Queen's Anniversary Prizes Explained
The Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education are a biennially awarded series of prizes awarded to universities and colleges in the further and higher education sectors within the United Kingdom. Uniquely it forms part of the British honours system, to date rounds have occurred in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
The Queen's Anniversary Prizes recognise outstanding work by UK colleges and universities that shows quality and innovation and delivers real benefit to the wider world and public through education and training. The Prizes are the highest national Honour awarded in UK further and higher education.[1]
History
The prize is awarded by the Royal Anniversary Trust, a registered charity founded in 1990 to develop a program to mark 1992 as the 40th year of Elizabeth II's reign as British monarch. The program had these four goals:
- celebrate the anniversary
- establish an educational award
- promote cultural awareness of the development of the United Kingdom's constitutional monarchy
- to promote commerce, industry, and the advancement of education
Past winners have been recognized for work in a wide range of disciplines such as science, engineering, arts and the creative industries, education, the humanities, the environment and medicine.
The next round of winners will be introduced in Autumn of 2025.
The educational award which the Royal Anniversary Trust established was the Queen's Anniversary Prize.[2]
Prize winners
1994
1996
!Category!Winning institution!Winning department, division or projectEducation & Training | Carlisle College | Educational access throughout life |
International Engagement | College of North West London | Eastern European Links: expertise and skills transfer |
Education & Training | Greenhead College | Performance monitoring to realise student potential |
Science & Mathematics | Hackney Community College | Bringing young women into the sciences |
Medicine, Health & Welfare | King's College London | Medical law and ethics: teaching, research and public debate. |
Engineering & Technology | | Technology transfer and support for small and medium sized businesses. |
International Dimensions | Liverpool Hope College | The Ladakh Project: teaching and training in India for Tibetans. |
Education & Training | Middlesex University | Off-campus learning, training and research for commerce, industry and public services |
Environment | | Environmental research & training in partnership with industry. |
International Engagement | School of Oriental and African Studies | International distance learning: economics and finance for senior executives |
Education & Training | Open University | Teacher training: opening up careers through part-time distance learning |
Education & Training | The Sheffield College | Braille skills accreditation: providing a new and recognised national qualification |
The Arts | University of Edinburgh | Music in the community: a course for advanced music students relating to public work in the community. |
Science and Mathematics | University of Manchester | Biological sciences: multidisciplinary teaching and research. |
Engineering & Technology | | Electrical power engineering: teaching and research. |
The Arts | London Institute | Paper conservation: teaching and technology |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Birmingham | The Wroxeter Project: archaeology, technology and the community. |
Medicine, Health & Welfare | University of Exeter | Diabetes and vascular health education and research: microvascular processes and associated work. |
Medicine, Health & Welfare | University of Hull | Social work: consultancy, teaching and research. |
International Engagement | University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology | Technical education. technology transfer and academic and trade relations with Japan |
Medicine, Health & Welfare | University of Oxford | Molecular medicine: collaborative research and transfer of results. |
Engineering & Technology | | Engineering for the space industry: teaching and research for satellite operations. |
Science and Mathematics | University of York | Computer science: teaching, research and transfer of technology. |
|
1998
!Category!Winning institution!RationaleEducation & Training | MidKent College | A model programme for customer service |
Education & Training | Birmingham College of Food, Tourism & Creative Studies | Education and training for the hospitality and tourism industries |
Education & Training | City College Plymouth | Local outreach centres for retraining and lifelong learning |
Science & Mathematics | Godalming College | Research and innovative teaching for 'A' Level science |
Education & Training | Hills Road Sixth Form College | Upgrading facilities and teaching in sports and music for use by the college and the region |
International Dimensions | | International development engineering: teaching, training, research and consultancy for developing countries. |
Education & Training | | Creation of materials for technology teaching in schools. |
International Dimensions | | Information security: teaching and research in a crucial IT field. |
The Arts | | Teaching of musical instruments to large groups. |
The Arts | | Education for the film industry. |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | | Humanities research: new cultural access through IT. |
The Arts | London Institute | Creativity and innovation in fashion education |
Science & Mathematics | | Mathematics applied: the Isaac Newton Centre. |
Medicine, Health & Welfare | | Minimal access surgery: new techniques and treatments. |
Medicine, Health & Welfare | | Children's health and exercise: research and dissemination. |
Science & Mathematics | | Computing science: teaching and research. |
Engineering & Technology | | Engineering and technology in industry: advanced degree programmes. |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | | Shakespearean research: Internet and the Globe Theatre. |
Education & Training | | Accreditation and up-skilling of workers from the voluntary sector. |
Medicine, Health & Welfare | | Chemiluminescence: research and development in clinical diagnosis. |
Engineering & Technology | | Industry oriented degrees in materials engineering. |
|
2000
2002
!Category!Winning institution!RationaleEducation & Training | Deeside College | Commercial services: training for local and national |
The Arts and Creative Industries | Hills Road Sixth Form College | Art and design: a community partnership |
Engineering & Technology | Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine | Process systems engineering: research and technology transfer |
Science and Mathematics | John Leggott College | Science teaching: dissemination and partnership in the region |
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law | King's College London | Defence and post-war studies: education, research and training |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | London School of Economics & Political Science | Unemployment and inequality: research, teaching and policy development |
Science & Mathematics | Loughborough University | Sports development, education and research |
Science and Mathematics | Matthew Boulton College of FE & HE | Cleaning science: education and training for industry |
Environment and Conservation | New College Nottingham | Renovation of a heritage building and the creation of a new campus |
Medicine and Health | Queen Margaret University | Clinical application of speech science |
The Arts and Creative Industries | Royal Northern College of Music | International music festivals: education, cultural and for the public |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | Sabhal Mor Ostaig | Promotion of Gaelic language and culture |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Cambridge | Charles Darwin Correspondence Project |
Medicine and Health | University College London | Oral health care: teaching, research and patient care |
Engineering and Technology | University of Greenwich | Development of IT evacuation tools for the safety industry |
Science and Mathematics | University of Leicester | Genetics: research and impact on science and society |
Science & Mathematics | University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology | Corrosion control and protection: education, research and technology transfer |
International Engagement | University of Oxford | Refugee Studies Centre: education, training and research |
Medicine and Health | University of Sheffield | Health and social care of older people: research and policy development |
Engineering & Technology | University of Surrey | Research & development of ion beams and optoelectronic devices |
|
2005
!Category!Winning institution!RationaleEngineering and Technology | Accrington and Rossendale College | Access and achievement in construction industry education |
Medicine and Health | Birkbeck, University of London | Neuropsychological work with the very young: improving the understanding of brain function and cognitive development |
International Engagement | Chichester College | Developing the college and its community through international student intake and integration |
Engineering and Technology | Cranfield University | The Fellowship in Manufacturing Management: improving cost effectiveness for industry |
The Arts and Creative Industries | Guildhall School of Music & Drama | Guildhall Connect: a large-scale programme using musical creativity to engage and inspire young people |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | Harper Adams University | Developing women-owned business to support the rural economy |
Engineering & Technology | Lancaster University | Connecting the last mile: providing the largest rural high-capacity regional broadband network for education in Europe |
Science and Mathematics | Liverpool John Moores University | Developing the world’s largest robotic telescopes and creating access for the public and school students |
Medicine and Health | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine | Reducing blindness worldwide |
Education & Training | Loreto College | Educational provision in an urban context: raising aspiration and achievement |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | Loughborough University | Enhancing social policy nationally |
Environment and Conservation | Newcastle University | Remedies for mine water pollution worldwide |
Environment and Conservation | Queen's University Belfast | Ionic liquids: a green solution for pollution |
Medicine and Health | University of Edinburgh | The virtual hospital online: transforming veterinary and medical education |
Science & Mathematics | University of Cambridge | The Millennium Mathematics Project: inspiring the study of mathematics |
Medicine and Health | University of Dundee | Enabling the discovery of new drugs and their development to treat major global diseases |
Medicine and Health | University of Exeter | Using genetics to improve clinical care for diabetic patients |
Medicine and Health | University of Oxford | Uniquely large-scale medical studies: preventing disability and prolonging life |
Environment and Conservation | University of Reading | Weather and climate science: research, training and informing environmental policymaking |
Engineering & Technology | University of Southampton | Sound and vibration: improving the quality of life for the profoundly deaf and reducing noise pollution |
Environment and Conservation | University of York | Novel agricultural products: a sustainable future for farming manufacture, health care and crime prevention |
|
2007
!Category!Winning institution!RationaleMedicine and Health | Cardiff University | Transforming healthcare for families with inherited disorders |
Science and Mathematics | City and Islington College | Creating pathways to employment and higher education in the sciences |
Engineering & Technology | Coventry University | Educating tomorrow's world leaders in automotive design |
International Engagement | Cranfield University | Building sustainable mine-clearing capabilities in affected countries |
The Arts and Creative Industries | Guildhall School of Music & Drama | The Opera Programme: training exceptional young singers |
Medicine and Health | Imperial College London | Bringing healthcare to millions in Africa |
Education & Training | Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College | A strategy for high aspiration, personal achievement and social benefit |
Education & Training | John Wheatley College | Community regeneration through innovation and partnership |
Engineering & Technology | Loughborough University | Reducing road traffic deaths: vehicle, road and driver safety research |
Environment and Conservation | Oxford Brookes University | Postgraduate degrees and training for the conservation of primates in their global habitats |
Education & Training | Southern Regional College | Reducing sectarianism and social exclusion through the College curriculum and community outreach |
Education & Training | Telford College of Arts and Technology | Delivering economically important skills on employers' premises |
Medicine and Health | City Literary Institute | A distinctive approach to speech therapy that supports and empowers people who stammer |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Kent | The Law Clinic |
The Arts and Creative Industries | University of the Arts London | Educating the world's creative shoe and accessory designers |
Science & Mathematics | University of Cambridge | A 21st century model of applied research and entrepreneurship in biotechnology |
International Engagement | University of Greenwich | 'Tabiesa': A UK/Africa partnership supporting local business enterprise and tackling root causes of poverty |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Oxford | Fresh light on British history: the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |
Engineering & Technology | University of Sheffield | Working with leading companies to improve efficiency in aero engines |
Medicine and Health | University of York | New disciplines and economics models for efficient healthcare |
|
2009
!Category!Winning institution!RationaleEngineering and Technology | Aberdeen College | Delivering skills in the oil and gas industry and supporting community integration |
Environment and Conservation | Aberystwyth University | Plant breeding and genetics for economic, environmental and educational benefit |
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law | Cardiff University | Reducing violence in the local community |
Education & Training | City College Norwich | A radical new approach in support of learners with Asperger Syndrome |
Education and Training | City of Sunderland College | Delivering essential skills in maths and English to the community |
Engineering & Technology | Edinburgh Napier University | Innovative housing construction for environmental benefit and quality of life |
Medicine and Health | Keele University | Pioneering early intervention and primary care in the management of chronic pain |
Medicine and Health | King's College London | International collaborations promoting excellence in mental health care |
Environment and Conservation | Lancaster University | Plant science applied to water shortage, crop yield and global food security |
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law | London School of Economics & Political Science | Applying research to the advancement of global health and social care policy |
Medicine and Health | Newcastle University | Research on ageing, with important implications for health and care |
International Engagement | School of Oriental and African Studies | Specialised teaching of a wide range of African, Asian and Middle Eastern languages |
Education & Training | Thames Valley University | Pathways to skills, employment and higher education in the hospitality industry |
International Engagement | The Open University | A major contribution to primary teacher education in Africa through a large-scale open learning programme (TESSA) |
International Engagement | University of East Anglia | Alleviating poverty in developing countries through environmental sustainability |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Essex | Advancing the legal and broader practice of international human rights |
Engineering & Technology | University of Leeds | Forty years' sustained excellence in teaching and applied research in transport |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Oxford | Museums, libraries and archives in support of research, learning and public education |
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law | University of Reading | World-leading archaeology: making the past work for the present |
Engineering & Technology | University of Warwick | Long-term educational partnerships supporting UK competitiveness in manufacturing |
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law | University of York | A long term contribution to UK social policies to improve the lives of vulnerable people |
|
2011
!Category!Winning institution!RationaleEngineering and Technology | Bournemouth University | World-class computer animation teaching with wide scientific and creative applications |
Environment and Conservation | Brunel University | Protecting the environment from hormone-disrupting chemicals and pollutants |
Education & Training | Coleg Llandrillo Cymru | An original and large-scale approach to high quality training in hospitality and catering |
Engineering & Technology | Cranfield University | World-leading work in aviation safety through research and training in air accident investigation |
Education & Training | Hackney Community College | Enabling people with mental health needs to gain education and employment skills |
Medicine and Health | Queen's University Belfast | Boosting cancer survival rates |
International Engagement | South Nottingham College | Education, sports training and volunteering in the community, at home and overseas |
Engineering & Technology | University of Manchester | Internationally renowned research and skills training for the nuclear industry |
Environment and Conservation | University of Plymouth | Education and research solutions for the global marine sector |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Bath | Influential applied research into child poverty, and support for vulnerable people |
Engineering & Technology | University of Birmingham | New technologies and leadership in formulation engineering in support of UK manufacturing |
Medicine and Health | University College London | Internationally-distinguished research and pioneering clinical therapy in eye disease |
The Arts and Creative Industries | University of East Anglia | Groundbreaking and inventive programmes in creative writing with wide international impact |
Engineering & Technology | University of Leeds | Innovative joint replacement and regenerative technologies to improve quality of life |
Environment and Conservation | University of Nottingham | A comprehensive and multifaceted approach to global challenges of food security |
Environment and Conservation | University of Oxford | Wildlife and environmental conservation: WildCRU’s leading work in applied science and community action |
The Arts and Creative Industries | University of Reading | Teaching and design applications in typography, through print and new technologies |
Environment and Conservation | University of St Andrews | Research and teaching to promote better governance of the oceans |
Engineering & Technology | University of Southampton | Innovation and world-beating expertise in performance sports engineering |
Engineering and Technology | University of Surrey | Wide-ranging and global work improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of York | Leading-edge work in archaeology from prehistory to the modern age |
|
2013
!Category!Winning institution!RationaleEnvironment and Conservation | Cardiff University | Geoenvironmental solutions to major challenges of land, groundwater quality and regeneration |
Engineering & Technology | Coleg Cambria | Centre of excellence for aerospace training |
Education & Training | Cornwall College | Vocational training for land-based industries empowering and developing the local rural economy |
Engineering & Technology | Loughborough University | Research and skills development in High Value Manufacturing creating new products, processes and economic growth |
Engineering and Technology | MidKent College | Engineering and construction training for the Army producing a major contribution to the local economy |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | Northumbria University | The Student Law Office: a distinctive contribution to legal education providing access to justice in the local community |
Education & Training | Teesside University | Growing digital business start-ups by graduates and creating entrepreneurship and opportunity in the local economy |
Medicine and Health | University of Edinburgh | Extending professional and academic skills in surgery through international online training at Masters level |
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law | University of Kent | Improving the quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities |
Engineering & Technology | University of Manchester | Pioneering imaging techniques for advanced materials and manufacturing |
The Arts and Creative Industries | University of the Arts London | Industrial and product design contributing to the strength of the creative economy |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Bedfordshire | Applied research on child sexual exploitation influencing new safeguarding policy and practice |
Medicine and Health | University of Bristol | Obstetrics and neonatal practice: saving babies’ lives around the world |
Medicine and Health | University College London | Creating the bioprocess engineering base for converting research into new medicines |
Medicine and Health | University of Dundee | Research in human anatomy applied to forensic and victim identification worldwide |
Environment and Conservation | University of Glasgow | Research on links between human activity and animal ecology, bringing international health benefits |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Leicester | Inter-connected research and expertise in history, heritage and archaeology, highlighted by the discovery of Richard III |
Medicine and Health | University of Oxford | Practical and cost-effective improvements in prevention of stroke |
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law | Newcastle University | Long-term research and new strategies for the rural and social economy |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Stirling | Research into the impact of product marketing on children’s health which has widely influenced international policies |
|
2015
2017
!Category!Winning institution!RationaleThe Arts and Creative Industries | Arts University Bournemouth | Distinguished degree level education in costume design for the UK’s leading creative industries |
Environment and Conservation | Cranfield University | Large-scale soil and environmental data for sustainable use of the natural resources in the UK and worldwide |
Medicine and Health | Cardiff University | Diagnosis and treatment of vision problems in children with Down's syndrome |
Engineering & Technology | Harper Adams University | Innovative applications in agricultural engineering and technologies to address UK and global food security |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | London School of Economics and Political Science | Training, research and policy formation for cities of the future and a new generation of urban leaders in other countries |
Medicine and Health | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine | Responding to the Ebola crisis with clinical action, local training and new preventative strategies |
The Arts and Creative Industries | National Film and Television School | Specialist training for film and television to provide exceptional and recognised talent for the UK creative economy |
Engineering and Technology | Newcastle College | Supporting the development of transport infrastructure in the North of England |
Environment and Conservation | Scotland's Rural University College | Managing the environmental impact of dairy cattle |
Medicine and Health | Institute of Cancer Research | Pre-eminent work in cancer drug discovery with benefits to patients globally |
Medicine and Health | University of Edinburgh | Clinical innovations to respond to major unmet needs in women's health |
Medicine and Health | University of Aberdeen | Health service research leading to improvements in academic and clinical practice and delivery of health care |
Engineering & Technology | University of Birmingham | Advanced engineering and innovative technology in support of the developing UK rail industry |
Medicine and Health | University of Durham | Leading influential research on parent-infant sleep, with a widely-used public information service |
Environment and Conservation | University of East Anglia | Combined natural, social and environmental sciences to advance understanding and protection of the environment |
Humanities, Social Sciences & Law | University of Essex | Authoritative social and economic research to inform the policies of governments for the improvement of people’s lives |
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law | University of Glasgow | The Historical Thesaurus of English, a unique resource for scholarship, education and creativity |
Medicine and Health | University of Liverpool | A lead role in drug safety, drug design and improvements of existing therapies with outstanding work on HIV |
Engineering & Technology | University of Southampton | Innovations in photonics that enhance the global fibre internet, laser manufacturing, next generation computing and new optical technologies |
Medicine and Health | University of Surrey | Leading research and teaching in food and nutrition informing public policy on diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and other dietary related issues |
Education & Training | Weston College | Employment and education opportunities for those with special needs and disabilities | |
2019
2021
2023
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: About the Prizes . The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher Education . The Royal Anniversary Trust . 6 March 2023.
- Web site: Royal Anniversary Trust - History . Royal Anniversary Trust . 31 October 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140107164626/http://www.royalanniversarytrust.org.uk/the-trust/history . 7 January 2014 . dead .
- Web site: Winners Archive. 2022-11-18. Queens Anniversary Prizes.