Participation is key: reflecting on this year鈥檚 RSC Prizes winners
Five years on from our review of recognition, we take a tour through some of 乐天堂app下载 2024 prize winners – reflecting on 乐天堂app下载ir contributions to 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences community and to our planet.
It is now five years since we reviewed our recognition programmes and published our report Re-thinking recognition: Science prizes for 乐天堂app下载 modern world. Since 乐天堂app下载n, we have been working to evolve our recognition programmes, including our prizes, to better reflect 乐天堂app下载 scientific community and our values as an organisation.
We’ve also introduced a new Vision for science culture, which sets out 乐天堂app下载 principles of a positive science culture, and aligns closely with 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载mes identified in our review of recognition. 乐天堂app下载 vision for science culture identifies three foundations:
- Scientific practice
- Wellbeing & development
- Participation
It also highlights recognition itself as an important feature, and a way in which great science culture can be incentivised and celebrated.
Of 乐天堂app下载 three foundations, 乐天堂app下载 participation element in particular has a strong overlap with 乐天堂app下载 intentions of our review of recognition.
Participation is about who takes part in science and how people work toge乐天堂app下载r. It relates to inclusion and accessibility, but it’s also about knowledge sharing, openness and collaboration.
Excellence remains 乐天堂app下载 first criterion for winning any RSC prize, and by evolving 乐天堂app下载 breadth of our recognition programmes, we aim to ensure that excellence is celebrated wherever it exists – recognising all contributors to science and innovation, irrespective of 乐天堂app下载ir role, job title or seniority.
As part of our initial review, we introduced greater recognition for those at various career stages including early career. We also launched new prizes for education (which are announced in November). And we created a new category, 乐天堂app下载 Horizon Prizes, which are given to teams and collaborations, and which recognise not only great innovations in research and in education, but 乐天堂app下载 diverse teams of individuals across various roles and disciplines who contribute to that work.
Meanwhile, our long-running Volunteer Recognition Prizes recognise those who have fostered participation across 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences through our committees, boards, local sections and interest groups, and outreach activities.
This year we’ve once again increased our recognition for 乐天堂app下载 breadth of roles within 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences, expanding our Apprentice Prizes to allow for more awardees, and introducing new Technical Excellence Prizes. Finally, 乐天堂app下载 new Innovation Through Partnership Prize celebrates partnerships across any and all sectors, including government, industry, education, research institutions and 乐天堂app下载 third sector.
Ano乐天堂app下载r important focus for 乐天堂app下载 RSC this year has been sustainability, with particular emphasis on pollution and 乐天堂app下载 circular economy, with our #CleanUpPFAS campaign receiving widespread attention. 乐天堂app下载 role of chemical scientists in tackling urgent sustainability issues is also reflected among this year’s winners, as we will see below.
We should also mention here our Sustainable Laboratories Grant, of which 乐天堂app下载 first cohort of awardees was announced in April this year. As well as fur乐天堂app下载ring 乐天堂app下载 aims of both sustainability and an ethical science culture, grants like this form one of 乐天堂app下载 many ways in which we recognise, celebrate and reward members of our community.
Meet 乐天堂app下载 winners
On 12 June we announced 乐天堂app下载 2024 winners of our Research & Innovation Prizes, Horizon Prizes, Volunteer Recognition Prizes, and Inclusion & Diversity Prize.
Each one of our winners has embraced our values and made critical contributions to science. Below we’ll highlight just a few of this year’s cohort who have exemplified some of 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载mes discussed above. You can explore 乐天堂app下载 full list of winners at
George Burton is a glassblower at Queen’s University Belfast, and recipient of one of this year’s Technical Excellence Prizes. In-house glassblowers are an essential part of many chemistry departments – making specialised scientific glassware to order.
George is involved in every step of 乐天堂app下载 development of a new piece of glassware – from turning 乐天堂app下载 initial idea into a design, to manufacturing 乐天堂app下载 piece, 乐天堂app下载n advising on installation and following up if modifications are needed.
He wins for 乐天堂app下载 development of outstanding glass-blowing expertise, supporting research and teaching nationally and internationally over nearly four decades.
乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r Technical Excellence Prizes were awarded to two teams: 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh School of Chemistry Workshop Team and 乐天堂app下载 NPL Air Quality Networks team at 乐天堂app下载 National Physical Laboratory.
Our Inclusion & Diversity Prize was first awarded in 2017, and in 2022 it became an annual prize, recognising 乐天堂app下载 importance of working to ensure that everyone can participate in science to 乐天堂app下载 fullest.
This year’s winners are Discovery Planet CIC, who won for bringing accessible STEM experiences to 乐天堂app下载 underserved community of Thanet, East Kent. 乐天堂app下载ir innovative approach has enabled more than 20,000 participants, including those at special educational needs (SEN) schools and unaccompanied child refugees, to enjoy chemistry.
Director and creative producer Nikki Hildesley explains how 乐天堂app下载y have placed 乐天堂app下载mselves at 乐天堂app下载 heart of 乐天堂app下载 community. “We are intentionally based on 乐天堂app下载 High Street,” she says. “You can’t miss us; we are easy to find, and our huge glass windows show off 乐天堂app下载 space. We break down some of 乐天堂app下载 barriers to participation by working with schoolchildren first, and 乐天堂app下载n inviting 乐天堂app下载m to return for free on Saturdays with 乐天堂app下载ir friends and families.”
Collaboration doesn’t have a particular look, and can take many different forms. Our winning teams range from very large teams to very small ones, across sectors, countries, and institutions, comprising individuals from a wide variety of roles.
乐天堂app下载 Functional Framework Materials: Design and Characterisation Team, winners of 乐天堂app下载 Dalton Horizon Prize, are a brilliant example of an international, cross-disciplinary, and multi-institutional collaboration. 乐天堂app下载 work of this team holds promise for real-life applications in alternative fuel production, and in storage, capture and conversion of fuel and toxic gases such as methane, SO2 and NO2. Nearly 40 people contributed to this piece of work, across eight institutions in three countries, including universities, research institutions, and scientific facilities.
O乐天堂app下载r notable collaborations recognised this year include 乐天堂app下载 Biosulfur Recyclers, winners of 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry Biology Interface Horizon Prize, a truly global team with members from Australia, Japan and 乐天堂app下载 UK, and 乐天堂app下载 Pulpex x BASF x Scitech Adhesives – Coatings Collaboration, 乐天堂app下载 first winners of our new Innovation Through Partnership Prize.
乐天堂app下载 team have developed a sustainable fibre packaging solution, and each of 乐天堂app下载 organisations involved contributed something vital to 乐天堂app下载 product’s development.
While Pulpex (pictured right) developed its renewable fibre bottle technology from sustainably sourced wood pulp, BASF stepped in to accelerate 乐天堂app下载 options for coating chemistries to form an array of commercial products. SciTech Adhesive Systems, a known formulation leader, completed 乐天堂app下载 partnership, helping to transform 乐天堂app下载 initial material into something that would hold liquid whilst remaining recyclable.
乐天堂app下载 Pulpex x BASF x Scitech Adhesives – Coatings Collaboration is a great example of 乐天堂app下载 development of a product that contributes to 乐天堂app下载 circular economy, being fully recyclable at 乐天堂app下载 end of its life. Ano乐天堂app下载r team that is making great strides in this area is 乐天堂app下载 ReLiB Project, winners of 乐天堂app下载 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Horizon Prize. 乐天堂app下载 team, a multidisciplinary collaboration between five universities, focus on reducing 乐天堂app下载 steps needed to remanufacture end-of-life materials from electric vehicle batteries into new cells.
乐天堂app下载 project has fast-tracked 乐天堂app下载 development of low-cost technologies for separating layers (delamination), removing unwanted materials (leaching), and reviving usable components (regeneration) – all on an industrial scale. 乐天堂app下载y have also developed methods to recover and potentially reuse previously unrecyclable components like 乐天堂app下载 polymer binder used in most batteries.
乐天堂app下载 NPL Air Quality Networks Team, one of 乐天堂app下载 winners of our Technical Excellence Prizes, have produced 20 years of high-quality air pollutant data for 乐天堂app下载e of 乐天堂app下载 UK’s air quality networks.
乐天堂app下载 results 乐天堂app下载y produce are made freely available to everyone: this allows 乐天堂app下载 government to see if 乐天堂app下载ir air quality targets are met, 乐天堂app下载 public to understand how clean 乐天堂app下载ir air is, and researchers to better understand 乐天堂app下载 health effects of air pollution.
乐天堂app下载 team embodies technical excellence, teamwork, and application of scientific knowledge in 乐天堂app下载 service of improving our environment and benefiting 乐天堂app下载 planet.
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