Papin Prizes

A member of technical staff that has made a significant contribution to research. Your nomination can be from any discipline (Arts, Humanities, Science, Engineering, Medicine).

Please include examples of your nominee’s contribution for example, supporting REF, data generation/analysis, method design and validation, generating research income, publications, setting up/facilitation of installation or commissioning of next-generation equipment, processes or apparatus to support research.

A member of technical staff that has made a significant contribution to the student teaching and learning experience.

Your nomination could include demonstrating experimental techniques or equipment preparing, ensuring a safe learning environment for students or involvement in module design.

A member of technical staff who has engaged in sustainable practices within the environment they operate in and has been involved in meaningful activities to reduce environmental impact.

Your nomination could include evidence of processes or procedures that have been introduced to reduce energy usage, waste or other environmental impacts.

Award winners will be eligible for a contribution of up to £250 towards achieving SocEnv Professional Registration including Registered Environmental Technician REnvTech, Registered Environmental Practitioner REnvP, and Chartered Environmentalist CEnv). (Membership of a professional body licensed to award will be a requirement of professional registration) Thanks to support from SocEnv

A member of technical staff who supports or maintains infrastructure or facilities within an institution. They have made sustained day-to-day contributions to operational activity to support teaching, research, and/or the general institutional environment within their field.

The nomination should include how they have used their technical knowledge, expertise, and skills to support research infrastructure or facilities.

This could be a novel or practical approach, bringing key stakeholders together, leading a project, sustained technical input, or simply having the right technical input to improve or develop the infrastructure or facilities they support. (This category was formally Core Research Facility.)

A member of technical staff who has made a significant contribution to engagement with external business or partners to support effective knowledge exchange.

Describe how the technical staff member contributed to the effective knowledge exchange activity and how they addressed any new or emerging challenges.

A member of technical staff who has embarked on a technical career within the past two years and shown exceptional promise. Please show evidence of their potential in your nomination.

A member of technical staff that has made a significant and sustained contribution to delivering outreach or public engagement activities.

This will have had significant impact for the community or on the next generation e.g. outreach interactions with schools and external careers events raising the profile of technical roles.

Describe how the technical staff member has supported outreach or public engagement activities and contributed to the success of the initiative.

Your nomination should provide examples of how the team have worked together and their journey towards a common goal or objective. It should demonstrate impact, resilience, adaptability, efficiency, innovation, expertise, or development.

Describe the improvements they have implemented and how they approach problem solving.

You could highlight how the team achieved aspirations ensuring that the culture, values and strategy of the department/faculty/institution were adhered to.

Judges will look for evidence of collaboration that enhanced the team’s delivery.

A member of technical staff who has spent their working career repeatedly and continually striving to achieve the highest standards in their activity.

They will have made demonstrable impact on a local, institution-wide, or at a wider technical community level.

Your nomination should include several examples of how they have met the judging criteria and how these have been sustained over their career. It should highlight their journey and how they have continually made significant contributions.

You will be informed by email that you have been shortlisted for a Papin Prize and all shortlisted individuals and teams will have a place reserved at the UK Higher Education Technicians Summit where the Papin Prizes are presented.

If you’re shortlisted for a Papin Prize, we will ask for a member of your team or organisation who is attending to collect any prizes or highly commended certificates on your behalf. 

Leonardo Conference Centre, Watling St, Burbage, Hinckley, LE10 3JA

Nominations for the Papin Prizes are made by any member of the higher education community including students, staff, collaborators and alumni.

Technical professionals cannot nominate themselves, as supporting statements are required to support the nomination.

All submissions will be reviewed by an independent judging panel of technical staff from the Midlands Innovation partner universities. Shortlisted submissions will then be reviewed by the Midlands Innovation Executive Management Group, comprising of Pro-Vice-Chancellors.

Midlands Innovation universities have been championing the role of technicians for more than a decade and have been instrumental in the success and running of the UK Higher Education Technicians Summit.