go to:  2009 | 2007 | 2005 | 2002 | 2000 | 1998 | 1996 | 1994 or browse by subject Education & Training Aberdeen College Delivering skills in the oil and gas industry and supporting community integration The College provides world-class, specialised training for the oil and gas industry, both on campus and overseas, using state-of-the-art equipment, facilities and simulations. In addition, by providing both English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and vocational courses to the community, it has helped many local, non-native speakers to pursue their education or find jobs. Its work has therefore helped export UK knowledge and skills in a critical sector and also promoted community integration. http://www.abcol.ac.uk Science & Mathematics Aberystwyth University Combining plant breeding and genetics research to improve farming and combat climate change The University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences is a world leader in plant breeding and genetics, successfully developing new varieties of grasses and crops that give farmers a greater yield while also reducing greenhouse gases. The Institute’s interdisciplinary approach and close industrial links enables students to combine practical and theoretical skills, thereby helping to produce the next generation of plant breeders and crop scientists in the UK. http://www.aber.ac.uk Medicine, Health & Welfare Cardiff University Tackling violence through research, new use of data and original collaborations between medicine and criminal justice Taking a multidisciplinary approach to health and criminal justice, while also developing groundbreaking partnerships with the police, NHS and local authorities, Cardiff University’s Violence and Society Research Group has helped achieve big cuts in community violence. In Cardiff, it identified ‘hot spots’ for alcohol-related violence; subsequent police action has delivered unusually large reductions in the number of assaults for eight consecutive years. The Group’s prototype Crime Reduction Partnership has since become a standard practice across the UK. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk International Dimensions University of East Anglia Alleviating poverty in developing countries through environmental sustainability The interdisciplinary approach of the University’s School of International Development has produced pioneering research into the links between resources management, poverty alleviation and wider political economy. Alongside many other projects, it has had considerable success in tackling land and forest degradation and water conservation in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The University has also established a not-for-profit organisation to maximise the School’s practical contribution to global development in an age of climate change. http://www.uea.ac.uk Engineering & Technology Edinburgh Napier University Innovative housing construction for environmental benefit and quality of life Working extensively with house builders and regulators, the University has pioneered new standards for sound insulation and established a non-profit organisation, Robust Details Ltd, to embed these standards throughout the construction industry. Around 100,000 new homes each year are now built using the University’s designs, bringing efficiency savings worth £40 million per year. The new standards also achieve significant improvements in noise reduction, improving residents’ quality of life and generating considerable interest abroad. http://www.napier.ac.uk Humanities, Social Sciences & Law University of Essex Advancing the legal and broader practice of international human rights Over 25 years, the University’s Human Rights Centre has built itself a pre-eminent reputation for interdisciplinary teaching that embraces not only human rights law but also philosophy, political theory and sociology. It has an outstanding record for innovative research, publication and practice and its faculty members often advise the United Nations, Amnesty and other international organisations. The Centre’s expertise has enhanced the UK’s international reputation, while its alumni continue to advance human rights around the world. http://www.essex.ac.uk Medicine, Health & Welfare Keele University Pioneering early intervention and primary care in the management of chronic pain Over the past decade, the University’s Primary Care Research Centre has worked closely with general practices, the public and user groups to become an international leader in the field of chronic pain primary care. It has pioneered new treatment techniques for chronic pain and osteoarthritis and helped develop national policy guidelines and practices for the treatment of back pain. In 2008, the Arthritis Research Campaign named Keele as its National Primary Care Centre. http://www.keele.ac.uk Medicine, Health & Welfare King’s College London International collaborations promoting excellence in mental health care The distinctively person-centred approach to mental health care taken by the College’s Health Service and Population Research Group has produced more reliable assessments of individuals’ mental health needs. Its research has impacted mental health strategies for areas such as ante- and post-natal care, depression and schizophrenia in the UK and overseas. The Group’s extensive collaboration in more than 80 countries has led to interventions informed by local knowledge, as well as cost-effective new treatments. http://www.kcl.ac.uk Science & Mathematics University of Lancaster Plant science applied to water shortage, crop yield and global food security Tackling head on the global challenge of feeding seven billion people in an environmentally sustainable manner, the University’s Plant Sciences Group has leveraged the chemical signalling in plants to remarkable effect. Its innovative research has improved irrigation and optimised yield, saving water in the driest regions of the world. In turn, this has increased profitability for farmers and produced better conditions for local inhabitants, with important implications for fighting the effects of climate change. http://www.lancs.ac.uk Engineering & Technology The University of Leeds Forty years’ sustained excellence in teaching and applied research in transport The University’s Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) is a world leader in transport teaching and research. It covers the full spectrum of passenger and freight traffic, as well as pricing, safety, policy and environmental impact. Its innovative software can predict and simulate driver behaviour; other tools examine passenger choice between different modes of transport. ITS graduates hold key positions in transport planning organisations worldwide, giving the Institute enormous influence on national and international transport policies. http://www.leeds.ac.uk Medicine, Health & Welfare London School of Economics and Political Science Applying research to the advancement of global health and social care policy The LSE is a world leader in research on health and social care challenges. Its innovative methods and multidisciplinary approach has included the policy implications of demographic change and comparative health systems analysis. Successfully bridging the gap between research and policy, its work for the NHS has improved national stroke services and developed new models for community care management, while its five postgraduate programmes are training future leaders in health and social care policy worldwide. http://www2.lse.ac.uk Medicine, Health & Welfare Newcastle University Research on ageing, with important applications for health and care Life expectancy in the UK is increasing rapidly, giving enormous practical importance to the groundbreaking research of Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing and Health. By combining medicine, science and sociology, the Institute has pioneered research into the genetic and biological basis of ageing, while its work on dementia, nutrition and chromosome damage has contributed to ground-breaking national interventions, including the Face, Arm, Speech, Time (“F.A.S.T”) test for strokes. http://www.ncl.ac.uk Education & Training City College Norwich Enabling students with Aspergers Syndrome to access further education and employment Many colleges struggle to support students with Aspergers Syndrome (AS). City College Norwich, however, has developed a unique solution. In consultation with students with AS, it has established a safe learning environment, together with the Phoenix Purple education programme, enabling students with AS to access further education. The programme is structured to minimise anxiety, develop independence and help their progress to further education and employment. The specialist staff also support students with AS who are taking mainstream courses. http://www.ccn.ac.uk International Dimensions The Open University A major contribution to primary teacher education in Africa through a large-scale open learning programme (“TESSA”) ‘Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa’ (TESSA) is a pioneering initiative to train primary teachers in 13 African countries. Spearheaded by the Open University, working alongside African academics, TESSA’s web-based learning environment offers open learning resources that can be freely adapted according to local needs. Around 210,000 teachers were working with TESSA materials in 2009; this is estimated to double over the next two years and TESSA’s approach has also been extended to the health sector. http://www.open.ac.uk Humanities, Social Sciences & Law University of Oxford Museums, libraries and archives in support of research, learning and public education The University’s museums, libraries and archives are an exceptional resource, accessed by more than two million people each year. Now resources from seven institutions – including the Ashmolean Museum, the Beazley Archive and the Bodleian Library – are being taken out to local schools, shopping centres and other public places. The programme provides imaginative educational programmes for researchers, learners, children and the general public, thereby breathing new life into education for people of all ages and enriching their lives. http://www.ox.ac.uk Humanities, Social Sciences & Law University of Reading World-leading archaeology: making the past work for the present By integrating humanities and science-based methodologies, Reading has achieved outstanding and sustained success in the research, teaching and practice of archaeology. This success is underpinned by its Silchester Field School, which pioneered the dissemination of excavation results in digital form. By giving all undergraduate students a strong grounding in field-based excavation techniques and practice, Silchester provides Reading with highly sought-after specialist expertise – used most notably to help law enforcement agencies with forensics and environmental reconstruction. http://www.reading.ac.uk Humanities, Social Sciences & Law The School of Oriental and African Studies Specialised teaching of a wide range of African, Asian and Middle Eastern languages The School is a pioneer of innovative research and teaching of African, Asian and Middle Eastern languages. Every year, it teaches around 4,000 students an unrivalled range of languages, including combinations of lesser known African and Asian languages that are not taught anywhere else in the West. The School provides languages training for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its work in Urdu and other UK community languages is contributing to social cohesion across the country. http://www.soas.ac.uk Education & Training City of Sunderland College Delivering essential skills in maths and English to the community Since 2004, the college has enjoyed huge success in bringing essential maths and English skills to adult learners in the City of Sunderland. A flexible course design, robust recording and follow-up, online testing and imaginative marketing and delivery has seen ‘Test the City’ attract almost 11,000 enrolments in maths or English, with a success rate of 96% – well above the national average. Its approach has now been replicated in more than 100 institutions across the UK. http://www.citysun.ac.uk Education & Training Thames Valley University Pathways to skills, employment and higher education in the hospitality industry The hospitality industry has long suffered from a reputation for poor training and dead-end jobs. Thames Valley University is changing this. With strong support from across the industry, it delivers a structured programme of training that offers young people a clear route to further study and meaningful employment. Its Junior Chefs Academy helps students from many different backgrounds to find work with leading employers, while its degree-level programmes prepares students for positions of responsibility and leadership throughout the industry. http://www.tvu.ac.uk Engineering & Technology University of Warwick Long-term educational partnerships supporting UK competitiveness in manufacturing In 1980, the Warwick Manufacturing Group was the first industry-focused, modular graduate education programme. It is now a global venture involving more than 500 UK companies and 24,000 students, whose work has generated more than £80 million for the University. Its work has helped companies to achieve significant efficiencies and its methodologies for assessing organisational capability have been widely adopted across the UK and in many countries overseas. http://www.wmg.warwick.ac.uk Medicine, Health & Welfare University of York Influential research into social policy and practice producing significant benefits for society’s most vulnerable members Through its groundbreaking research into poverty, ageing, disability, chronic ill-health and family problems, the University’s Social Policy Research Unit has had a major impact on social policy and practice around the world. Its work has directly led to improved support for disabled children’s families, young people leaving care, frail older people living at home, carers and vulnerable families and individuals. Acknowledged as a leader in its field, the Unit’s research methods have been widely adopted abroad. http://www.york.ac.uk