Public Engagement Awards

Influence Award – Recognising activity where research has been used to influence a shift in attitudes or the way that things are done, whether this be organisational change, influencing policy or how people think about a topic and their actions.

Winner:
#ThinkHand
Gavin Giovannoni, Klaus Schmierer and Alison Thomson, Blizard Institute

Finalists:
Synergi’s Photovoice Project: Visual Reflections of Mental Health
Kristoffer Halvorsrud, Centre for Psychiatry
The Psychosis Therapy Project at Islington Mind, Mind in Haringey, African and Caribbean Mental Health Services, LMCP Care Link

Raising Awareness of the Human Rights of Victims of Domestic Abuse in the Family Courts
Shazia Choudhry, School of Law

Inspire Award – For those who have inspired others by finding creative and engaging ways to communicate their research; such as to raise young people’s aspirations or enthuse new and different audiences.

Winner:
Crafting interactive audio systems with e-textiles
Becky Stewart, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science

Finalists:
Finding Home, Finding Hope
Catherine Palmer, School of English and Drama and Jeremy Muguwe and Hannah Akhalu

Embodied Imagination: a performing arts and interactive technology workshop for stroke survivors
Lois Weaver, School of English and Drama
Patrick Healy and Rosella Paulina Galindo Esparza, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science

Interact Award – Recognising the partnerships, collaborations and community connections that are essential to public engagement, so seeks to celebrate excellent engagement and the partnerships which underpin these projects.

Winner:
SAROBMED
Violeta Moreno-Lax, School of Law

Finalist:
QMAP (Queen Mary Access Partnership)
Max Berrill, School of Medicine and Dentistry

Involve Award – For activity where the public can contribute their knowledge, expertise or time to research, such as citizen science, patient involvement and collaborative research projects.

Winner:
MUSICS (Magnetospheric Undulations Sonified Incorporating Citizen Scientists)
Martin Archer, School of Physics and Astronomy

Finalists:
Patient Powerhouse UK
David Collier, William Harvey Research Institute

Raising awareness of oral health in diabetes patients
Aylin Baysan, Ben Audsley and Charlotte Royal, Institute of Dentistry

The Hawking Award for Developed Understanding of Public Engagement Named for Lucy Hawking, novelist and daughter of Stephen Hawking, this award reflects Lucy’s qualities of reflexive, cooperative working, and her understanding of how to bring together research and engagement.
The award is given to an individual to acknowledge their critical thinking in the field of public engagement.

Winner:
Lois Weaver
Lois is a performance artist, writer, director, and activist. Her research interests include live art, solo performance, feminist and lesbian theatre, ageing, performance and human rights and the relationships between performance and public engagement.
She co-founded Spiderwoman Theatre, Split Britches Company, and the WOW Theatre in New York, and was also the Artistic Director of Gay Sweatshop Theatre and the AiR Supply Collective in London, and has been a Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellow.
Her experiments with performance as a means of public engagement have developed methods including the Long Table, Care Cafes, and her performance persona Tammy WhyNot. Her dedication to public engagement is exemplary, and we are proud and delighted to present her with this award.

The Garriott Award for Leadership in Public Engagement
Named for Richard Garriott, entrepreneur and astronaut, this award reflects Richard’s qualities of innovation and leadership, being at the forefront of his field.
The award is given to a project to reflect the extensive work they have done in pushing forward the public engagement agenda, and developing others around them.

Winner:
The Legal Advice Centre