Celebrating Essex research

The very best of Essex research was recognised at the Celebrating Excellence in Research and Impact Awards 2020.

The annual awards, which this year were held online with academics giving short presentations about their projects, showcase how our research is having a positive impact on people’s everyday lives.

Essex research helps to shape thinking and influence policy in this country and across the globe and this year’s winners ranged from an assessment of the UK’s free childcare policy to creating new international guidelines for investigating violations during armed conflicts. There were also projects to help improve business efficiency, conserve marine environments and increase people’s enjoyment of heritage sites.

Professor Christine Raines, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research, said: “This year we have combined two events into one to celebrate the amazing success of our academics and the impact their work is having on society. The entries demonstrate the astonishing breadth of our work and show how experts in different departments look at issues from entirely different perspectives, but are able to work together to use research to make the world a better place.”

The awards are open to all academics, researchers and doctoral students and signal the University’s commitment to world-class research that makes a difference.

Awards were given to early career researchers, who have produced outstanding research and demonstrated strong future potential, and to research champions – more senior academics who have a significant track record of outstanding research and who have shown leadership in supporting others in their research. There were also awards in the following categories: creative and cultural, enterprise and innovation, international research, UK public policy and interdisciplinary research.

The authors of Essex’s best-read articles in The Conversation – the news-based website, written by academics, were also recognised.