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Engagement and Place Awards 2025

Our Engagement and Place Awards recognise and celebrate great examples of collaboration with different publics. They showcase how the benefits of our research and teaching go beyond the University.

About the Awards

We honour projects displaying the diverse ways University colleagues and students work with external partners and communities.

The awards recognise many innovative collaborations between the University and its external partners. These bring value to the social, cultural and economic wellbeing in our city, region and across the globe.

We're delighted to announce our award winners and shortlisted projects for the Engagement Engagement and Place Awards 2025 below.

Engaging for Health and Wellbeing

The Engaging for Health & Wellbeing Award is for colleagues wanting engage to create a world in which we all live healthier, happier and longer lives.

Winner

The challenge of Parkinson’s in Tanzania - Dr Tash Fothergill-Misbah

This engagement work explores evidence of multiple complex challenges surrounding Parkinson’s in Tanzania, in collaboration with ongoing research through the TraPCAf project.

 

Nominated projects

Twinkle, Twinkle Arti - Dr Cassey Muir, Dr Ruth McGovern, Ms Debbie Smart

This storybook and read-along video helps to start important conversations with young children about how alcohol and drugs can affect their feelings and lives.

Community and Public Health Dietetics Placements - NU Dietetics Team

Newcastle University’s Dietetics team and partners offer placements for dietetics students. This gives students valuable hands-on experience, while offering free, evidence-based nutrition support to underserved communities.

Engaging for Economic Benefit

This category celebrates colleagues who engage with entrepreneurs, businesses and not-for-profit organisations. The aim is to generate economic benefit for the University and its partners through innovation and knowledge exchange.

Winner

Northumbrian Water KTP -Harry Laing, Anthony Browne, Chris O’Malley, Mark Willis

This Newcastle University project has delivered economic benefit to Northumbrian Water. It has identified ways to improve operational strategies to keep costs low for customers.

 

 

Nominated projects

Business Community Engagement - Fiona Thompson and Jane Brown

This project focused on 109 different Live Clients who have benefited from working with our students. This created new learning, collaborative engagement and economic benefit.

Bridges Internship Scheme - Sarah Carnegie, Director of Employability

This funded internship programme connects talented students with small local businesses. The scheme was led by the Business Partnership Team, Graduate Outcomes Team and Business School Career Consultants.

Engaging for Societal and Environmental Benefit

This category celebrates projects adding value in our society to tackle global environmental challenges.

Winner

Indigenous Visualities of Climate Crisis - Dr Angelos Theocharis

This project examines the impact of the climate crisis on indigenous cultural heritage through short films created by vulnerable communities in South and Southeast Asia.

 

 

Nominated projects

The 5G Innovation Regions Agritech Project (Northeast) - NU Farms 5GIR Team

This project is revolutionising farming through cutting-edge wireless sensor technology. It enables farmers to optimise soil health, measure methane emissions and enhance sustainability.

Fenham Pocket Park - Daniel Mallo and Armelle Tardiveau

Ongoing engagement and meaningful collaborations with Friends of Fenham Pocket Park transformed an unused urban space into a lively space where people and nature thrive.

Engaging for Cultural Benefit

This category describes projects contributing to the vibrancy and cultural richness of our region.

Winner

Space Investigators: Astronomy in the North East - Dr Vicky Fawcett

This project has documented and celebrated 100s of years of astronomical innovation and technological development in the North East of England.

 

Nominated projects

Concrete Dreams - Farrell Centre

An eight-month project exploring how Newcastle was transformed in the 1960s and 1970s and how we might reimagine the city of today.

We All Came Here From Somewhere - Sophie Ellis

In the wake of far-right riots in the UK, this exhibition at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art asked how art can facilitate welcome.

Engaging with Policy and Practice

This category recognises projects that inform policy through research, teaching and knowledge exchange. They will explore challenges created by contemporary societal, economic, environmental and cultural issues.

Winner

Beaver Population Sim App - Zelda van der Waal, Mark Shirley and Aileen Mill

The Beaver App was developed through collaboration with other academics and environment agencies to support policy implementation.

 

Nominated projects

Ocean of Peace - Professor Sue Farran

A research project to understand citizen perceptions of Fiji Prime Minister’s policy concept of the Pacific as 'an ocean of peace'.

Innovating Democracy in Scotland - Prof Stephen Elstub

This research has influenced the initiation, design, and evaluation of mini-publics. They make important contributions to political debate, policy, and scrutiny in Scotland.

Inclusive Education, Life Long Learning and CPD

This category celebrates collaborative projects with external partners that enrich the learning experience and knowledge of our students and learners.

Winner

Linguistics in Modern Foreign Languages - Professor Michelle Sheehan

This project undertook research to show that including the critical/analytical study of language in teaching enriches the learning experience.

 

Nominated projects

Digital Transformation for Social Good - Rebecca Casey and NICA

In collaboration with the National Innovation Centre for Ageing, this project empowers students to address real-world challenges through immersive, hands-on learning.

Picture This - Phoebe Lewis & Ainsley Hatt

An innovative public engagement project that transforms complex postgraduate research into visually striking artwork.

Early Career Researcher

This category recognises the varied engagement practice undertaken by researchers in the early stages of their research careers, either doctoral students or early career researchers.

Winner

The Belonging in Engineering Network - Dr Amina Razak & BEN Executive Committee

The Belonging in Engineering Network supports Black and other Global Majority students by fostering a sense of belonging and facilitating peer networking.

 

Nominated projects

Tilly Hale Carer Research Panel - Dr Matt Cooper

This panel of around 20 carers sets aims for our future research and to learn from their personal experiences of being a carer.

Communicating Cancer - Jennifer Deane

This project uses forum theatre to help improve communication between patients and GPs, building on research into head and neck cancer diagnosis.

Vice-Chancellor and President's Award

This award celebrates the work of a colleague or team that demonstrates outstanding, sustained engagement practice. The Vice-Chancellor chooses the winning project as an exemplar and embodiment of our Engagement and Place Strategy.

Winner

The Arrow Project

This project has helped more than 150 SMEs in the North East by connecting them with the right expertise and facilities. It has helped to create 143 new jobs, developed 53 new products and services and increased business turnover by £16.9m.

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