The Vice Chancellor's Impact Prize
Dr Karl Malcolm, Professor Phil Scraton, Professor Sir Peter Gregson and Professor Jim Swindall
The scope, ambition and success of the research portfolio at Queen’s was recognised by the first Vice-Chancellor’s Impact prizes, which were announced at the gala dinner of the Chief Executives Club in December. Ten outstanding researchers from a range of disciplines cross the University were shortlisted for work which is delivering major societal benefit.
WINNER 2012: Professor Phil Scraton, School of Law
The Hillsborough Independent Panel 2009-2012
Professor Scraton’s forensic analysis of the death of ninety six men, women and children in the Hillsborough disaster has led to an apology from the Prime Minister in Parliament and a review of the UK’s emergency response to disasters. His continued engagement with the families of the bereaved and approach to the analysis have set a new precedent for how governments should respond to such events.
2013 Competition
A call for nominations for the Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Prize 2013 has been issued
- Nominations are invited based on the work of Queen’s research staff, describing how potential end-users of their research have been engaged with and included in their work to deliver impact.
- The ten Shortlisted Applicants will be invited to attend, along with a guest, the University’s Chief Executive Club’s Gala Dinner and award ceremony on Friday 15 November 2013, where the winners will be announced and the prizes awarded.
- The prize will consist of a contribution to the winning group’s research budget.
- A second prize will be awarded for the best submission based on the work of an early career researcher.
- Nominations are to be submitted through Directors of Research, approved by Head of School.
- Nominations should be received no later than Friday, 18 October 2013.
- Applicants who submitted to the 2012 VC Impact award competition are invited to re-submit, provided they are not submitting one of the ten shortlisted applications from that year.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Prize 2013 has been given the theme of ‘Future Impact’, recognising that we must focus on developing early stage impact with strong potential . An important part of bringing research outside of academia is ensuring that the potential end-users of that research are consulted with, and included in a research project from the earliest stages. Across Queen’s, projects are being undertaken in collaboration with external organisations, and panels of users are being included in research programmes to provide advice and guidance throughout.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Prize 2013 aims to highlight and recognise that work.
Additionally, to recognise the work of Queen’s researchers at the beginning of their careers, a separate prize will be awarded for the best submission based on the work of an Early Career Researcher
The Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Prize is open to all disciplines and each Director of Research is invited to select one nominee from their cluster. Should the first nominee not be an Early Career Researcher, defined as someone who was first employed in a position with a research component after the 1st of August 2009, an additional nomination may be made based on the work of an Early Career Researcher. The Prize winners will be decided by a panel comprising members of academic staff, Research and Enterprise staff, and representatives of external stakeholders. In line with the Research Excellence Framework (REF) definition of impact, the panel will be looking for activities that are designed to achieve an ‘effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia’.
The panel will assess nominations on the efforts taken to include end-users in the research programme described, the progress made to date on the pathway to impact and the potential impact that the programme is likely to achieve. It is required that nominations are based on projects that are already underway, nominations based on work that has yet to take place will not be considered.
The research upon which the nominations are based should be taking place, at least in part, at Queen’s University Belfast.
The winner will receive a contribution of £5,000 to their research group’s budget, and the winner of Early Career Researcher prize will also receive a contribution of £5,000 to their research group’s budget. Awards will be paid directly to the School for use by the researcher’s group.
Submission of nominations is now open, and all submissions should be received by the Research and Enterprise Directorate (p.graham@qub.ac.uk) no later than Friday, 18th October 2013.
For further information contact:
Philip Graham (Phone: 0289097 2589: Mobile 07711126638 Email: p.graham@qub.ac.uk)
