The winners of the Alliance Awards 2025 were announced this evening at a ceremony hosted by the University of Hertfordshire.
University Alliance is a group of 17 professional and technical universities in the UK, united by a shared commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and real-world impact.
The Alliance Awards were established to highlight the outstanding achievements and groundbreaking work undertaken by individuals and teams at its member universities, across research, teaching, partnerships with industry, and public engagement.
This year saw the introduction of a number of new award categories, reflecting the breadth and wealth of work being undertaken across the Alliance, whilst showcasing the transformative achievements of Alliance universities, both locally and globally.
The 2025 winners are:
The Industry Partnerships Award
Natalie Allen, Head of Business Partnerships, Leeds Beckett University
“Natalie helps shape business interventions that help hundreds of SMEs in West Yorkshire grow. She co-ordinated a programme with other Yorkshire universities to utilise their respective strengths, and has led a bid for Investment Zone funding of an academic brokerage service. Working in partnership, she also secured £1 million for a Sport-Health Tech Incubator.”
The Teaching Innovation Award
The Immersed Festival team, University of South Wales
“Immersed Festival is an interdisciplinary initiative empowering 500+ students from 15 degree programmes to plan and deliver an annual 1,000-capacity event. Launched in 2019, it integrates industry collaboration, developing expertise in programming, production, broadcasting, marketing, and sustainability. It fosters student leadership and enhances employability.“
The Research and Innovation Impact Award
Professor Katie Featherstone, Director of the Geller Institute for Ageing and Memory, University of West London
“Professor Featherstone has led UWL’s Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory (GIAM) since 2021. Her research on dementia patients’ continence care revealed a ‘pad culture’ where patients were left to wet themselves due to time pressures and staff shortages. Her research has led to policy change within the NHS supply chain, and Katie has also grown the Geller Institute into a £4.7m research centre, dedicated to achieving dignity for dementia patients.”
The Local Impact Award (kindly supported by UCAS)
Hope 4 The Community, Coventry University
“Hope 4 The Community CIC (H4C), founded in 2015 by Prof Andy Turner and volunteers, supports those with long-term health conditions through evidence-based self-management programmes.
“Originating from Coventry University’s Research Centre for Intelligent Healthcare, H4C combines positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioural therapy to enhance participants’ quality of life. Their programmes, including the Hope Programme, have reached over 30,000 people through partnerships with 28 organizations.
“Evaluations show improved self-management and mental wellbeing, reducing healthcare use. H4C’s initiatives, based on 25 years of research, empower individuals and alleviate the burden on the NHS and local care providers.”
The Equity and Opportunity Award (kindly supported by Duolingo English Test)
KU Cares – Young Adult Carer Support team, Kingston University
“KU Cares has supported Young Adult Carers (YACs) since 2015. In 2021, KU Cares conducted research on YACs’ support needs, revealing that many YACs at Kingston University belong to groups prioritized by the APP, such as BAME backgrounds, long commutes, and disabilities.
The research identified four main challenges: managing responsibilities, navigating university support, financial difficulties, and wellbeing impacts.
In response, KU Cares implemented tailored advice, flexible paid work, increased bursaries, and community events. The 2024 evaluation showed positive impacts, with higher retention and similar progression and attainment rates compared to non-KU Cares students.”
The Heroes Award
Thuy Mason, Senior Lecturer, Kingston University
“Thuy Mason positively impacts others through her inclusive initiatives and expertise in regulatory affairs, improving graduate employability.
Her curriculum design earned her a finalist spot in the TOPRA Education Awards. Thuy’s pastoral leadership led to weekly ‘student clinics,’ boosting NSS scores. She supports students’ mental resilience and secured funding for research internships.
Thuy champions sustainability and shares ideas globally. As chair of the Ethnically Diverse Staff Network, she tackles racism and promotes art exhibitions. Thuy’s innovative teaching methods and commitment to diversity have earned her multiple accolades, including the Kingston University People Award for inclusivity.”
The Global Impact Award
Solar Energy Transitions (SET): Inclusive E-cooking in Sub-Saharan Africa project, Coventry University
“These Coventry University researchers introduced solar-powered cookers to households in Rwanda, improving life for communities with limited energy access.
“The Solar Energy Transitions (SET) project, led by Dr. Jonathan Nixon and Dr. Alison Halford, installed solar electronic cookers in households in East Kayonza to reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal stoves, which harm health and the environment.
“Over seven months, the project monitored energy use, air quality, and cooking habits using over 100 sensors. Results showed a reduction in firewood consumption from 3.4kg to 0.86kg per day and a 70% improvement in kitchen air quality contributing to healthier living environments and saving time.”
The DTA Alumni Award (kindly supported by UA’s Doctoral Training Alliance)
Dr Ifrah Mussa, Senior Lecturer in Aerodynamics, Kingston University
“Since starting her DTA-funded PhD in 2017, Ifrah has remained committed to innovation and community. Working full-time as a Senior Lecturer in Aerodynamics at Kingston University, she is on track to submit her PhD on wind turbine icing this September.
Since 2021, she has collaborated with researchers at the AIAA Ice Prediction Workshop (IPW). She embedded IPW case studies into final-year projects, secured funding for student internships, and co-authored a conference paper presented at AIAA Aviation 2024. Ifrah received the Provost’s Award for Learning and Teaching Excellence and secured Women in STEM Hub funding for research on aircraft wings.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award
Professor Andrew Westby, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, University of Greenwich
“Professor Westby, who is also Chair of UA’s R&I network, is nominated for his leadership and research contributions over his 38-year career. He transformed Greenwich’s research setup, securing millions in funding. As an international food scientist, his work on cassava benefited millions in sub-Saharan Africa. He has 78 publications, cited over 2000 times, and secured over $30 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
His ‘Cassava Adding Value for Africa’ project supported over 90,000 farming families. He led the Natural Resources Institute for many which helped eliminate river blindness in areas of West Africa, preventing 600,000 cases. His work addresses climate change, food loss, and sustainable agriculture.”
More information about the winners and nominees can be found here.
Vanessa Wilson, CEO of University Alliance said: “The Alliance Awards have always been about recognising excellence across our membership, and this year has been no exception. This year’s event once again demonstrated how Alliance universities are making real-world impact locally, regionally and internationally.
“From the longlisted nominees to the shortlisted nominees to our very worthy winners on the night, I’ve been staggered by the range of top-quality work our members are delivering on their campuses and in their communities. Many congratulations to all of you who represent your universities so admirably.
“We are so grateful to the University of Hertfordshire for hosting this year’s ceremony and helping us to create an event that celebrates the best of Alliance universities in terms of delivering innovation, opportunity, research, teaching excellence and industry partnerships. Finally, we would also like to thank our sponsors for their continued support and for making this fantastic annual event happen.”
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