The Vice-Chancellor's Awards

for Research Impact and Engagement

person holding orange and white toothbrush

About the awards

Organised by the University of Cambridge Public Engagement and Impact team, these awards recognise outstanding achievement, innovation and creativity in devising and implementing ambitious engagement
and impact plans which have the potential to create significant economic, social and cultural impact from, and engagement with, research.

Applications for the 2023 awards are now closed. You can view the winners and runners up here.

Early career researcher

This category exemplifies the best of what Cambridge’s newer generations of researchers can achieve in impact and engagement. Open to PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, or research fellows, applicants must show significant achievements in research impact and engagement with the potential to become future champions in these areas. Candidates must be based at the University of Cambridge University at the point of submission and a strong link to research conducted at the University must be evidenced.

Established academic

Open to academic staff (excluding PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and research fellows) who have demonstrated excellence in impact and engagement as an integral part of their research career. A strong link to research conducted at the University of Cambridge must be evidenced.

This category includes awards for both individual academics and for research teams.

Professional services

This award recognises the commitment and excellence of University professional services staff in facilitating and supporting researchers and academics in research impact and engagement activities. Staff with Public Engagement and Impact in their job description are also eligible to apply. 

Collaboration award

This category welcomes applications from teams and partnerships engaged in impact and engagement activity. Teams can be composed of members from all career stages and external partners. A strong link to research conducted at the University of Cambridge must be evidenced. 

The winners

A group of university students discuss ideas as they walk to class; they are all wearing smart casual clothing.

Early Career Researcher Award

Winner: Charles Agbor Emogor
Department of Zoology
School of Biological Sciences

Runners up:
- Dr Ems Lord, NRICH, Faculty of Mathematics, School of Physical Sciences
- Dr Sophia Cooke, Department of Geography, School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Established Academic Award

Winner: Dr Jenny Molloy
Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
School of Technology

Runners up:
- Professor Khaled Soufani, Cambridge Judge Business School, School of Technology
- Dr Jodi Gardner, Faculty of Law, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Professional Services Award

Winner: Dr Marla Fuchs
Department of Plant Sciences
School of Biological Sciences

Runners up:
- Rebecca Leam and Owen Garling Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Department of Politics and International Studies, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Collaboration Award

Winner: Professor Stefan Scholtes
The Cambridge Centre for Health Leadership and Enterprise
Judge Business School
School of Technology

Runners up:
- Dr Lara Mani, Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, School of Arts and Humanities
- Professor Tony Kouzarides, Milner Therapeutics Institute, School of Biological Sciences
- Dr Johannes Lenhard, Max Planck Cambridge Centre for Ethics, Economy and Social Change, Department of Social Anthropology, School of Arts and Humanities

Established Academic Award

Winner: Professor Daniela De Angelis
MRC Biostatistics Unit
School of Clinical Medicine

Runners up:
- Dr Fiona Mayne, Education, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Professor Tony Kouzarides, Gurdon Institute, Biological Sciences
- Dr Alessandro Launaro, Faculty of Classics, School of Arts and Humanities

Early Career Researcher Award

Winner: Dr Jan van der Scheer
The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute
Department of Public Health and Primary Care
School of Clinical Medicine

Runners up:
- Dr Kate Noble, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Arts and Humanities
- Professor Ewan St. John Smith, Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences
- Dr Ebele Mogo, MRC Epidemiology Unit, Technology

Collaboration Award

Winner: Professor Howard Griffiths
Department of Plant Sciences
School of Biological Sciences

Runners up:
- Professor Duncan McFarlane, Institute for Manufacturing / Department of Engineering, School of Technology
- Professor Robert N. M. Watson, Computer Science and Technology, School of Technology
- Dr Raghib Ali, MRC Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine

Established Academic Award

Winner: Dr Duncan Astle
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
School of Clinical Medicine

Runners up:
- Dr Joseph Webster, Faculty of Divinity, School of Arts and Humanities

Early Career Researcher Award

Winner: Dr Chioma Achi
Veterinary Medicine
School of Biological Sciences

Runners up:
- Emma Soneson, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine
- Dr Naures Atto, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies/Middle Eastern Studies, School of Arts and Humanities
- Dr Nicki Kindersley, Faculty of History, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Collaboration Award

Winner: Professor Michael Weekes and
Dr Steven Baker
Cambridge Institute for Medical Research /Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease School of Clinical Medicine

Runners up:
- Dr Victoria Avery, Dr Melissa Calaresu and Dr Miranda Stearn, Fitzwilliam Museum, Applied Arts / Faculty of History / Fitzwilliam Museum, Learning and Engagement Non-School Institution, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Online and Remote Engagement Award

Winner: Professor Michael Ramage Department of Architecture
School of Arts and Humanities

Runners up:
- Centre for Geopolitics, Department of Politics and International Studies, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Professional Services Award

Winner: Dr Rosalyn Wade
Museum of Zoology
School of Biological Sciences

Early Career Researcher Award

Winner: Charles Agbor Emogor
Department of Zoology
School of Biological Sciences

Runners up:
- Dr Ems Lord, NRICH, Faculty of Mathematics, School of Physical Sciences
- Dr Sophia Cooke, Department of Geography, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Established Academic Award

Winner: Dr Jenny Molloy Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology School of Technology

Runners up:
- Professor Khaled Soufani, Cambridge Judge Business School, School of Technology
- Dr Jodi Gardner, Faculty of Law, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Professional Services Award

Winner: Dr Marla Fuchs
Department of Plant Sciences School of Biological Sciences

Runners up:
- Rebecca Leam and Owen Garling, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Department of Politics and International Studies, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Collaboration Award

Winner: Professor Stefan Scholtes
The Cambridge Centre for Health Leadership and Enterprise
Judge Business School
School of Technology

Runners up:
- Dr Lara Mani, Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, School of Arts and Humanities
- Professor Tony Kouzarides, Milner Therapeutics Institute, School of Biological Sciences
- Dr Johannes Lenhard, Max Planck Cambridge Centre for Ethics, Economy and Social Change, Department of Social Anthropology, School of Arts and Humanities

Established Academic Award

Winner: Professor Daniela De Angelis
MRC Biostatistics Unit
School of Clinical Medicine

Runners up:
- Dr Fiona Mayne, Education, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Professor Tony Kouzarides, Gurdon Institute, Biological Sciences
- Dr Alessandro Launaro, Faculty of Classics, School of Arts and Humanities

Early Career Researcher Award

Winner: Dr Jan van der Scheer
The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute Department of Public Health and Primary Care
School of Clinical Medicine

Runners up:
- Dr Kate Noble, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Arts and Humanities
- Professor Ewan St. John Smith, Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences
- Dr Ebele Mogo, MRC Epidemiology Unit, Technology

Collaboration Award

Winner: Professor Howard Griffiths
Department of Plant Sciences School of Biological Sciences

Runners up:
- Professor Duncan McFarlane, Institute for Manufacturing / Department of Engineering, School of Technology
- Professor Robert N. M. Watson, Computer Science and Technology, School of Technology
- Dr Raghib Ali, MRC Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine

Established Academic Award

Winner: Dr Duncan Astle
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
School of Clinical Medicine

Runners up:
- Dr Joseph Webster, Faculty of Divinity, School of Arts and Humanities

Early Career Researcher Award

Winner: Dr Chioma Achi
Veterinary Medicine
School of Biological Sciences

Runners up:
- Emma Soneson, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine
- Dr Naures Atto, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies/Middle Eastern Studies, School of Arts and Humanities
- Dr Nicki Kindersley, Faculty of History, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Collaboration Award

Winner: Professor Michael Weekes and Dr Steven Baker Cambridge Institute for Medical Research/Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease
School of Clinical Medicine

Runners up:
- Dr Victoria Avery, Dr Melissa Calaresu and Dr Miranda Stearn, Fitzwilliam Museum, Applied Arts / Faculty of History / Fitzwilliam Museum, Learning and Engagement Non-School Institution, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Online and Remote Engagement Award

Winner: Professor Michael Ramage
Department of Architecture School of Arts and Humanities

Runners up:
- Centre for Geopolitics, Department of Politics and International Studies, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Professional Services Award

Winner: Dr Rosalyn Wade
Museum of Zoology
School of Biological Sciences

How to apply

person using laptop computer

Guidance and application forms for award categories

Before you start completing the application forms we recommend looking at the PDF document of the applications so that you can prepare your answers and documents in advance.  Only start filling the online form once you are ready to submit.

We recognise that excellence in research impact and engagement spans a broad range of audiences and types of activity. Applicants are encouraged to include the full breadth of their impact and engagement activity in their submission.

Engaging stakeholders and beneficiaries in original and inventive ways helps reach new audiences. We encourage applications which can demonstrate either impactful long-term collaborations or imaginative approaches that have secured the participation of new beneficiaries and partners.

  • Activity, attitude, awareness, behaviour, capacity, opportunity, performance, policy, practice, process or understanding
  • A stakeholder, audience, beneficiary, community, constituency, organisation or individuals
  • Any geographic location whether locally, regionally, nationally or internationally
  • The reduction or prevention of harm, risk, cost or other negative effects
  • Major impacts on curricula and teaching pedagogy which extend significantly beyond the University of Cambridge
  • Research communication through a variety of media
  • Engagement with research through festivals, exhibitions, performances, partnerships with arts, heritage and cultural and community organisations
  • Engagement with policy-makers
  • Engagement through business and industry collaborations
  • Engagement with any other non-academic stakeholder group which has potential for social, economic and/or cultural impact
  • Commercialisation of research through spin-outs and licensing
  • Partnerships with public services including the wider education sector and schools, NHS, local government, government agencies, and other public bodies