R&I Awards 2024 Application Process

• Outstanding International Collaboration - This award celebrates international recognition of research & innovation activities, impact and outputs including citations. The research should deliver significant economic, social, cultural or other global reaching benefits.

• Outstanding Contribution to Civic Mission (Regional Stakeholder Engagement) -  This award recognises the work of outstanding research & innovation communicators who have demonstrated excellent engagement with the wider public Eligible activities include hosting school visits, talks, events, festivals, museum exhibitions, publishing and broadcasting. Applicants will need to demonstrate a measurable change in public understanding, behaviour or engagement with research.

• Outstanding Impact on Health & Wellbeing -  This award celebrates the impact of research & innovation in any discipline that is enhancing quality of life, health and wellbeing, with potential to deliver life-changing benefits for people across the world. Applicants will need to demonstrate a measurable change in new methods, understanding or engagement with research.

• Outstanding Impact of Science and Technology Beyond Academia -  This award celebrates impact arising from either industrial collaboration, or development of IP & commercialisation. Eligible activities include spin outs, licences, start-ups, consultancy, prototype development, pilot system, new models or improved industrial technologies. This includes advancements that have led to the development of new products, services, and processes that enhance efficiency, productivity, sustainability and competitiveness in industry. Applicants will need to demonstrate a measurable change in new methods, understanding or engagement with research.

• Outstanding Impact to the Arts, Culture and Society - This award celebrates research and innovation that has delivered significant and evident impact to the cultural and arts sectors. Eligible activities can include performances, exhibitions, festivals, books etc. Applicants will need to demonstrate a measurable change in understanding, behaviour or engagement with research.

• Outstanding Contribution to Shaping the University’s People, Culture and Environment - This award celebrates groups and/ or individuals that have helped support, shape, change, drive and make a difference to the University’s internal research & innovation environment. This could include a wide range of activities e.g. open research, leading others, project development, research integrity, Project Management, public engagement, professional services support, business development, etc. 

• Outstanding Research Supervision -  This award recognises a supervisor who has created the most supportive, stimulating and inspirational research environment for PhD or professional doctoral students. Approaches to supervision that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn and foster independent learning; respect and support for the development of students as individuals; how the supervisors’ supervision contributes to the research environment and community; provision of appropriate advice, including the provision of worthwhile feedback to students on their learning; scholarly activities that have influenced and enhanced research supervision could be included. Submissions will be accepted from students or supervisors colleagues, and student testimonies must be included.

• Rising star – Post Graduate Researcher -  This award aims to celebrate a postgraduate researcher who can demonstrate they are a research leader of the future. The applicants must be nominated by a colleague or supervisor.

• Rising star – Early Career Researcher (one shortlisted entry for each Faculty) - This award aims to identify individuals at an early stage in their careers who are set to significantly shape the research environment in their field. The applicants must be nominated by a colleague, supervisor or manager

• Outstanding Technician’s Commitment Award - This award will celebrate the invaluable role that Technical and support staff play within our research operations, who are the hidden backbone of the research community. We are looking to highlight those who have been instrumental in delivering support behind the scenes and enable our best research and innovation to happen and deliver outstanding impact to society. This award will go to those who have been nominated by their peers as going above and beyond to deliver the highest levels of support.

The closing date for the call is 14:00 on Wednesday 13th March 2024

Shortlisted nominees will be invited along with their collaborators to a high profile awards celebration on Friday 21st June 2024, at the Great Hall, Bay Campus.

The Awards celebration includes a pre-event drinks reception and networking, followed by dinner and the Awards Ceremony.

• All awards will be adjudicated by a core panel of senior University staff. This panel will be assisted by a team of external reviewers with expertise in each category, drawn from University contacts, sponsors and stakeholders.

• Judges will consider applications against the criteria and guidance outlined above for the application forms.

• Entrants are advised to bear in mind that submissions should be readily understandable for a lay audience.

• Please be aware that any personal or confidential information highlighted as such in your application will not be shared with external members of the panel. Please be sure your application will still show your impact and significance where any information cannot be shared.

• We intend to generate a shortlist of up to three candidates for each award category, which will be publicised in advance of the Swansea Research and Innovation Awards dinner on 21 June 2024.

• In exceptional circumstances, the panel reserve the right to shortlist more than three entries and potentially more than one winner per category.