REF Research Prize Awards Nominees Announced
As part of the University's commitment to recognising research excellence, we are once again hosting the REF Research Prize awards scheme. This is designed to recognise research excellence by academic and professional support staff within the context of progress towards the REF2029 Research Excellence Framework assessment.
The scheme will also serve to support our development of the People, Culture and Environment (PCE) element of our submission.
All nominations were reviewed by a Panel, with the Final Winners announced on Tuesday 2nd September during the final session of the first day of the TIRIAE conference. This marked a fitting conclusion to the first day of the conference and an upbeat start to the new academic year.
The Nominees in each category are listed below. They are all deemed to be ‘Highly Commended’. The winners, announced at the special ceremony in the Deane Lecture Theatre on Tuesday 2nd September, are also listed below.
Professor Patrick McGhee, Chair of the Awards Panel said “I am delighted that we have had a large number of excellent nominations, and it has been a difficult task for the Panel to select a shortlist in each category. The 3rd of September event will be a great opportunity to celebrate research excellence at the University. Congratulations to all the shortlisted nominees”.
Early Career Researcher (ECR) of the Year
WINNER
Dr Aleeza Khan –Nursing
NOMINATED
Dr Adil Mustafa - Engineering
Dr Ana Campos – Psychology
Emma Fazackerley–Arts and Creative Technologies
Dr Joshua Ikani Negedu - GMBS
Dr Paul Watson - Psychology
Book of the Year
WINNER
Unleashing Greatness (2024) - Prof David Hopkins
NOMINATED
Leadership During a Crisis: A Focus on Leadership Development (Routledge Studies in Leadership and Leadership Development (2024) – Prof Christian Harrison (editor)
Same Difference (2022) – Dr Ben Wilkinson
Don Paterson (2021) – Dr Ben Wilkinson
Unleashing Greatness (2024) - Prof David Hopkins
Thinking Through Practice (2025) – Dr Tom Sutton
Why Mindfulness Is Not Enough: Unlocking Compassion with Equanimity – Dr Joey Weber
Research Article of the Year
WINNER
Flame retardants for epoxy resins: Application‐related challenges and solutions. Journal of Vinyl & Additive Technology, Kandola, B. K., Magnoni, F., & Ebdon, J. R. (2022). 28(1), 17-49.
NOMINATED
An international validation of the Bolton Unistride scale (BUSS) of tenacity Kannangara, C., Allen, R., Hochard, K. D., & Carson, J. PloS One (2022)
Flame retardants for epoxy resins: Application‐related challenges and solutions. Journal of Vinyl & Additive Technology, Kandola, B. K., Magnoni, F., & Ebdon, J. R. (2022). 28(1), 17-49.
Language games: the gendered politics of the speech act in Ben Lerner's ‘The Topeka School’ V. O’Riordan –Textual Practice (2022/2023)
Pointer-based item-to-item collaborative filtering recommendation system using a machine learning model. International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making (2022) - Celestine Iwendi
The United Kingdom’s National Early Warning Score: should everyone use it? A narrative review. Intern Emerg Med Holland, M., Kellett, J. (2023)
Why health anxiety needs NICE clinical guidelines (2024) - Robin Bailey - The Lancet. Psychiatry, (2024)
Creative Output of the Year
WINNER
ARChive Stories exhibition – Donna Claypool (Bolton Museum)
NOMINATED
While We Can – Liam Ainscough | 13th September 2024 - 5th October 2024 Hive Gallery
ARChive Stories exhibition – Donna Claypool (Bolton Museum)
Same Difference – Dr Ben Wilkinson – (Poetry collection)
Stitchography workshops & exhibition – Dr Faye Power-Griggs
Maker Project [Re]Connected (Hive Gallery) – Dr Tom Sutton
Research Team of the Year
WINNER
Creative:Ed School of Arts / School of Education (joint team)
NOMINATED
GREAT Research Team - School of Arts & Creative Technologies
Creative:Ed School of Arts / School of Education (joint team)
UoGM AI literacy team - Greater Manchester Business School
Centre for Applied Computer Science & the Centre of Intelligence of Things (CIoTh), Creative Technologies
Research Technician of the Year
WINNER
Roxana Allison - Technical Services Officer – Photography - School of Arts and Creative Technologies
Research Support Professional of the Year
WINNER
Rebecca Harris – School of Arts & Creative Technologies
NOMINATED
Rebecca Harris – School of Arts & Creative Technologies
Donna Zarei – REF Unit
Mark Price – School Education
Research Mentor of the Year
WINNER
Prof Jill Marsden (Arts & Creative Technologies)
NOMINATED
Prof Jerome Carson (Psychology)
Dr Giliane McKelvin (Midwifery)
Rebecca Harris (Arts & Creative Technologies)
Prof Jill Marsden (Arts & Creative Technologies)
Professor Paul Hollins (REF Unit)
Impact Case Study of the Year
WINNER
Play 2 Act UNDP – GREAT team - Professor Paul Hollins
NOMINATED
Play 2 Act UNDP – GREAT team - Professor Paul Hollins
Detection and Prevention of fire hazards in applications involving polymers / polymeric composites – Professor Baljinder Kandola
Hummingbird – Dr Chathurika Kannangara & Professor Jerome Carson
Gamifying Climate Action – GREAT TEAM
Research School of the Year
WINNER
School of Education
School of Arts & Creative Technologies
NOMINATED
Greater Manchester Business School
School of Arts & Creative Technologies
School of Education
School of Engineering
School of Health
School of Law
School of Medicine
School of Psychology
Professor Jerome Carson