range of practical interventions and solutions, engaging extensively with local communities and influencing global ecological policies.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of Reading
Teaching and design applications in typography, through print and new technologies
The University’s Department of Typography and Graphic Communication has a record of excellence in print and graphic design and a world-wide reputation for teaching and research.It has influenced typographic design in publications and in international communication technology platforms, combining innovative new technologies with aesthetic heritage.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of St Andrews
Research and teaching to promote better governance of the oceans
The University’s Sea Mammal Research Unit is a world leader in applied research promoting best practice in the health and governance of the ocean environment. The Unit has developed monitoring mechanisms and practical solutions to track and conserve sea mammal populations and ecosystems.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of Southampton
Innovation and world-beating expertise in performance sports engineering
The University’s Performance Sports Engineering Laboratory has a unique international reputation for excellence in this field. Its world class research, ranging from structural dynamics to simulation technologies is highly regarded by high-performance sports bodies and competitors, with benefits for UK manufacturing and competitiveness.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of Surrey
Wide-ranging and global work improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation
The University’s Centre for Environmental and Health Engineering has an international reputation for the excellence of its education and applied research in improving access to clean water for drinking and sanitation. It has developed and introduced pioneering processes for water purification widely used in overseas contexts.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 9 Prize-winner, 2011
University of York
Leading-edge work in archaeology from prehistory to the modern age
The University’s Department of Archaeology has a global reputation in prehistoric and later historical archaeology, archaeological computing, bioarchaeology, architectural conservation, cultural heritage management and landscape research. It has contributed to major investigations through traditional archaeology and is an acknowledged leader in digital applications.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
Aberdeen College
Delivering skills in the oil and gas industry and supporting community integration
The College provides world-class, specialised training for the oil and gas industry, both on campus and overseas, using state-of-the-art equipment, facilities and simulations. In addition, by providing both English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and vocational courses to the community, it has helped many local, non-native speakers to pursue their education or find jobs. Its work has therefore helped export UK knowledge and skills in a critical sector and also promoted community integration.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
Aberystwyth University
Plant breeding and genetics for economic, environmental and educational benefit
The University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences is a world leader in plant breeding and genetics, successfully developing new varieties of grasses and crops that give farmers a greater yield while also reducing greenhouse gases. The Institute’s interdisciplinary approach and close industrial links enables students to combine practical and theoretical skills, thereby helping to produce the next generation of plant breeders and crop scientists in the UK.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
Cardiff University
Reducing violence in the local community
Education & Training, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
City College Norwich
A radical new approach in support of learners with Asperger Syndrome
Education and Training, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
City of Sunderland College
Delivering essential skills in maths and English to the community
Since 2004, the College has enjoyed huge success in bringing essential maths and English skills to adult learners in the City of Sunderland. A flexible course design, robust recording and follow-up, online testing and imaginative marketing and delivery has seen ‘Test the City’ attract almost 11,000 enrolments in maths or English, with a success rate of 96% – well above the national average. Its approach has now been replicated in more than 100 institutions across the UK.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
Edinburgh Napier University
Innovative housing construction for environmental benefit and quality of life
Working extensively with house builders and regulators, the University has pioneered new standards for sound insulation and established a non-profit organisation, Robust Details Ltd, to embed these standards throughout the construction industry. Around 100,000 new homes each year are now built using the University’s designs, bringing efficiency savings worth £40 million per year. The new standards also achieve significant improvements in noise reduction, improving residents’ quality of life and generating considerable interest abroad.
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Medicine And Health, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
Keele University
Pioneering early intervention and primary care in the management of chronic pain
Over the past decade, the University’s Primary Care Research Centre has worked closely with general practices, the public and user groups to become an international leader in the field of chronic pain primary care. It has pioneered new treatment techniques for chronic pain and osteoarthritis and helped develop national policy guidelines and practices for the treatment of back pain. In 2008, the Arthritis Research Campaign named Keele as its National Primary Care Centre.
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Medicine And Health, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
King's College London
International collaborations promoting excellence in mental health care
The distinctively person-centred approach to mental health care taken by the College’s Health Service and Population Research Group has produced more reliable assessments of individuals’ mental health needs. Its research has impacted mental health strategies for areas such as ante- and post-natal care, depression and schizophrenia in the UK and overseas. The Group’s extensive collaboration in more than 80 countries has led to interventions informed by local knowledge, as well as cost-effective new treatments.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
Lancaster University
Plant science applied to water shortage, crop yield and global food security
Tackling head on the global challenge of feeding seven billion people in an environmentally sustainable manner, the University’s Plant Sciences Group has leveraged the chemical signalling in plants to remarkable effect. Its innovative research has improved irrigation and optimised yield, saving water in the driest regions of the world. In turn, this has increased profitability for farmers and produced better conditions for local inhabitants, with important implications for fighting the effects of climate change.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
London School of Economics & Political Science
Applying research to the advancement of global health and social care policy
LSE is a world leader in research on health and social care challenges. Its innovative methods and multidisciplinary approach has included the policy implications of demographic change and comparative health systems analysis. Successfully bridging the gap between research and policy, its work for the NHS has improved national stroke services and developed new models for community care management, while its five postgraduate programmes are training future leaders in health and social care policy worldwide.
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Medicine And Health, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
Newcastle University
Research on ageing, with important implications for health and care
Life expectancy in the UK is increasing rapidly, giving enormous practical importance to the groundbreaking research of Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing and Health. By combining medicine, science and sociology, the Institute has pioneered research into the genetic and biological basis of ageing, while its work on dementia, nutrition and chromosome damage has contributed to ground-breaking national interventions, including the Face, Arm, Speech, Time (F.A.S.T) test for strokes.
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International Engagement, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
School of Oriental and African Studies
Specialised teaching of a wide range of African, Asian and Middle Eastern languages
The School is a pioneer of innovative research and teaching of African, Asian and Middle Eastern languages. Every year, it teaches around 4,000 students an unrivalled range of languages, including combinations of lesser known African and Asian languages that are not taught anywhere else in the West. The School provides languages training for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its work in Urdu and other UK community languages is contributing to social cohesion across the country.
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Education & Training, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
Thames Valley University
Pathways to skills, employment and higher education in the hospitality industry
The hospitality industry has long suffered from a reputation for poor training and dead-end jobs. Thames Valley University is changing this. With strong support from across the industry, it delivers a structured programme of training that offers young people a clear route to further study and meaningful employment. Its Junior Chefs Academy helps students from many different backgrounds to find work with leading employers, while its degree-level programmes prepare students for positions of responsibility and leadership throughout the industry.
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International Engagement, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
The Open University
A major contribution to primary teacher education in Africa through a large-scale open learning programme (TESSA)
Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) is a pioneering initiative to train primary teachers in 13 African countries. Spearheaded by The Open University, working alongside African academics, TESSA’s web-based learning environment offers open learning resources that can be freely adapted according to local needs. Around 210,000 teachers were working with TESSA materials in 2009; this is estimated to double over the next two years and TESSA’s approach has also been extended to the health sector.
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International Engagement, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
University of East Anglia
Alleviating poverty in developing countries through environmental sustainability
The interdisciplinary approach of the University’s School of International Development has produced pioneering research into the links between resources management, poverty alleviation and wider political economy. Alongside many other projects, it has had considerable success in tackling land and forest degradation and water conservation in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The University has also established a not-for-profit organisation to maximise the School’s practical contribution to global development in an age of climate change.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
University of Essex
Advancing the legal and broader practice of international human rights
Over 25 years, the university’s Human Rights Centre has built itself a pre-eminent reputation for interdisciplinary teaching that embraces not only human rights law but also philosophy, political theory and sociology. It has an outstanding record for innovative research, publication and practice and its faculty members often advise the United Nations, Amnesty and other international organisations. The Centre’s expertise has enhanced the UK’s international reputation, while its alumni continue to advance human rights around the world.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
University of Leeds
Forty years’ sustained excellence in teaching and applied research in transport
The University’s Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) is a world leader in transport teaching and research. It covers the full spectrum of passenger and freight traffic, as well as pricing, safety, policy and environmental impact. Its innovative software can predict and simulate driver behaviour; other tools examine passenger choice between different modes of transport. ITS graduates hold key positions in transport planning organisations worldwide, giving the Institute enormous influence on national and international transport policies.
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humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
University of Oxford
Museums, libraries and archives in support of research, learning and public education
The University’s museums, libraries and archives are an exceptional resource, accessed by more than two million people each year. Now resources from seven institutions – including the Ashmolean Museum, the Beazley Archive and the Bodleian Library – are being taken out to local schools, shopping centres and other public places. The programme provides imaginative educational programmes for researchers, learners, children and the general public, thereby breathing new life into education for people of all ages and enriching their lives.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
University of Reading
World-leading archaeology: making the past work for the present
By integrating humanities and science-based methodologies, Reading has achieved outstanding and sustained success in the research, teaching and practice of archaeology. This success is underpinned by its Silchester Field School, which pioneered the dissemination of excavation results in digital form. By giving all undergraduate students a strong grounding in field-based excavation techniques and practice, Silchester provides Reading with highly sought-after specialist expertise – used most notably to help law enforcement agencies with forensics and environmental reconstruction.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
University of Warwick
Long-term educational partnerships supporting UK competitiveness in manufacturing
In 1980, the Warwick Manufacturing Group was the first industry-focused, modular graduate education programme. It is now a global venture involving more than 500 UK companies and 24,000 students, whose work has generated more than £80 million for the University. Its work has helped companies to achieve significant efficiencies and its methodologies for assessing organisational capability have been widely adopted across the UK and in many countries overseas.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 8 Prize-winner, 2009
University of York
A long term contribution to UK social policies to improve the lives of vulnerable people
Through its groundbreaking research into poverty, ageing, disability, chronic ill-health and family problems, the University’s Social Policy Research Unit has had a major impact on social policy and practice around the world. Its work has directly led to improved support for disabled children’s families, young people leaving care, frail older people living at home, carers and vulnerable families and individuals. Acknowledged as a leader in its field, the Unit’s research methods have been widely adopted abroad.
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Medicine And Health, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Cardiff University
Transforming healthcare for families with inherited disorders
The University’s Institute of Medical Genetics has over many years played a leading and significant role in identifying the causes of inherited diseases and developing new diagnostic tests. These have been embedded in the National Health Service and are in use in many overseas healthcare systems. The Institute’s work has had a major impact on patient care and promoted wider public awareness of genetics in medicine.
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Science and Mathematics, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
City & Islington College
Creating pathways to employment and higher education in the sciences
Bucking a national trend of declining interest in science courses, the College has built on its long track record in fields such as optical dispensing and forensic science and established a thriving Centre for Applied Sciences. Staff at the Centre and the College’s sixth form facility, many of whom are recruited to the College from the relevant professions, work with employers to deliver courses that lead directly to careers in science-related fields and to increasing progression to higher education.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Coventry University
Educating tomorrow’s world leaders in automotive design
The University’s Department of Industrial Design has for many years produced graduates who have gone on to hold key positions in the world’s foremost automotive companies and create numerous ground-breaking design concepts. The undergraduate programme combines industrial and commercial experience with new models and techniques for computer aided spatial design. This outstanding work advances the UK’s position at the leading edge of the global auto industry.
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International Engagement, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Cranfield University
Building sustainable mine-clearing capabilities in affected countries
Through integrated training programmes, consultancies and in-country support the University has played an outstanding and unique role in developing sustainable national capacities in landmine clearing. Notably in Afghanistan and Sudan, and also in other affected countries, this work has developed effective local systems and directly contributed to reducing the trauma and danger to populations and restorating land to normal use.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
The Opera Programme: training exceptional young singers
In recent years opera has enjoyed a surge of support among the wider public. The graduate programme of the Guildhall School has produced a steady flow of world-class singers who have taken leading roles in opera houses around the world. Widely acclaimed public opera productions are a key part of the programme and involve a unique blend of opera performance and technical and stage skills contributed by students from across the whole School. The programme has attained world interest.
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Medicine And Health, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Imperial College London
Bringing healthcare to millions in Africa
Education & Training, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College
A strategy for high aspiration, personal achievement and social benefit
Most of the College’s students come from minority communities and a background of marked social and economic disadvantage. By creating a learning environment that nurtures high expectations, engages with parents and forms proactive external relationships with universities, the College has seen greatly increased progression by its students into higher education. The outstanding success of its graduates has in turn provided strong role models for future student intakes from the community.
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Education & Training, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
John Wheatley College
Community regeneration through innovation and partnership
The College serves a community that faces substantial challenge from economic and social disadvantage. Over several years, and with strategic vision, the College has developed its estate into a model for integrated educational and cultural resource in the community. Innovative building design linking learning space with recreational facilities has been partnered by accessible education programmes that respond imaginatively and flexibly to students’ circumstances and employment opportunities.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Loughborough University
Reducing road traffic deaths: vehicle, road and driver safety research
The University’s applied research into vehicle safety and driver sleepiness has made an outstanding contribution to international policies aimed at reducing deaths from road traffic accidents. The work has led directly to improved in- and out-of-car safety measures, better road and motorway design and new accident data collection processes. It has uniquely and specifically highlighted the problem of driver sleepiness and had a recognised impact on this major cause of road accidents.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Oxford Brookes University
Postgraduate degrees and training for the conservation of primates in their global habitats
An estimated 25% of primate species worldwide are critically endangered. The University’s unique graduate programme in primate conservation, enrolling students from a wide range of habitat countries, studies the relationships between human activity and wildlife in their ecosystems. Graduates of the course occupy influential positions in conservation in countries where the species are under special threat and a series of supervised projects and international links further supports this critical work.
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Education & Training, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Southern Regional College
Reducing sectarianism and social exclusion through the College curriculum and community outreach
In an environment affected by a legacy of sectarianism and present challenges the College has taken an effective lead in changing attitudes and behaviours — both inside and beyond the institution — through its Good Relations Programme. A community relations course, compulsory for all first year students, is embedding values of tolerance and inclusiveness and shows a measurable improvement in the academic results of students. The College also reaches out to disadvantaged communities with relevant and accessible educational programmes.
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Education & Training, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
Telford College of Arts and Technology
Delivering economically important skills on employers’ premises
An acknowledged and substantial leader in employer-driven training, the College has established in depth relationships with over 800 companies and organisations to identify employer needs and implement skills programmes that are carried out in the main on their own premises. This has opened up educational opportunity and career motivation to thousands in the 16-18 age group and in an environment where many would otherwise not have considered that path.
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Medicine And Health, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
The City Literary Institute
A distinctive approach to speech therapy that supports and empowers people who stammer
The positioning of City Lit’s speech therapy work within a mainstream education environment is unique in the UK adult education sector. The Institute has pioneered internationally recognised methodologies as well as groundbreaking programmes for graduate speech therapists dealing with people affected by stammering and aphasia. Its courses have reached upwards of a thousand students over the past five years, opening doors to other educational opportunities and transforming lives.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
The University of Kent
The Law Clinic
The University pioneered the law clinic approach in order to offer students the opportunity for the actual practice of law alongside academic study, thus providing exposure to the vocational aspects of a law career. The Law Clinic has effectively linked students with a network of practicing local lawyers to offer professional legal services to people in the community who would not otherwise have the means to access them, while enhancing course content and fostering a public service ethos.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
University of the Arts London
Educating the world’s creative shoe and accessory designers
The University’s Department of Footwear and Accessories combines a long tradition of technical manufacturing skills with innovative teaching of design. This has connected the historic reputation of the UK shoe industry to the huge global opportunities of contemporary creative industries. Its graduates occupy leading positions in international fashion. Their work adds value to the UK’s share in the important footwear and accessories market and underpins Britain’s creative image.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
University of Cambridge
A 21st century model of applied research and entrepreneurship in biotechnology
The University’s Institute of Biotechnology has developed an innovative, internationally recognised, model that integrates multidisciplinary research, business training and commercial exploitation. This has led to the formation of a number of promising spin-off companies that have brought a range of patented products to market including next generation glucose sensors and new drugs for treatment of cancer. The activity is underpinned by a uniquely structured Masters course in Bioscience Enterprise.
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International Engagement, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
University of Greenwich
‘Tabiesa’: A UK/Africa partnership supporting local business enterprise and tackling root causes of poverty
The University leads a consortium of universities in sub-Saharan Africa that has provided start-up help to over a thousand new African commercial enterprises since its inception in 1994 and introduced these businesses to wider markets through a network of enterprise centres. The work is distinctive in mobilising higher education resources in-country to address the challenge of wealth creation at the grass roots, and has given profile to the UK’s commitment to assisting positive change in challenging environments.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
University of Oxford
Fresh light on British history: the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The new edition of the Dictionary of National Biography, published by the University, is the culmination of a monumental effort of research. It is a constantly evolving online and printed resource, providing an unrivalled first point of reference on over 56,000 noteworthy contributors to British life. The new DNB has taken an important step towards a rebalancing of the history of the UK through a concerted focus on the contribution of women and of individuals from minority communities.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
The University of Sheffield
Working with leading companies to improve efficiency in aero engines
Medicine And Health, Round 7 Prize-winner, 2007
University of York
New disciplines and economics models for efficient healthcare
The University’s Centre for Health Economics is recognised as a global leader in developing new economic approaches for national health care systems. It has developed groundbreaking concepts for measuring benefit and productivity. This is crucial for the effective use of finite resources in an environment where health expectations are ever increasing. The Centre’s methods are in use around the world and it has made outstanding contributions in key areas of UK public health policy.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Accrington and Rossendale College
Access and achievement in construction industry education
The College’s Construction Department has for many years delivered outstanding education and training in construction industry skills, gaining it a national reputation as a Centre of Excellence. Its partnership with employers and the diverse local community and its high-quality self-assessment system together produce consistently high student outcomes in both qualifications and jobs. The Department now leads construction industry training networks regionally and nationally, and is strongly influencing national policy in the development of the qualification framework in this area of work.
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Medicine And Health, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Birkbeck, University of London
Neuropsychological work with the very young: improving the understanding of brain function and cognitive development
Birkbeck’s internationally recognised research investigates one of the increasingly exciting areas of scientific enquiry — the relationship between the mind and the brain. The neural basis of human mental abilities (such as the perception of faces and objects, attention, memory and language) is examined with an emphasis on their development during infancy and childhood. The purpose is to find out how specific brain mechanisms develop to give rise to the cognitive functions that underlie our everyday interactions with the external world and with other people. This research is already helping NHS professionals to diagnose and better treat brain injuries and developmental disorders such as autism, leading to significantly improved outcomes for patients and carers.
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International Engagement, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Chichester College
Developing the college and its community through international student intake and integration
The College’s strategy over ten years to develop its student base through imaginative and innovative international outreach is recognised nationally as an exciting model for Further Education in the UK. The benefits to the College, the locality and the students demonstrate the value of international communities of learners.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Cranfield University
The Fellowship in Manufacturing Management: improving cost effectiveness for industry
This unique and innovative programme is designed for strategic-level managers with careers in manufacturing industry. Its distinctive approach is centred on accelerated development through a combination of residential study followed by twelve months of practical work-based achievement with the aim of developing talented professionals as effective change managers. The Fellowship makes a substantial impact on the careers and personal development of its alumni. It also provides significant productivity improvements to its industry partners and thereby makes a valuable contribution to the UK’s manufacturing competitiveness.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Guildhall Connect: a large-scale programme using musical creativity to engage and inspire young people
The Guildhall Connect project has been a pioneer amongst music outreach programmes. Designed to develop musical creativity among young people, it involves a large number of schools and community organisations in East London, bringing younger players into contact with gifted young professional musicians in a rich programme of workshops that embrace everything from classical to popular music, western and non-western genres, as well as new works created through collaborative workshops, often involving other arts disciplines. The project is innovative and imaginative in its approach to communal creativity, composition and the fusion encouraged between different musical cultures and experiences, and makes a significant contribution to public policy in support of musical education.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Harper Adams University
Developing women-owned business to support the rural economy
Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE) has helped create and sustain a very large number of women-owned small rural businesses nationwide. Stemming from the University’s research identifying women’s barriers to new business development, WiRE provides a unique university—business network that mentors and gives practical help to women developing rural businesses. It has featured as a best-practice case study in numerous reports, including an OECD regional study on women entrepreneurship, and its approach is being adopted in South Africa, China and the Middle East.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Lancaster University
Connecting the last mile: providing the largest rural high-capacity regional broadband network for education in Europe
The University’s pioneering work in the development and implementation of fast, low-cost broadband for the public sector, and provision of accompanying enabling services, has enabled remote schools and community facilities across Lancashire and Cumbria to access web-based resources. Networked throughout the two counties and connecting over 1,500 sites, it is unique in concept and scale within Europe, covering 10,000 sq km in a mountainous rural area in which physical network provision is exceptionally difficult. The University has acted as both a technological enabler and a regional adviser in order to create significant change in the educational, cultural and economic capacity of the region.
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Science and Mathematics, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Liverpool John Moores University
Developing the world’s largest robotic telescopes and creating access for the public and school students
Through the development and production of a network of the world’s largest fully robotic telescopes, this leading facility for academic space research is both making a major contribution to the world’s observational facilities at the highest level of sophistication and enhancing public access to and awareness of astronomy. The University’s National Schools Observatory website is opening the field up to schools and enthusing large numbers of young people about the study of science and technology, and increased public engagement in astronomy is promoted through the Spaceport Centre (also contributing to the regeneration of the local area), distance learning courses and amateur access to the telescopes via the internet.
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Medicine And Health, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Reducing blindness worldwide
Eighty per cent of blindness worldwide is either preventable or reversible, and the University has played an internationally influential role in researching and providing training in the prevention and treatment of diseases causing blindness in developing countries. Students learn skills that enable them to assess and control the major diseases that cause blindness and to deliver high-quality eye care to people living in the poorest and most remote rural communities in the world. Staff have been a significant influence in establishing Vision 2020 — the Global Initiative to Eliminate Avoidable Blindness — and it is estimated that the programme will save 100 million from blindness over its 20-year period.
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Education & Training, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Loreto College
Educational provision in an urban context: raising aspiration and achievement
Located in an area of inner-city deprivation, the College has used a determined, imaginative and innovative approach to recruiting, supporting and teaching students and so has overcome the challenges facing it and achieved national excellence. It now has a reputation for outstanding pass rates, very strong league table scores, high value added rates and very good levels of progression to university. The College today is a thriving establishment with increasing student numbers and a modern campus — a symbol of regeneration and hope for the future of the surrounding area.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Loughborough University
Enhancing social policy nationally
The University’s contribution to social policy through high-quality research, with a record of relevance, practical orientation and innovation, is an outstanding example of how excellence in research can be applied with wide impact and benefit. The research and its dissemination has raised the profile of previously neglected groups, such as young carers, unravelling complex and difficult issues and helping social policy practitioners to address the needs of these groups appropriately. Through its influence on policy makers and legislators in the UK, it has resulted in better targeted social policy and has had a substantial impact both in the UK and overseas.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Newcastle University
Remedies for mine water pollution worldwide
The heavily contaminated waste water from abandoned mines poses a significant threat to the environment, and the University has established itself as one of the world’s leading centres of expertise in managing the environmental threats from mining operations — now acting as a consultant to many of the world’s leading mining companies. The research programme has two objectives: to further the understanding of the physical and geochemical processes from flooded mines; and to develop inexpensive, socially acceptable and ecologically integrated technologies for the long-term treatment of polluted water from abandoned mines. From this, it is protecting not only people’s water supplies but also many invaluable ecosystems from one of the most insidious forms of water pollution.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
Queen's University Belfast
Ionic liquids: a green solution for pollution
Ionic liquids provide a compelling alternative to ozone-depleting and carcinogenic solvents, and the university’s Ionic Liquid Laboratories are the premier world centre in the field, delivering pioneering research that is assisting the UK chemical industry in moving to cleaner, greener, and more profitable production. An outstanding example of industry—university collaboration, the development of ‘ionic liquids’ is a significant UK-led achievement providing solutions for one of the primary sources of pollution.
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Medicine And Health, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
The University of Edinburgh
The virtual hospital online: transforming veterinary and medical education
The University’s Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are an innovative, fully integrated, web-based learning support system for medical and veterinary education. They support two complex five-year undergraduate degree programmes and all of the subjects’ postgraduate students. Through the VLEs, staff are able to create and deliver online learning activities such as virtual ‘patients’ who require diagnosis and treatment, and manage learning resources, assessments and large quantities of course documentation. The system is a world leader in its area and will form the basis of a public health academy for the World Health Organization.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
University of Cambridge
The Millennium Mathematics Project: inspiring the study of mathematics
The Millennium Mathematics Project is a highly imaginative and innovative outreach initiative created by a group of passionate and dedicated mathematicians and aimed at supporting maths education in primary and secondary schools throughout the UK and promoting the development of mathematical skills and understanding. The project has brought alive mathematics learning — with significant regional, national and international impact. Through, amongst others, its NRich website, online maths magazine and hands-on Maths Roadshow, it has enriched the learning experience for pupils and enhanced enthusiasm for the subject and related careers.
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Medicine And Health, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
University of Dundee
Enabling the discovery of new drugs and their development to treat major global diseases
Working with a consortium of public sector agencies and six of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, the University’s unique research methods are accelerating and enhancing the process of discovering new drugs to treat a series of major global diseases which kill and harm millions each year. The University offers a one-stop shop to the pharmaceutical industry, giving access to knowledge both about a key enzyme family, whose activities have implications for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases and allergies, and about drug development targeting that enzyme family. Its innovative knowledge transfer programme has already yielded commercial benefits to all the parties involved.
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Medicine And Health, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
University of Exeter
Using genetics to improve clinical care for diabetic patients
Through ten years of pioneering genetic research, the University has developed means for diagnosing Type 2 diabetes much earlier than previously possible and consequently for less painful, less intrusive and less costly treatment. Its work integrates molecular genetics, clinical observation, human physiological investigation, patients’ views and the education of patients and professionals. It has shown that molecular genetic testing for diabetes can dramatically improve clinical care, often resulting in insulin injections being replaced by tablets. The work has been shared with patients and health professionals throughout Europe and is a model for treating other diseases.
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Medicine And Health, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
University of Oxford
Uniquely large-scale medical studies: preventing disability and prolonging life
The University has conducted uniquely large-scale studies into the prevention and treatment of cancer, vascular disease and other life-threatening chronic conditions. These projects typically involve extensive collaboration between many investigators not only in the UK but also throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. By studying the causes and treatment of disease in a range of settings, the findings can be widely generalised to different populations throughout the world. The clear results that have emerged from these studies have led to substantial changes in public health policies and treatment strategies worldwide — saving hundreds of thousands of lives and preventing serious disability.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
University of Reading
Weather and climate science: research, training and informing environmental policymaking
The University’s Department of Meteorology is one of the most highly regarded in the world and it has been contributing crucially to the national and international understanding of weather and climate. Recent developments include important new models, for example predicting the vulnerability of crops to climate variability, and key contributions to the understanding of the potential impacts of changes in deep ocean circulation in the North Atlantic. The continuing development of atmospheric models will assist the calculation of the global warming potential of greenhouse gases by industry and governments.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
University of Southampton
Sound and vibration: improving the quality of life for the profoundly deaf and reducing noise pollution
For over forty years the university’s acoustic and vibration research have been contributing fundamentally to our understanding of sound and the resulting engineering innovations have had a profound impact on our quality of life. Significant developments include reducing noise in aircraft and railways; the application of bubble acoustics leading to a prototype device to monitor kidney therapy; and creating bilateral cochlear implants for profoundly deaf people which have been restoring a spatial sense of sound and so improving safety, multi-tasking performance and social confidence.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 6 Prize-winner, 2005
University of York
Novel agricultural products: a sustainable future for farming manufacture, health care and crime prevention
Highly innovative research into plant and microbe-based renewable resources has led to important discoveries both in enzymes for clean manufacturing in the chemical industry and in non-food crops to regenerate rural economies. Amongst their many important discoveries have been: new abundant sources of nutritional supplements; novel routes to semi-synthetic painkillers; clean technologies for environmentally friendly manufacturing; biological clean-up tools for toxic explosives; and biosensors to detect illicit drug trafficking. Ongoing practical partnerships with business and consequent product developments place the university at the leading edge of agro-economics.
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Education & Training, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
Deeside College
Commercial services: training for local and national business
The College provides extensive customised training and development for industry and commerce. In 1997 the College established a Commercial Services Unit, initially to provide training for large and small businesses in north-east Wales. Since then, the Unit has expanded to provide flexible twenty-four-hour a day training to over 35,000 employees across the UK, about 95% of which is delivered in the workplace.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
Hills Road Sixth Form College
Art and design: a community partnership
Artists and architects in residence add much to a highly significant programme in which students improve artistic skills, contribute to the College and to the local community, and develop social awareness. The students undertake commissioned projects, including many murals and sculptures for health centres, primary schools, Cambridge railway station, and a modern shopping centre. Other commissions have involved projects for businesses such as Novartis, public agencies and national institutions. Students transform imaginative thinking into artistic reality and undertake excellent creative work within realistic commercial and other constraints.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine
Process systems engineering: research and technology transfer
The College uses first-class research to solve 'real-world' problems and its expertise in computational techniques for the process industries is highly valued. The Centre for Process Systems Engineering carries out integrated interdisciplinary research into the design, control, operations management and modelling of processes and plants. Its work is highly relevant to the process industries in general, including the oil and gas, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals, polymers, food and beverage, and consumer goods sectors. The Centre's work ranges from fundamental research to technology transfer, and supports key business processes.
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Science and Mathematics, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
John Leggott College
Science teaching: dissemination and partnership in the region
The College has developed innovative approaches to learning in order to promote enthusiasm and achievement in science. It works in partnership with schools, universities and businesses and other colleges across the country and overseas. Tutors have been involved in training workshops and the college is currently playing an important part in devising effective approaches to learning using information technology. The number of students taking science A-levels is growing and they have achieved excellent results.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
King's College London
Defence and post-war studies: education, research and training
The College has developed a unique academic-military partnership with the British Armed Services in the delivery of world-class education and training. It sustains an extensive network of international contacts and engages in contract research for a number of government departments and international organisations. It has developed a broad interdisciplinary approach that takes in military history and ethics as well as issues of defence and international security. Undergraduate and postgraduate courses are not only concerned with 'War studies' but also with conflict prevention and resolution, peacekeeping missions and humanitarian assistance in complex social and political settings.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
London School of Economics & Political Science
Unemployment and inequality: research, teaching and policy development
The Centre for Economic Performance at the LSE is widely renowned for its application of economic theory and rigorous empirical analysis to issues of unemployment, productivity, the economics of education and international trade. It has had a significant impact on government policy in the UK and abroad, training PhD students and running an MSc programme for future economic decision-makers. The Centre has inspired the New Deal; it has directly affected government policy on apprenticeship and on adult literacy and numeracy; and it has also become Europe's leading body for the study of globalisation and international trade.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
Loughborough University
Sports development, education and research
The University has an international reputation in sports science. Its alumni are influential in many areas: as players, coaches and managers; as researchers and teachers; in sport and leisure management; in national and international sports bodies; and in the sports industry. The University was the first to offer an honours degree course in sports science and a Masters programme in recreation management. It has since developed many other sports-related degrees and shows great strength in researching youth sport; in physiology, nutrition and sport fitness testing; and in biomechanics/gymnastics modelling.
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Science and Mathematics, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
Matthew Boulton College of FE & HE
Cleaning science: education and training for industry
The College has made an outstanding contribution to qualifications for cleaning staff and has helped to raise the status of this field. The College has greatly expanded its cleaning science courses and programmes in response to health and safety legislation and to industry demands for better standards and for more specialised technical training, such as the handling of hazardous substances. Local clients include NHS hospital trusts, local authorities, the police force, universities and a range of SMEs. National clients include EuroTunnel, Dublin Bus, Glaxo and a number of national airport complexes including Heathrow.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
New College Nottingham
Renovation of a heritage building and the creation of a new campus
In a far-sighted and imaginative initiative, the college has played a major role in the regeneration of Nottingham's city centre through the renovation and reuse af a derelict heritage building. The Adams Building now provides exemplary education, training and business support in 'state of the art' facilities, meeting the needs of individuals and the growing service sector. Opened in 1998, the campus now has more than 11,000 students and provides over 1000 different courses at further and higher education levels from entry and basic education programmes through to professional level.
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Medicine And Health, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
Queen Margaret University
Clinical application of speech science
The Department of Speech and Language Sciences has significantly enhanced diagnosis and therapy for people with speech disabilities and has gained an international reputation for its specialised training. The Department has developed innovative procedures including electropalatography, a computerised technique that provides a safe and convenient way to record the tongue's actions during speech, as well as the Vocal Profile Analysis Scheme which provides a framework for assessing voice quality. These research tools have been adopted in a range of disciplines including sociolinguistics, forensic phonetics, psychology and drama.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
Royal Northern College of Music
International music festivals: education, cultural and for the public
Following the success of its first large-scale Wind Festival in 1983, the College has created and sustained a diverse series of imaginative music festivals. They all involve the whole community and include performances not only by internationally acclaimed professionals, but also by students, schoolchildren and local amateur groups, as well as masterclasses and lectures by artists and scholars of international standing. These festivals have helped to break down the barriers between professionals, amateurs, students and children and have made the highest quality of music-making accessible to a wide section of the community, nationally and internationally.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
Sabhal Mor Ostaig
Promotion of Gaelic language and culture
Since its foundation from a semi-derelict farm building in 1973, Sabhal Mor Ostaig has been the only college of further and higher education in the UK to offer educational courses solely through the medium of Scottish Gaelic. Today, it has over one hundred full-time students, with more than 560 students taking residential short courses and 150 students engaged in a distance-learning access course. The College is now a major community resource: a recognised arts venue and meeting place. It runs a programme of arts residences, a writer-in-residence and a musician-in-residence scheme and is home to Tosg, Scotland’s only professional Gaelic theatre company.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
University of Cambridge
Charles Darwin Correspondence Project
The rich resource of Darwin's correspondence, which is of great scientific and historical importance, is made accessible to scholars and students around the world, in disciplines across the sciences and the humanities, as well as to the general reader. The project was established in 1974 to publish the definitive edition of more than 14,500 letters written and received by Charles Darwin. These letters provide unique access to the complex development of Darwin's theories and his engagement with contemporary scientific and philosophical issues. The latest series is making available for the first time complete transcripts of Darwin's correspondence, supported by meticulous footnotes.
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Medicine And Health, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
University College London
Oral health care: teaching, research and patient care
Through innovation and practical application of the Eastman Dental Institute’s research findings, patient care has been greatly enhanced in the developed and developing world. Scientists work with clinicians in key areas including oral and craniofacial disease, clinical service delivery and materials science. The Institute was recently designated the first World Health Organization Collaborating Centre in Orofacial Health, Disability and Culture. Its research has global benefits, ranging from the development of photodynamic treatment of precancer to a low-technology water decontamination system, now used extensively by aid organisations in disaster zones worldwide.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
University of Greenwich
Development of IT evacuation tools for the safety industry
The University has developed software technology for businesses and public authorities that greatly enhances public safety. In addition, its specialised training offers vital expertise to the user community worldwide. Using fundamental human behaviour and performance data models, the team has developed software aimed at helping designers of buildings, aircraft and ships to save lives. Design engineers and safety enforcement agencies in twenty-two countries are currently using the building evacuation model to improve the evacuation performance of a wide range of buildings, from cinemas to airports, hospitals and schools.
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Science and Mathematics, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
University of Leicester
Genetics: research and impact on science and society
The discovery of genetic fingerprinting by the University's Department of Genetics has had profound implications for society as well as for the advancement of science. Applications in immigration, paternity testing and criminal investigation have affected the lives of thousands of people worldwide. Continuing innovative research is coupled with high-quality training of scientists and the promotion of the public understanding of science. It has led to the development of powerful technologies to study heritable DNA changes and continues to influence genetics research.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology
Corrosion control and protection: education, research and technology transfer
The University has demonstrated outstanding postgraduate teaching and research, and a long-term commitment to technology transfer in this highly important industrial field. Acknowledging the vast cost that corrosion puts on the nation's gross domestic product, UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology) established the first university centre in the field. UMIST's interdisciplinary Centre for Corrosion Control and Protection now runs the largest Masters course in the subject in the world. The Centre engages in vital, novel research which has massive financial, environmental, and health and safety implications for the UK and international economies.
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International Engagement, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
University of Oxford
Refugee Studies Centre: education, training and research
The University has created a world-class centre for the study of forced migration and refugees. It was established in 1982 to undertake multidisciplinary research and teaching on forced migration and to disseminate the results not just to academics, but to policy-makers, practitioners and the wider public. Its ground-breaking research has focused on: asylum; conflict, with a special focus on children; transnational communities and diasporas; and displacement and resettlement resulting from development. The Centre works closely with UN agencies such as the UNHCR and UNICEF and with many international aid organisations.
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Medicine And Health, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
The University of Sheffield
Health and social care of older people: research and policy development
Through its Institute for Studies on Ageing, the University is addressing many of the key health and social care issues arising from increased expectations for a higher quality of life in old age. The Institute brings together the clinical sciences, sociological studies, palliative care, osteoporosis and nursing. With such a powerful interdisciplinary base, the University’s ageing research programmes cover many important fields that directly influence health and social care policy. A range of assessment methods produced at the Institute for determining the health and social care needs of older people and their carers are now used in many European countries.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 5 Prize-winner, 2002
University of Surrey
Research & development of ion beams and optoelectronic devices
The University is the national academic centre for ion beam technology and has been at the forefront of academic and joint academic/industrial programmes in this field. The University pioneered the use of ion beams to analyse important technology problems in the context of health care, the environment and the durability of building materials, as well as in electronic materials. It invented the strained-layer quantum-well laser in the 1980s, which now generates the signals in every long-haul optical fibre in the world, and is in nearly all domestic appliances using lasers, such as CD and DVD players, as well as powering the Internet, memory devices and printers.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Banff and Buchan College of Further Education
Marine engineering education for the fishing industry
The College provides a model of how vocational education and training should evolve to meet local needs and the changing requirements of industry. The College addresses the need for high-quality engineering skills to ensure safe operation in a still hazardous yet increasingly sophisticated fishing industry. With European funding and the support of the fishing industry, marine insurance companies and regulatory authorities, the College has built a dedicated Marine Engineering Centre and offers associated vocational training from short introductory courses to full (Level IV) Vocational Qualifications.
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Education & Training, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Bridgwater College
Forest School: an outdoor educational curriculum for the very young
The Forest School programme offers an imaginative approach to the teaching of a range of pupils, from pre-school children through to disadvantaged and disaffected older children and students. The Forest School uses woodland areas as its classroom and has developed its own curriculum. Hands-on activities with natural materials develop practical and intellectual skills, and notable growth in self-esteem and confidence. The School overcomes barriers to learning, leading to educational achievement and the fulfilment of potential.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Cardiff University
Manufacturing Engineering Centre: partnership with industry
The Centre has built up an exceptional programme of support for firms providing first-class research and practical technology transfer. This expanding partnership programme is an exemplar of how a university can meet the diverse needs of small and medium enterprises as well as larger industrial concerns. The Centre supports manufacturing industry through advanced research and practical technology transfer. It has increased industrial competitiveness, created or safeguarded some hundreds of local industrial jobs and contributed strongly to regional regeneration.
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Education & Training, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Greenhead College
Curriculum development for sixth form students
The College’s enrichment programme is a national exemplar of what can be done at sixth-form level to extend students’ education and personal growth beyond their academic courses. The programme calls on students to develop self-reliance, promotes citizenship and prepares them to meet the world of work or further study with confidence and commitment. This wide-ranging programme of extra-curricular activities, introduced in 1990, enables students to develop their personal, sporting and social interests and prepares them more effectively both for higher education and future employment.
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International Engagement, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Hastings College of Arts and Technology
Technical education and training for the United Arab Emirates
In initiating this multimillion-pound project, Hastings College provides an outstanding example of innovative provision for overseas students, offering substantial evidence of student progression as well as benefit to local communities and consortium institutions. The project serves as a flagship overseas for the quality and desirability of UK vocational qualifications. Students from the UAE study English as a foreign language for one year. They then progress to various colleges of further education to undertake two or three year courses leading to BTEC and City and Guilds’ qualifications in engineering, information technology, business or related disciplines.
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Medicine And Health, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine
Research and training in surgery
The Academic Surgical Unit at Imperial College is a national centre pioneering new technologies to address training requirements for trainee surgeons, surgeons in post and other professionals. Its innovative work in the use of simulations and virtual reality is internationally recognised as offering a way forward for surgical education. The Unit has developed a number of instruments, devices and procedures that impact on surgery, particularly minimal access surgery, and undertakes biological research related to new surgical procedures.
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Education & Training, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Lauder College
Employment and Enterprise Centres: services for unemployed people
The College has achieved outstanding results in getting people into jobs - thereby tackling social and economic exclusion in some of Scotland’s most deprived communities. Since 1993, the College has progressively established a network of Enterprise and Employment Centres in fourteen locations across Scotland. These centres, which are unique in Scotland, work in partnership with the Employment Service, local enterprise companies, councils and employers to offer integrated, innovative and client-centred services which promote sustainable employability.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Loughborough University
Optical engineering: applications and knowledge transfer
The Optical Engineering Group at Loughborough University has specialised in applying modern optics and laser technologies to solve engineering problems. In partnership with industry it has developed novel techniques into valuable tools, equipping industry with means to remain competitive and effective. There have been applications in manufacturing and environmental industries, in health and safety, medicine, defence, entertainment and the arts.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Middlesex University
Floor Hazard Research Centre: education, training and research
The Flood Hazard Research Centre is at the forefront of efforts to ensure more sustainable protection worldwide for communities at risk from flooding. It seeks to educate communities and governments about their flood risks, to mitigate the effects of these natural disasters and to help governments and other responsible bodies to devise more sustainable protection. The Centre has undertaken cutting edge research into the causes of flood hazards and the impacts on the community, particularly its more vulnerable members. Its flood damage assessment techniques are now used to evaluate flood alleviation plans worldwide, from the Thames to the Yangtse River in China.
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International Engagement, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Oxford Brookes University
Education and training for humanitarian aid workers
The University has gained an international reputation for pioneering education and training for humanitarian aid workers. Combining innovative practice-based study with a multidisciplinary academic approach, its unique emphasis on educating humanitarian practitioners for work in war, political violence and disaster is a model for others. The Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) at Oxford Brookes University offers a pioneering MSc course in Development Practice. It also promotes best practice in humanitarian work overseas and provides appropriate training for local community leaders and public officials.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Queen's University Belfast
Palaeoecology Centre: research in environmental history
This outstanding Centre has played a pivotal role in researching and developing techniques for dating the past and serves as an exemplar for other countries wishing to set up similar ventures. It combines an internationally acclaimed tree-ring dating laboratory, a high precision carbon dating facility and an archive of dated wood from the British Isles. Together these enable the Centre to provide precise chronological frameworks in which environmental events, both natural and human induced, can be studied. This research also provides important information on more recent environmental change and a baseline against which future change can be measured.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Royal College of Art
Conservation of art, craft and design
The Department of Conservation at the RCA provides specialist training, education and research opportunities in conservation - a field in which the sciences, humanities, arts and crafts are of equal importance. Under the supervision of experienced professionals, students study, conserve and restore real objects such as stained glass, sculpture or tapestry in a combined working and academic environment. Ongoing research includes digital exploration of museum objects, risk analysis for collections and the impact of lasers on the surface of materials such as marble. College graduates already occupy key positions in major museums and in the private sector.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
Royal Northern College of Music
Wind ensemble music: commissioning, training and performance
The College has transformed the repertoire and performance standards of wind ensemble music in this country. In 1981, the College hosted the first international conference of wind bands and ensembles for composers, conductors and publishers. It introduced British musicians to a vast range of unknown repertoire and to new standards of performance. This extension of the available repertoire has benefited a wide range of performers, from the local community to the international stage and has encouraged composers to explore and develop new ideas.
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Science and Mathematics, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
The Sixth Form College, Colchester
STEP (Science and Technology Enrichment Programme)
The College has developed an exciting programme to promote an interest and enthusiasm for science and technology among its students. The enrichment programme offers all students the opportunity to develop the knowledge gained within their curriculum and to begin to learn how to apply it in real-life situations within industry, whilst still maintaining the sense of experimentation and personal development. Over the past five years, more than 30 per cent of students going on to higher education have done so in science, technology or engineering.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
The University of Sheffield
Integrated environmental outreach to industry and government
The University has an international reputation for its pioneering research into groundwater protection and energy production from waste materials, providing vital support for government and industry. The Faculty of Engineering offers a wide programme of environmental outreach, which includes an Environmental Businesses Network and a Waste Management Technology Centre – providing support to regional environmental activity and local businesses, especially SMEs – and an Environmental Consultancy Unit which liaises with universities both here and abroad.
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Medicine And Health, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
University of Aberdeen
Clinical applications of medical imaging technology
Millions of people throughout the world benefit from the pioneering work carried out in the field of non-invasive medical imaging technology at the Department of Bio-Medical Physics and Bio-Engineering. Having developed the first instrument in the UK capable of capturing images of slices of the human body and displaying them on a computer, the Department has made important contributions to MRI technology as a clinical diagnostic technique as well as new applications and ophthalmic computer software for early detection of illnesses.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
University of Bath
Power transmission and motion control
The Centre for Power Transmission and Motion Control at the University of Bath provides invaluable services for the industrial and scientific communities. It is the leading institution in the UK in the area of fluid power systems engineering and has earned an international reputation for its applied research. Focusing on the generation and transmission of noise in hydraulic machinery through computer simulation, it has developed new test procedures which have been adopted as International Standards and in turn led to the development of quieter products.
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Medicine And Health, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
University College London
Child Health: research and education
The Institute of Child Health has created a world-class centre for the study and treatment of childhood disease. The Institute, in association with Great Ormond Street Hospital, constitutes the largest concentration of expertise in paediatric health care, research and teaching in Europe. The Institute takes a multidisciplinary approach to problems in child health including molecular/cell biology studies, biochemical and physiological studies, investigations of individual patient groups, and epidemiological/public-health investigations in the UK and throughout the world.
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International Engagement, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
University of Greenwich
Food security in the developing world: practical projects, education and training
The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) makes a real difference to the lives of thousands of people in developing countries and ensures that its multidisciplinary expertise is shared widely. The scientific and educational work in some eighty countries draws together its skills in a wide range of natural and social science disciplines, in collaboration with academic and research institutions, governments, nongovernmental organisations, aid donors and the private sector. Its food security projects have resulted in improved access to safe supplies of food, increasing farmers' incomes and aiding economic stability in some of the world's poorest countries.
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Science and Mathematics, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
University of Nottingham
Magnetic resonance imaging: scientific research and development
The University is a world leader in the development of magnetic resonance imaging as a fundamental tool in medical diagnosis, and also for wider industrial application. This renowned research continues to pioneer and develop new techniques and applications. The University was involved in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ever since development began in the 1970s and is now home to the largest physics-based academic MR group in the world with much of its work focusing on high-speed imaging.
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Medicine And Health, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
University of Oxford
Centre for Tropical Medicine: treatment, research and education
Through its tropical units in developing countries, supported by the University’s own laboratories in Oxford, the Centre for Tropical Medicine has made an outstanding and internationally recognised contribution to advances in medical knowledge and to the prevention and treatment of tropical diseases. It has played an important role in revitalising training in tropical medicine and in raising awareness of this medical field both nationally and internationally; and many of the important and practical results of its research have been implemented by the World Health Organization and other bodies.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
University of Salford
Information technology for the construction industry
The University has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the practice of information technology (IT) in the construction industry in this country. It has created an impressive international network and continues to develop the use of IT and other technology to improve efficiencies in a crucial industrial field. Recognising the construction industry’s relatively slow adjustment to change and to advances in IT, the University of Salford has sought to change this by establishing a centre of excellence for teaching and research in construction IT: Construct IT.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 4 Prize-winner, 2000
University of Surrey Roehampton
National Centre for Research in Children’s Literature
The Centre has helped to raise the profile of children’s literature as an academic discipline in this country and is a focus of international interest. The National Centre for Research in Children’s Literature is now a thriving locus of teaching and research, providing support and opportunities for historians, sociologists and dramatists as well as teachers, librarians and publishers. The Centre runs comprehensive undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. In 1995 the Centre undertook a survey of young people’s reading habits and how this affects their attitudes to a range of issues including crime and sexuality.
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Education & Training, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
Birmingham College of Food, Tourism & Creative Studies
Education and training for the hospitality and tourism industries
The partnership between the College and the hospitality and tourism industries imparts realism and relevance throughout an unparalleled range of programmes for new students and for retraining existing industry staff. Industry speakers are used in teaching; employers and professionals take part in assessments in college and in the workplace and provide ‘real life’ case studies, with 1500 placements annually. Five fully equipped restaurants, a fully equipped fitness centre, and both a visitor information and an affiliated outdoor pursuit centre provide ‘state of the art’ training environments.
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Education & Training, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
City College Plymouth
Local outreach centres for retraining and lifelong learning
The service is centred on the need of the adult learner to receive flexible training at convenient places and times. With the growth of over forty rural outreach centres, as well as centres in inner-city areas, employers' premises and in people's homes, the main focus of the training is on acquiring and updating employment skills and on access to lifelong learning. Courses provide a combination of high-quality training material with on-demand tutorial support, and new initiatives are being taken forward to take advantage of the internet and to keep at the forefront of outreach training.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
Godalming College
Research and innovative teaching for ‘A’ Level science
Students have been able to experience the excitement of research in uncharted territory as they have pioneered experiments in the new fullurene or 'buckyball' chemistry. Links with neighbouring university departments and with industry foster research at the highest level, offering students authentic learning experiences in industrial contexts. Successive groups of chemistry students examine both the latest findings of research scientists and previous college teams’ results in order to determine their own project, moving the boundaries of knowledge forward and inspiring the Departments of Physics, and of Design and Technology in their own original research.
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Education & Training, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
Hills Road Sixth Form College
Upgrading facilities and teaching in sports and music for use by the college and the region
The College has achieved outstanding academic results since being removed from local authority control in 1983. Adopting a dynamic and visionary approach, and with the support of public and private-sector funds, the College now provides high-quality education in first-class accommodation for an expanded body of some 1500 full-time sixth formers and 1500 part-time adult students. It also provides an important local resource: serving as the base for two city orchestras; accommodating exhibition space for students and local professional artists; and with a national-level sports centre that attracts a wide cross-section of the general public including those with disabilities.
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International Engagement, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
Loughborough University
International development engineering: teaching, training, research and consultancy for developing countries
The Institute of Development Engineering is an expert in the provision and management of sustainable infrastructures for developing countries. The focus is on international activities through teaching, research and consultancy in over sixty-five countries, particularly through its Water and Engineering Development Centre. Its MSc, diploma and short courses for both engineers and non-technologists create development professionals throughout the world. The establishment of an impressive worldwide network of global and regional contacts disseminates information and supports development organisations.
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Education & Training, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
Middlesex University
Creation of materials for technology teaching in schools
Middlesex University’s Technology Education Centre designs, manufactures and supplies innovative resources for more than half the secondary schools in the UK and exports to countries around the world. The Centre has pioneered the introduction of ‘smart’ materials and has made new products and processes available in the classroom at low cost. Its extensive product range gives pupils ‘hands-on’ access to the latest modern technologies, while university students and staff gain the opportunity to enter the 'real world' of design and production.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
Royal Holloway, University of London
Information security: teaching and research in a crucial IT field
The Information Security Group at Royal Holloway has pioneered high-level education in information security and advises both government and industry in one of the most sensitive developing areas of business. The Group plays a vital role in training those who work in the field of information security, across industry and commerce as well as in vital security elements of the nation. The courses were the first of their kind in the world and are now seen by many as the benchmark qualification. In addition to the renowned doctorate programme, training is now delivered through an MSc and a Diploma in Information Security.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
Royal Northern College of Music
Teaching of musical instruments to large groups
Recognising an urgent need for more qualified string instrumental music teachers, the College has established an innovative and exciting scheme for training students as teachers of groups. The resulting programme is ideally suited to teaching schoolchildren, and many of the children recruited for college training exercises are from seriously disadvantaged backgrounds, some with severe learning difficulties or who are seriously handicapped. The scheme thus provides a considerable beneficial outreach to local schools, and the children gain immensely in general education and development, in personal and social skills, in team-working and from the creative opportunities provided.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
The Arts University College at Bournemouth
Education for the film industry
The Film School makes about twenty-seven films or animated productions each year during its diploma courses. Students experience all aspects of the film production process, encompassing script development, casting, art direction, camera/lighting, sound, continuity, acting to camera, post production and distribution. With a first ever BAFTA nomination achieved by a student in 1985, honours and awards have since been received at international film festivals.The School benefits from the close association of industry professionals and the support of the business community and regional associations.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
The University of Sheffield
Humanities research: new cultural access through IT
In collaboration with great research libraries and education institutions, the Humanities Research Institute is making major landmarks in literary and cultural heritage directly available to both the academic community and to a much wider public audience. Definitive electronic editions of major and diverse literary texts, historical manuscripts and contemporary archives are being published worldwide, using CD-ROMs and the internet. The projects include detailed textual analysis and sophisticated searching and analytical software.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of the Arts London
Creativity and innovation in fashion education
The Institute, at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, continues to make a massive contribution to the successful growth of the UK fashion industry, nurturing the creativity of students whilst equipping them with the commercial and technical skills necessary to become effective practitioners. Students are invited to show their collections as part of London Fashion Week and regularly win major national awards. The College also provides a launch pad for highly successful careers in the related areas of journalism, production, retailing and marketing which sustain the British fashion industry.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of Cambridge
Mathematics applied: the Isaac Newton Centre
The University founded the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences to promote, encourage and stimulate top-quality research across the spectrum of the mathematical sciences in search of solutions to contemporary problems. Six-month visitor programmes, covering the full range of mathematics and its applications in chemical, physical and biological sciences and commerce, address vital areas of public concern and raise the profile of mathematics in the wider community.
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Medicine And Health, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of Dundee
Minimal access surgery: new techniques and treatments
Multidisciplinary clinical, instrument and skills teams are at the forefront of initiatives to introduce and develop state-of-the-art Minimal Access Techniques (MAT) - such as keyhole surgery, and the use of flexible telescopes and magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and x-ray to visualise inside the body and to control surgical procedures - in order to minimise the damage to tissues, reduce pain and shorten convalescence. The surgical skills training unit, the first of its kind in the UK, provides intensive, practical courses for trainees, established surgeons and other healthcare professionals involving live operative demonstrations and simulation.
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Medicine And Health, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of Exeter
Children’s health and exercise: research and dissemination
Funded in part by its own charity, the Healthy Heart Research Trust, the research, teaching, publications and extensive media coverage of the Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre have raised awareness both among professionals and the general public of children’s inactivity and its implications. The child-centred innovative research programme has pioneered techniques now adopted internationally, challenging conventional understanding. Close association with local schools has initiated and sustained a fitness movement throughout the UK and projects have been run with a number of top companies.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of Glasgow
Computing science: teaching and research
Through flexible employment policies, establishing an industrial association and by networking, as well as by involving external experts in its strategy and teaching, the Department of Computing Science has built up an impressive range of partners throughout the UK and around the world. This outreach to industry and commerce ensures that its activities have practical outcomes: clients gain from the department’s expertise and latest research, whilst students are involved in innovation and discovery and build self-confidence from communicating with experts in other fields.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology
Engineering and technology in industry: advanced degree programmes
UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology) has led the UK in the continuous development of formally structured, highly interactive and very successful postgraduate engineering training schemes attracting first-class graduates, some of whom are already working in industry. Designed to produce top-quality professional engineers who can lead UK industry, the portfolio of masters and doctorate schemes are based on close academic/industrial collaboration. Innovatory processes, products and patents have been produced and operational savings have been generated for companies through the development of new systems.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of Reading
Shakespearean research: internet and the Globe Theatre
The internationally regarded Renaissance Texts Research Centre, in collaboration with many other parties, has played a key role in the development of the Globe Theatre in London. Detailed research by staff at the university has turned The Globe into a theatrical laboratory and a major educational resource for the nation and the world. Great interest was stimulated among scholars, teachers and students at all levels, and this was hugely increased by the creation of a website used by two and a half million people per year.
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Education & Training, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of Wales, Lampeter
Accreditation and up-skilling of workers from the voluntary sector
The University’s Certificate in Interpersonal Skills is making a leading contribution to the development of professional skills in the voluntary sector. Acceptance on the modular distance-learning course is based on meeting the minimum of six months' experience in a caring role, rather than on formal qualifications. The course upgrades volunteers' skills, understanding and professional expertise as it brings together theoretical and practical approaches to key interpersonal skills including negotiation, problem solving and dealing with aggression. An Advanced Certificate course has now been introduced, as well as a degree in Voluntary Sector Studies.
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Medicine And Health, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of Wales College of Medicine
Chemiluminescence: research and development in clinical diagnosis
The present worldwide use of labelled antibody assays based on chemiluminescence is testimony to the significance of the College’s work. The initial discovery, subsequent research and continuing development have transformed the field of immunodiagnostics and led to improvements in healthcare around the world. Heavy commercial investment and continued collaborative research with the College have led to the production of automated analytical systems that are both wealth creating for the College and an important tool in further medical research, as well as in other scientific fields.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 3 Prize-winner, 1998
University of Wales, Swansea
Industry oriented degrees in materials engineering
The University has created innovative postgraduate degree programmes in association with the UK aeroengine, steel and power industries which train high calibre graduates in materials engineering for progression to Chartered Engineer Status, enhancing their personal, business and managerial skills. Organised as university/industry/government partnerships these cost-effective programmes provide a validated model for quality-enhanced training.
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Education & Training, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
Carlisle College
Educational access throughout life
This College has set out to provide Basic Skills such as reading, writing and using information technology to those who may have held back from further education before. Students are reached via the mobile learning centre, personal tutors and new technologies of CD-ROM, video conferencing and the Internet. The Opening More Doors approach attracts parents with literacy problems and their children, students with special needs as well as children deemed 'at risk'. It’s an exemplary way forward towards the provision of life-long learning.
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International Engagement, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
College of North West London
Eastern European Links: expertise and skills transfer
The College has initiated a series of collaborative projects which have successfully transferred British know-how to areas with a lack of experience of modern business and finance such as Bulgaria and Russia. 3,000 full-time students from these countries receive business training from the College. The project has received strong support from European aid programmes.
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Education & Training, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
Greenhead College
Performance monitoring to realise student potential
Thanks to well-researched and simple methods of assessing and monitoring student performance in order to realise an individual’s full potential, this sixth-form college transformed itself from a position below national norms to one where its exam results match those of highly selective schools. It is an exemplar of how coherent work devoted to creating a college ethos involving students and parents as well as staff can produce greatly improved examination results.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
Hackney Community College
Bringing young women into the sciences
This project aims to remove the barriers that stop girls from entering the science profession. Simple but carefully implemented tactics demystified science and emphasised the special role women can play in it. With an increase from 1 to 100 students in 5 years, the programme shows how readily it can be done, even in a traditionally ‘non-academic” school in one of the poorest boroughs in England.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
King's College London
Medical law and ethics: teaching, research and public debate
King's College's Centre of Medical Law and Ethics has established a worldwide reputation for its co-operative interdisciplinary studies which transcend medicine and healthcare, law and philosophical ethics. It provides guidance on many moral questions arising from advances in medical science and medical practice - from the use of aborted foetuses in treatment to genetically modified animal organ transplants. The Centre contributes informed advice to a wide range of governmental and professional bodies.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
Leeds Metropolitan University
Technology transfer and support for small and medium sized businesses
This University has devised three technology transfer schemes to help small and medium-sized businesses to keep up with the rapid advances in sciences and technology. The partnership scheme aims to provide better graduates, transfer technological skills and aid market development for these companies. These activities carefully integrate teaching with research and technology transfer and together offer a comprehensive interface between the university, its graduates and local industry to the benefit of the regional community.
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International Engagement, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
Liverpool Hope College
The Ladakh Project: teaching and training in India for Tibetans
This project provides concentrated workshops on educational practice, maths, science and English at three villages of Tibetan refugees in India. Whilst teachers received vocational training, British undergraduates taught 10,000 refugee children. This is a model example of international outreach transforming the circumstances of a refugee community abroad and bringing added value to other courses and students at home.
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Education & Training, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
Middlesex University
Off-campus learning, training and research for commerce, industry and public services
Middlesex University's National Centre for Work Based Learning Partnerships has firmly established itself as Britain’s foremost developer of systems and techniques to support learning in the workplace. It takes its techniques to people in their workplace and draws their working experience into an academic context where it can be rigorously tested so that credits, leading to formal qualifications can be awarded. The applicability of the training leads to degrees or diplomas in many different disciplines, and the strength of this centre is that it is able to tailor courses to fit employers’ and employees’ needs.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
Queen's University Belfast
Environmental research and training in partnership with industry
The Questor Centre has brought together the University College of Science and Agriculture and its College of Engineering to work on basic environmental research and problems associated with industrial pollution. It has premiered the close collaboration between academe and 22 industrial organisations, involving their ultimate 'clients' at an early stage of fundamental research. The industrial partners pay a substantial membership fee, whilst the centre gains immediate practical results.
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International Engagement, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
School of Oriental and African Studies
International distance learning: economics and finance for senior executives
The School claims that students could obtain a post-graduate degree in economics or finance from a space-ship. It has perfected distance learning through the use of well adapted modern communication technologies to make studying from home as effective as attending the course in London. Access to world-class finance and economics tuition has brought particular benefit to people living in areas where wars or other disturbances have blighted further education.
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Education & Training, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
The Open University
Teacher training: opening up careers through part-time distance learning
The Open University devised Europe’s largest initiative for teacher training based on part-time distance learning. It recognised a large reservoir of able 30-45 year olds who welcomed a change of career into teaching. They were particularly interested in maths and science, subjects which are facing national shortage of teachers. This innovative approach with a strong emphasis on IT skills and close partnerships with schools nominated by the students for their teaching practice has earned The Open University worldwide recognition.
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Education & Training, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
The Sheffield College
Braille skills accreditation: providing a new and recognised national qualification
The College had developed a unique course that makes Braille teaching an academic discipline in its own right. Braille teaching is thus shifting from the traditional charity-based approach to a position in the mainstream of education. It is an excellent and well thought out educational initiative successfully seizing its opportunity to meet the very specific needs of the blind.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
The University of Edinburgh
Music in the community: a course for advanced music students relating to public work in the community
This course breaks the barriers of the traditional academic faculty, bringing the benefits of music to a wider community than usual. The University’s innovative work takes music to people with dementia, encourages prisoners to write operas and promotes music technology for the disabled. Music has also been introduced to children in Bosnia-Herzegovina to treat post-traumatic stress disorders.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
The University of Manchester
Biological sciences: multidisciplinary teaching and research
By combining 11 small traditional departments (from Anatomy to Zoology) into the University’s largest department, housed in a single building, the School of Biological Sciences created a virtuous circle: first-class scientists doing important work attracted funds for research, whilst good research attracted more good people. A clear vision of scientific and educational goals has been set, and not only has it achieved financial efficiencies, but innovative partnerships with industry and medical charities have led to a dramatic increase in research funding. The resulting outstanding work in the life sciences ensures that the UK stays at the forefront of world achievement in this field.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
The University of Strathclyde
Electrical power engineering: teaching and research
By creating 17 academic posts and a new centre for electrical power engineering, this University has initiated a commanding presence in this field. The combination of high calibre teaching with research has attracted strong support from across the international power industry. New products and techniques applicable to both major companies and small manufacturers are in use and further research is funded externally.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
University of the Arts London
Paper conservation: teaching and technology
The London Institute has been at the forefront of paper conservation for more than 25 years. It has made a major contribution to the science and technology underlying the practical techniques of conservation. The Institute advises monasteries on the oldest and most precious books in the world, provides skilled employees to a wide range of the world’s premier museums and libraries, and assists businesses, insurance and legal companies with forensic expertise.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
University of Birmingham
The Wroxeter Project: archaeology, technology and the community
This archaeological project explores the Roman City of Viroconium around Wroxeter in Shropshire. It involves a multi-disciplinary team including amateur archaeologists and other higher education institutions, businesses, libraries, schools and museums. The ‘open air’ laboratory has become a testing ground for new technological advances and instruments, efficient data collection and processing as well as extensive publication of results to the wider public.
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Medicine And Health, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
University of Exeter
Diabetes and vascular health education and research: microvascular processes and associated work
The University has formed a multidisciplinary team with a teaching hospital to study the fundamental nature of the complications of diabetes, focussing on the interrelationships between insulin resistance and vascular behaviour. It has assembled extremely advanced technology for the study of human microvessels and pioneered techniques relating to an important aspect of one of the world’s most persistent and unyielding diseases.
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Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
University of Hull
Social work: consultancy, teaching and research
This unique Unit is the only social work agency in the world formed by and directly attached to a higher education institution. While offering practical help to those facing serious social problems it provides high-quality practice learning opportunities for students as well as effective entrepreneurial skills. The programme serves as an innovative practical basis for significant international research.
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International Engagement, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology
Technical education. technology transfer and academic and trade relations with Japan
The University has successfully developed a long-term relationship with Japan to meet the new demands and opportunities of the present day. Through carefully planned exchanges technological dialogue and teaching has evolved, resulting in a fruitful relationship with Japanese universities and industry. The Institute has received significant research orders in Japan and established a formal relationship with two Japanese universities leading to better opportunities for industry in both countries.
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Medicine And Health, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
University of Oxford
Molecular medicine: collaborative research and transfer of results
With the rise of the new sciences of molecular and cell biology, the rapid growth in biotechnology industry created difficulties for under-funded clinical departments. The Institute of Molecular Medicine looked at ways of integrating molecular and cell biology into clinical research. It has created an environment in which scientists interact with clinicians to apply the new methods of biology directly to medical research. It has rapidly established recognition as a world-class centre of excellence and has a profound influence in the development of molecular medicine internationally.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
University of Surrey
The development of cutting-edge satellite technology
Engineering and Technology, Round 2 Prize-winner, 1996
University of York
Computer science: teaching, research and transfer of technology
Coupling high-quality teaching to the practical research and training needs of industry and commerce at an international level has resulted in worldwide recognition for this computer science work. It has achieved the highest possible ratings in both research and teaching assessment exercises and receives the highest research income from British industry of any UK computer science department. Its results in a very wide area of computer applications have established a deserved world-class reputation.
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Engineering and Technology, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Aberdeen College
Training courses relating to explosion risk
The College pioneered courses for safety management specifically designed for the off-shore industry. The project has laid the foundations for the first nationally certificated courses under the auspices of the Electrical Installation Engineering Industry Training Organisation. They are essential in installing, maintaining and inspecting electrical equipment in potentially explosive and hazardous areas.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Bournemouth University
Services to scientific conservation
The School of Conservation Sciences is a model for the potential for vocational scientific education linked to the needs of the Nation. The University offers the country’s only Building Conservation Technology and Heritage Conservation courses. It collaborates with industry and contributes skilled manpower in all areas of conservation. The School has established highly valued scientific and practical services to historic buildings including Osborne House and Peel Castle as well as English Heritage.
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International Engagement, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Burton and South Derbyshire College
Anglo-French collaboration: vocational training for the polymer industry
Reflecting the urgent need for vocational education in frequently changing production technology, the College introduced a training course specialising in the rubber and plastics industry. By sharing the facilities the college provides technical staff for the industry located close-by. A formal twinning of Staffordshire and Roche-sur-Mer has resulted in French investment in the East Staffordshire area as well as common curriculum topics in British and French schools.
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Education & Training, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Chippenham College
Using work experience as a basis for National Vocational Qualifications
The College (now part of Wiltshire College) applied the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) to provide a fast and approved method of obtaining vocational qualifications. While young people often acquire NVQs as part of their training, the experience of older employees goes unrecognised officially. APL was initially offered to HM Armed Services, as many serving in the armed forces have no opportunity to go on outside training courses but nevertheless acquire experience relevant to NVQs.
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Education & Training, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
City & Islington College
Widening access and progression to higher education
Three initiatives have been fused to encourage disadvantaged groups into higher education and to teach them to make the most of their abilities. Access concentrates on study skills for under 25s, whilst the Mentor Programme combats the lack of role models for black students. The Connect Scheme aims to overcome obstacles in higher education admissions procedures that deter young people who are underachieving due to social or educational disadvantages.
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Education & Training, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Croydon College
The successful development of flexible learning workshops
Flexible learning workshops promote the concept of life-long learning - offering a wide range of people the opportunity to study at a time and pace that suits their own lifestyle. The emphasis is on providing a service for the individual through resource-based learning, and includes a learning support programme to respond to the particular needs of a student. This represented an exemplary programme on a large scale to help individual student match their different learning speeds and needs with the demands and time-constraints of courses and examinations.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Heriot-Watt University
Petroleum Engineering
The Department is recognised internationally as the UK’s leading academic and research centre in this field. Integrating the physical and earth sciences with the engineering disciplines, information technology and economics, graduates of its prestigious Master’s courses occupy key posts in the industry worldwide. The University secured £3.6 million from the international oil industry for large-scale research programmes in 1993.
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Environment and Conservation, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine
The Centre for Environmental Technology
ICCET (Centre for Environmental Technology) has made an outstanding contribution to the development of environmental studies at home and abroad. The College has already offered a unique MSc in Environmental Technology combining economics, law, policy, science and technology, with outstanding employment opportunities for students in manufacturing, retailing, government and non-government agencies. ICCET has been a leading player in setting up a new European Masters Degree in Environmental Management.
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Education & Training, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Lancaster University
Opportunity for those with special needs
This programme ensures that students with physical disabilities or learning difficulties have full access to higher education. Students can take advantage of special arrangements facilities tailored to each individual throughout their student career. The University offers a wide range of services including a Special Needs Office which co-ordinates personal care and support, electronic reading devices for speech impaired students as well as accessible accommodation.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Loughborough University
Partnership with the aerospace and other industries
An innovative partnership between the university, British Aerospace (BAE) and Rolls-Royce has created an exemplary model for academic and industrial collaboration. The Systems Engineering Degree – the first of its kind – reflects the need for trained manpower and pioneering research to maintain a world-leading position in the industry.
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Medicine And Health, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Luton Sixth Form College
Voluntary student involvement in Health Education
This College has instituted a most highly regarded HIV/AIDS prevention initiative. The course is run entirely by fully trained students of the college. Volunteers receive 6 days of rigorous training to ensure they can deliver a high level of sexual health education. The work is self-funded, making this one of the most effective health education initiatives in the country. The successful peer-led approach has brought about many requests for similar workshops throughout the UK.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Queen's University Belfast
Servicing the Northern Ireland Legal System
The Servicing the Legal System (SLS) Programme was established to facilitate access to information on the law and the legal system in Northern Ireland. It tackles the particular problems resulting from numerous constitutional changes, by offering publications, conferences, courses and seminars. These not only benefit the legal profession but a wide range of other groups including civil servants, bankers, accountants, social workers and business people.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
Royal College of Art
Design responses for products for an ageing population
The College launched DesignAge, an innovative, cross-disciplinary programme reflecting the growing importance of the over-50s in an ageing world population. Its objective was to alter the perception of designers and manufacturers, and to encourage a commitment to design for this vast segment of society. As a result, the college has worked with internationally known companies like Safeway Stores, Marks & Spencer, Rockware Glass and Royal Doulton on fashion, packaging and household appliances for the mature person, as well as tools and aids for those incapacitated by age and illness.
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Engineering & Technology, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
The University of Manchester
Research and technology transfer to industry
UMIST VENTURES Ltd was set up in 1988 to attract research sponsorship and investors in new technologies and to license research. This research and technology transfer business is a well developed wealth-creating programme which has led to the creation of new businesses and employment opportunities. All profits made by the company are re-invested in the university. The programme brings the University’s full field of scientific and technical knowledge into widespread use for the benefit of the nation.
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Education & Training, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
The University of Plymouth
Widening access to education in a scattered rural community
The University has developed a unique scheme for the local delivery of university programmes in areas where access to higher education institutions is not always easy. In a collaboration with 17 local partner colleges in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, over 40 programmes from Higher National Certificate to BA and BSc Degrees are offered to students in the South-West.
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Medicine And Health, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
University College London
Towards the control of cancer
Research scientists and doctors at University College Medical School have pioneered cancer treatments involving new drugs, lasers, replacement blood cells and even antibiotics. Aiming to improve clinical services to patients, the university has introduced the Counselling Research Centre which has evolved specialist training programmes for those who work predominantly with cancer patients. The Department of Imaging and the National Centre for Laser Medicine and Surgery have worked closely together to pioneer techniques to destroy tumours within the body.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
University of Durham
Improving awareness of sciences and engineering in schools
INPUT was created in response to the Science and Technology White Paper 'Realising Our Potential' which called for greater attention to the development of the next generation of highly qualified science and technology personnel. The regional network of one-day technology courses presented science and engineering in a challenging way to young people aged 9 to 19. Many INPUT students went on to train with local companies and to take up further or higher education.
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The Arts and Creative Industries, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
University of Glasgow
Offering university cultural resources to those outside the university
Britain's first University Visitor Centre serves to integrate the work of the university into the wider community, providing a centre of education for people beyond its staff and students. It aims to show that a university is not an 'ivory tower' but a vibrant centre for learning and study. Over 160,000 visitors a year enjoy important works of art, concerts, lectures and plays.
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Science & Mathematics, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
University of Leicester
Developments in astronomy, space and planetary science
The Department of Physics and Astronomy attracts first-rank astrophysicists and astronomers who play a leading role in training Britain’s future space technologists. The Department has focussed on the development of major x-ray astronomy satellite instrumentation and on the research of complicated chemical and physical processes, global warming and pollution. The Space Studies into the Earth’s surface have great potential for commercial application.
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International Engagement, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
University of London, Wye College
Professional development for agriculturalists in overseas territories
A unique external programme offers over 700 students in over 100 countries the chance to study rural development and environmental management with a quality programme at less than a third of the cost of educating overseas students in Britain. With flexible course completion time, distance learning is able to meet specific professional needs in crucial areas. The programme continues to run in war-torn countries, and benefits the rebuilding process.
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Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Round 1 Prize-winner, 1994
University of Oxford
Exploitation of intellectual property for wealth creation
Isis Innovation Limited has been set up by the university to exploit intellectual property, creating income and ensuring that research achievements are developed for the benefit of the community. Whilst the company has achieved rapid growth in gross licensing income, the university has also established a unique association, the Oxford Innovation Society. This cost-effective and imaginative initiative is a two-way connection enabling industry and commerce to inform the university of its needs and the university to make its capabilities widely known.
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