Our 2020 winners

Best Research Impact by an Early Career Researcher

Faculty of Humanities:

• Winner: Dr Jaime Lindsey, School of Law
  Project: Improving participation of vulnerable adults in legal settings

• Runners-up: Dr Kate Mahoney and Dr Daisy Payling, Department of History
  Project: Using the past to empower girls and women of the future

 Faculty of Science and Health

• Winner: Dr Jon Chamberlain, Ms Jessica Wright, Dr Alba Garcia Seco De Herrera, and Dr Louis Clift, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
  Project: - using 3D technology to survey and protect chalk reefs on Norfolk’s Cromer Shoal Marine Conservation Zone.

• Runner-up: Dr Benjamin Jones, School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences
  Project: using near-infrared spectroscopy measurements to improve performance in elite athletes.

Best Research Impact in Enterprise and Innovation

• Winner: Dr Xinan Yang, Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
  Project: developing a system to help online grocery shops maximise the efficiency of their deliveries to benefit profits, customer service and the environment.

• Runner-up: Professor Klaus McDonald-Maier, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
  Project: developing technology to debug microchips and therefore improve the safety and reliability of electronic equipment used in everyday life.

Best Creative and Cultural Research Impact

• Winner: Dr Holly Maples, East 15 Project: Using performance to generate interest in our heritage
  Project: Immersive theatre that brings history to life
  
  

• Runner-up: Mr Nic Blower, Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies
  Project: LIFTED – a 60-minute documentary which tells the personal stories of three veterans and their families coping with severe Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Best International Research Impact

• Joint Winners: Professor Noam Lubell, Ms Claire Simmons, School of Law 
  Project: Creating new internationally-recognised guidelines for investigating violations during armed conflicts globally

• Joint Winners: Professor Arnold Wilkins, Department of Psychology
  Project: using coloured lenses to reduce the negative impact of visual stress and migraines and improve learning.

Runner-up: Professor Ismene Gizelis, Dr Florian Kern, Government Project: Using conflict research to improve women’s livelihoods in fragile states.

Best UK Public Policy Impact Winner:

• Winner: Dr Birgitta Rabe, Institute for Social and Economic Research
  Project: The first robust evaluation of free childcare policy in the UK, changing the way politicians and practitioners understand what works.

• Runners-up: Professor Peter Beresford, Dr Susan McPherson, Dr Ewen Speed, and Dr Danny Taggart, School of Health and Social Care Project: Democratising user involvement in health and social care.

Outstanding Early Career Researcher

Faculty of Humanities

• Winner: Dr Christina Kapadocha, East 15
  Nominated for her the quality and variety of her research outputs and her leadership in developing understanding of practice-as-research.

• Runner-up: Dr Joanna Rzepa, Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies
  Nominated for her outstanding contribution to research eligible for REF, including papers in leading journals.

Faculty of Science and Health

• Winner: Dr Jinya Su, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
  Nominated for his outstanding publication record and for being an example of how a computer science academic can use his skills in areas of global significance.

• Runner-up: Dr Veronica Lamarche, Department of Psychology
  Nominated for the exceptional quality of her research, valuable collaborations with colleagues and her commitment to public engagement and impact.

Faculty of Social Sciences

• Winner: Dr Christoph Siemroth, Department of Economics
  Nominated for the exceptional quality and quantity of research outputs and funding.

• Runner-up: Dr Carolyn Laubender, Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
  Nominated for being a rising star with a remarkable track-record for research outputs.

Outstanding Interdisciplinary Research Joint Winners:

• Joint Winners: Professor Peter Fussey and Dr Daragh Murray, Department of Sociology and School of Law
  Project: Assessment of the Metropolitan Police’s use of facial recognition technology.

• Joint Winners: Professor Leonard Schalkwyk, School of Life Sciences
  Project: Essex researchers are analysing socio-economic characteristics, behaviours and biomarkers to answer fundamental questions about nurture and nature and to understand how different factors influence life chances.

Research Champion

Faculty of Humanities

• Winner: Professor Lucy Noakes, Department of History
  Nominated for her REF output, successful grant bids and for her outstanding leadership, providing guidance to early career academics and helping to raise the profile of the department.

Faculty of Science and Health

• Winner: Professor Klaus McDonald-Maier, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
  Nominated for his key role in flagship research projects, for establishing start-up companies based on his research – one of which was recently taken over by Siemens – and for the support and leadership he provides to colleagues.

• Runner-up: Professor Paul Hibbard, Department of Psychology
  Nominated for this outstanding track record in delivering internationally-recognised research and for sharing his passion for science with both students and colleagues – supporting them to achieve their own success.

Faculty of Social Sciences

• Winner: Professor Robert Taylor, Essex Business School
  Nominated for being a world leader in the field of econometrics, with over 100 research papers published in leading journals, for being instrumental in setting up international research collaborations and for his support and advice to colleagues. 

• Runner-up: Professor Tobias Böhmelt, Department of Government
  Nominated for his world-leading research, published in top political science journals and for his key role in reviewing and improving the department’s PhD programmes.