Knowledge Exchange and Impact Awards

Celebrating knowledge exchange and impact successes at the ��ϳԹ�� of Sheffield.

Overview

Every day, individuals and groups from across the ��ϳԹ�� collaborate with non-academic partners on brilliant projects that deliver tangible benefits locally, nationally and across the globe.

The Knowledge Exchange (KE) and Impact awards are designed to celebrate the significant successes of both our academic and professional services colleagues, whilst highlighting the important relationship between KE and achieving excellent impact.

KE and Impact Awards 2025 shortlists and winners

Kindly hosted with panache by Dr Tori Herridge and sponsored by Siemens UK, our 2025 edition saw a total of 86 applications from across the institution, with 67 in our academic categories and 19 in our professional services categories.

Congratulations to all our winners whose innovative collaborations with partners exemplify our commitment to delivering far-reaching and lasting impact to the wider world.
"A special mention for the winners from our early career researcher community, whose excellent work clearly demonstrates the bright future of knowledge exchange and impact activity at our ��ϳԹ��. Congratulations too to our professional services winners, whose creativity, specialist support and expertise are instrumental to our many knowledge exchange and impact successes."
Professor Ashutosh Tiwari
Deputy Vice-President for Innovation at the ��ϳԹ�� of Sheffield

Outstanding partnership or impact in commerce/industry/economy

At the Cutting Edge of Rolls-Royce Aero-Engines, Professor Matt Marshall, Faculty of Engineering

For the past 40 years, compressor blade tip abrasion testing for aero-engines has been expensive and lacks insight into dynamic wear. Matt Marshall’s team created a high speed in situ test platform, including stroboscopic imaging to capture blade wear at various incursion rates. This has provided new insights into engine blade wear mechanics, and the full range of Rolls-Royce’s fleet (c 13,000 engines) has benefitted from greater safety and efficiency, mitigating over £100M in maintenance and service costs.

With Aaron Baillieu, Eldar Rahimov, Glen Pattinson and Lloyd Pallett.

Cordella and SoniVie - Financial and Commercial Impact of a Medical Device Development in Cardiovascular Disease, Professor Alex Rothman, Faculty of Health

The Cordella™ Heart Failure System was developed by Endotronix, based on research for the ��ϳԹ�� of Sheffield, and permits remote monitoring of pulmonary artery pressure and disease status. This approach has reduced hospitalisation, improved quality of life, and reduced health costs. Over 1000 patients have been implanted with Cordella sensors, and over 2000 patients use the Cordella™ Heart Failure System.

With Andrew Swift, Julian Gunn, Nadine Arnold, David Kiely, Roger Thompson, Robin Condliffe, Hamza Zafar, Jennifer Middleton, Frances Varian, Sarah Binmahfooz, Lisa Watson, Sam Walmsley, Helen Denney, Amber Ford, Iain Armstrong, Neil Hamilton, Athanasios Charalampopoulos, Abdul Hameed, Charlie Elliot, Judith Hurdman and Jennifer Dick

Transforming the Midea Group, Professor Zi Qiang Zhu, Faculty of Engineering

Professor Zhu’s Electrical Machines and Power Research Group investigates high power density and high efficiency permanent magnet motors and drives. This research has been integrated into the Midea Group’s production of over 2 billion motors/year. ��ϳԹ�� research and development of this technology in regards to domestic appliances and electric vehicles since 2021 has resulted in over £2.7M worth of projects, filing for 32 patents, 46 IEEE Transactions joint papers, and 6 UoS graduates joining the Midea Group.

With Dr Hatim Laalej, Dr Behrang Hosseini, Dr Panpan Xu and Mr Fahad Saad.

Overall winner: At the Cutting Edge of Rolls-Royce Aero-Engines, Professor Matt Marshall, Faculty of Engineering with Aaron Baillieu, Eldar Rahimov, Glen Pattinson and Lloyd Pallett

ECR winner: Supporting the Safe Disposal of UK Plutonium, Dr Lewis Blackburn, Faculty of Engineering with Dr Lewis Blackburn

The UK has over 140 tonnes of civil plutonium, posing significant hazards and long-term storage concerns. A 2025 policy declared this plutonium waste, to be chemically conditioned (immobilised) and then disposed of deep underground. This decision, backed by Nuclear Decommissioning Authority analysis, was significantly informed by ��ϳԹ�� of Sheffield research. Their project, a collaboration with NDA and National Nuclear Laboratory, focused on designing and testing ceramic materials and manufacturing processes to safely immobilise separated plutonium, advancing the UK's plutonium management strategy.

With Dr Laura Gardner, Dr Amber Mason, Dr Martin Stennett, Prof. Claire Corkhill and Prof. Neil Hyatt

Outstanding partnership or impact in creativity/culture/society

Animating Inclusion: Rethinking Subtitles for Deaf Audiences, Dr Ryan Bramley, Faculty of Social Sciences

Poor quality, missing, and/or lagging captions lead to Deaf audiences feeling excluded from cinematic experiences. This project worked with Sheffield-based company Paper to explore caption quality and accessibility, resulting in: two short films, ‘Animating Inclusion’ (screened at the 2023 Festival of Social Science) and ‘Rethinking Subtitles for Deaf Audiences’; evidence submission to the British Film and High-End Television Inquiry; and collaboration with Paramount Pictures to explore implementation of the project’s ‘Six Recommendations for Change’ into future UK releases.

With Dr Kirsty Liddiard, Beth Evans (SUBTXT Creative), Jon Rhodes (Paper Ltd.), Josh Slack (Inertia Creative), Ed Cartledge (Sort Of...Films), James Merry (Creative Consultant), Dr Celia Hulme (��ϳԹ�� of Manchester), Dr Tyron Woolfe (British Deaf Association), Hamza Shaikh (ABC Language Support & Translation Services), Kat Pearson (Pearson Interpreting) and Tom Pearson (Pearson Interpreting)

Advancing Public Understanding of the History of Indigenous Peoples in Europe, Professor Caroline Dodds Pennock, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Prof. Pennock works to reframe the public understanding and teaching of the histories of Indigenous peoples in Europe. In partnership with colleagues at SHP, CISCS, and Incomindios UK, she aims to transform public attitudes and empower teachers to bring Indigenous histories and perspectives into the classroom. Through high-profile public engagement and grassroots partnerships with teachers, Indigenous advisors, advocacy bodies, NGOs, and academics, her work is leading to curriculum and exam-board changes, freely available resources and CPD, and new pedagogical approaches.

Folk Arts and Cultural Policy: Developing Networks and Sharing Knowledge Across the UK’s Devolved Nations and the Isle of Man, Dr Esbjörn Wettermark, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Dr Wettermark facilitated knowledge exchange around cultural policy contexts, bringing together folk arts organisations from the UK and Isle of Man for a workshop, resulting in a 3-part podcast (‘Folk Arts, Policy and The Convention) highlighting shared challenges, policy blindspots, and regional distinctions. The podcast was accompanied by infographics and show notes, and translated into several indigenous languages to support regional language policy. The project culminated in the establishment of Folk Policy, a network connecting national and regional folk arts organisations across the Isles.

With Dr Esbjörn Wettermark, Prof. Fay Hield, Dr Helen Grindley, Steve Byrne- Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland (TRACS), Danny KilBride - Trac Cymru, Breesha Maddrell, Culture Vannin, Ciarán Ó Maoláin - Armagh Pipers Club, Katy Spicer- English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS), Daniel Woodfield - Lowender

Overall and ECR winner: Animating Inclusion: Rethinking Subtitles for Deaf Audiences, Dr Ryan Bramley, Faculty of Social Sciences

Outstanding partnership or impact in health/welfare/wellbeing

“Hello… I’m Here!” A Co-Productive Qualitative Study Involving Older People With Vision Impairment and Their Experiences of Acute Hospital Care, Dr Gemma Arblaster, Faculty of Health

The team, led by Dr. Arblaster and Dr. Wilson, collaborated with the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind to explore the experiences of older people with vision impairment during an acute hospital admission. Participatory research workshops were conducted to explore experiences, refine study methods and develop resources to raise awareness around vision care and support. Co-produced outputs included publications, audio-visual information posters, and a video which showcased at the 2024 Festival of the Mind. These resources have been shared locally and internationally to support awareness and education.

With Dr Fiona Wilson, Zahra Hussain, Sydney Graveling, Nicola Jackson, Zaina Qamar, Elliot Rook, Elena Starsong, Holly Geraghty, Jesrine Clarke, Dave Holloway and Sarah Jane-Palmer.

Improving delivery of BBC Education Tiny Happy People Resources to Families with Young Children, Professor Danielle Matthews, Faculty of Science

Prof Matthews’ team helped the BBC in their creation of the Tiny Happy People service which supports early infant communication and child language. They then developed a text message service for parents and caregivers which delivers weekly video content bespoke to each child’s age in months. A pilot established the feasibility of running this service and found that 91% of parents would recommend it to a friend. Knowledge exchange with stakeholders has helped support the iteration of this approach to co-production in partnership with partners at the BBC and Nesta who in turn have reported to the Department for Education.

With Gideon Salterm, Kiera Solaiman, Emily Hancock, Silke Fricke, Genna White, Rosie Sherlockand Emma Thornton.

UK-South East Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub (UK-SEA Vax Hub), Professor Tuck Seng Wong, Faculty of Engineering

The UK-SEA Vax Hub is a £7.6M initiative dedicated to strengthening epidemic and pandemic preparedness in low- and middle-income countries across SE Asia. In 15 months it has grown into a regional network of 29 partners in SE Asia, targeting high-burden infectious diseases. The Hub has been selected by FCDO as a UK government flagship project and the official delivery partner of the ASEAN Vaccine Security and Self-Reliance initiative, and partnered with the Malaysian government to co-host a 2025 Vaccine Summit in Kuala Lumpur, which is also endorsed by the ASEAN Secretariat.

With Dr. Kang Lan Tee, Dr. Zoltan Kis, Prof. Solomon Brown, Prof. Ashutosh Tiwari, Prof. Joan Cordiner, Prof. Pete Dodd, Prof. Andrew Lee, Prof. Alan Brennan, Dr. Adam Brown, Prof. David James, Prof. Mimoun Azzouz, Prof. Mark Dickman, Dr. Caroline Evans, Ms. Eleona Chao, Ms. Joanne Seal.

Overall and ECR winner: “Hello… I’m Here!” A Co-Productive Qualitative Study Involving Older People With Vision Impairment and Their Experiences of Acute Hospital Care, Dr Gemma Arblaster, Faculty of Health

Outstanding partnership or impact in policy/public services/law

Tackling Sex Trafficking Online, Dr Xavier L’Hoiry, Faculty of Social Sciences

To address the challenge of online sex trafficking facilitated through Adult Service Websites, this project worked with police, NGOs, and sex worker advocates to develop a risk assessment tool (Sexual Trafficking Identification Matrix - STIM), which helps identify fake profiles and prioritise urgent cases. This has improved investigative practices, enhanced safeguarding capabilities of vulnerable people, influenced national and international policies regarding Adult Service Websites, and shaped the safeguarding practices of online service providers.

With Dr Alessandro Moretti, South Yorkshire Police – Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Leach, Thames Valley Police – Detective Chief Inspector Ben Henley, Changing Lives – Debra Cowley and Danish Centre Against Human Trafficking - Matilde Skov Danstrøm.

‘Good’ Police Custody: Influencing National, Regional and Local Policy, Training, Statistics, Staff practices and Detainee Experiences in England and Wales, Professor Layla Skinns, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Prof Skinns’ team has sought to improve staff practices and detainee experiences relating to police detention. Utilising longstanding police-academic relationships, the ‘good’ police custody study has resulted in improving: the College of Policing and National Police Chief’s Council’s national police custody policies and strategies; national training of c 12,000 custody/detention officers; Regional and local police custody practices and detainee experiences in 8 police force areas. The research also influenced the development of the first ever national police custody statistics.

With Lexine Smyth, Dr Angela Sorsby, Dr Rivka Smith and Dr Lindsey Rice.

Occupational Risk Groups and Mesothelioma, Dr Beth Taylor, Faculty of Health

Incidences of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, has increased in recent years. Dr Taylor’s group discovered that mesothelioma incidence rates among healthcare workers and educational workers are much higher than government estimates, raising asbestos management concerns. This work contributed to the DWP Select Committee inquiry into asbestos management, and findings were submitted to a similar European Commission consultation, as well as a Sunday Times campaign to raise awareness of the ongoing risks of asbestos.

With Peter Allmark, Angela Tod and Clare Gardiner.

Winner: Tackling Sex Trafficking Online, Dr Xavier L’Hoiry, Faculty of Social Sciences

ECR winner: Occupational Risk Groups and Mesothelioma, Dr Beth Taylor, Faculty of Health

Outstanding partnership or impact in sustainability and the environment

Policing of Illegal Selective Logging in the Amazon, Dr Rob Bryant, Faculty of Social Sciences

Selective logging, where the most valuable trees from a rainforest are removed, is both difficult and dangerous to locate and identify on the ground. Dr Bryant’s group created an algorithm ensemble to accurately detect selective logging automatically from satellite images, and then worked with the World Resources Institute to develop use by Peru’s independent forestry management authority. Subsequently, 37% of illegal logging reports have resulted from this, seizing over 41,000 m3 of illegal wood worth more than US $19M.

With Professor David Edwards, Professor Shaun Quegan, Dr Joao Carreiras, Dr Matthew Hethcoat, Dr Chris Bousfield and Dr Jefersson do Santos

Assessment of Fertility and Embryo Survival Rates for Threatened Turtle and Tortoise Species in Seychelles, Dr Nicola Hemmings, Faculty of Science

Egg-stage reproductive failure represents a major barrier to breeding success in threatened turtles. Dr Hemmings’ team adapted methods previously used to analyse bird fertility to test and verify fertilisation rates in threatened turtles. They then partnered with numerous conservation organisations across the Seychelles and UK via workshops and other dissemination activities to examine the impact of human activity, pollution, and conservation interventions on fertility rates across species.

With Nicola Hemmings, Alessia Lavigne, Robert Bullock , Nirmal Shah, Chris Tagg, Anna Zora and Patricia Brekke

Make it Grow, Dr Pamela Richardson, Faculty of Social Sciences

Affiliated to the Institute for Sustainable Food, the Make it Grow project engaged with stakeholders across Zimbabwe to support marginalised community groups to develop and fundraise their own ideas to address food insecurity, through the creation of Participatory Video Proposals.This has resulted in over 25 communities sharing their stories and implementing food projects; improvements to local food security; building organisational capacity of NGOs and community groups; and the development of new transferable skills, particularly with women and youth.

With Admire Gwatidzo, Stephen Diwauripo, Grace Gumba, Mvuselelo Huni, Rudo Chakanyuka and Alexandra Plummer.

Cement Chemistry and Engineering for 1) Safe and Effective Radioactive Waste Disposal and 2) Decarbonisation of the Built Environment, Dr Brant Walkley, Faculty of Engineering

Dr Walkley’s team’s research with Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and UK National Nuclear Laboratory has developed new cement technologies to enhance safe and reliable disposal of radioactive waste, resulting in a change of strategy by Sellafield Ltd. and £1M investment in a Future Encapsulants partnership. Work with Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Company (Japan) was used to produce new low carbon cement used commercially in 2022, and work with Lubrizol (UK) developed new low-carbon cement formulations patented by UoS and Lubrizol.

With Dr Daniel Geddes, Prof John Provis, Dr Stephen Farris - Sellafield Ltd., Dr Stephen Hepworth - Sellafield Ltd., Dr Martin Hayes- UKNNL, Dr Gavin Cann- UKNNL, Dr Ed Butcher - UKNNL, Dr Sally Cockburn- UKNNL, Dr Alex Potts - UKNNL, Dr Shaun Nelson- UKNNL, Dr Maryam Derkani - Unilever, Dr Nathan Bartlett - Lubrizol Ltd., Dr Taku Matsuda - Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd., Dr Aiko Kasuga- Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd.

Joint winners: Assessment of Fertility and Embryo Survival Rates for Threatened Turtle and Tortoise Species in Seychelles, Dr Nicola Hemmings, Faculty of Science

Cement Chemistry and Engineering for 1) Safe and Effective Radioactive Waste Disposal and 2) Decarbonisation of the Built Environment, Dr Brant Walkley, Faculty of Engineering

ECR winner: Make it Grow, Dr Pamela Richardson, Faculty of Social Sciences

Outstanding partnership or impact in a local or regional capacity (the region for this award is South Yorkshire and neighbouring counties)

LifePathXR, Dr Chris Blackmore, Faculty of Health

In this Mindset project, Dr Blackmore led a partnership of the ��ϳԹ�� of Sheffield, AMRC, Human Studio and Sheffield Flourish in co-designing a prototype of LifePathXR, a virtual reality tool that captures the lifestories of people with lived experience of common mental health problems. These stories can be used therapeutically by the individual, and shared with others including healthcare professionals. The design process featured 2 highly interactive co-design workshops at Flourish’s HQ, with discovery, definition, development and delivery phases.

With Sam Hyde, Vignesh Rajan, Nick Bax - Human Studio, Josie Soutar - Sheffield Flourish

ERISE (Evaluating Robotics Intervention in STEM Education), Alex Lucas, Faculty of Engineering

Having concluded its second year, the ERISE (Evaluating Robotics Interventions in STEM Education) project, in partnership with Leeds and Barnsley public libraries, has produced quantitative evidence demonstrating a statistically significant increase in student engagement with STEM subjects following robotics interventions. Dissemination activities included sharing intervention materials and survey instruments with other UK libraries, delivering presentations at exhibitions, international talks and providing recommendations to policymakers. Intervention results are expected to be published in a high-impact journal on STEM education. To ensure long-term sustainability and promote collaboration, the SERAI Network CIC has been established.

With Ruby Cheung, Dr David Cameron, Dr Alison Buxton, Prof Guy Brown and Prof Tony Prescott.

Practical Power Electronics, Machine & Drives (PPEMD) for All, Dr Panos Lazari, Faculty of Engineering

PPEMD is a partnership between the ��ϳԹ�� of Sheffield, Matrix TSL and Magnokentics, providing accessible, practical and remote training for industry standard testing to remove financial and geographical barriers for further/higher education and industry Continuing Professional Development. The work won the Innovate UK award for industrially focused skills intervention, has trained 200 level-6 students, hosted plenary sessions, been nominated for 16 university education awards, commercialised training hardware, and published 3 papers.

With Dr Mahmoud Masoud, Dr Panos Panagiotou, Dr Raja Toqeer, Professor Antonio Griffo and Mr Tom Wray.

CiviAct: Reimagining ‘Community-Led’ ��ϳԹ�� Partnership, Dr Will Mason, Faculty of Social Sciences

CiviAct is a coalition of community organisations in Sheffield and Manchester set up to respond to the inequalities experienced by minoritised young people. The initiative helps charities to apply for funds as a collaborative, representing better value for money and demonstrating a wider range of impacts across different regions. CiviAct has generated over 5 years of funding for 5 community organisations. This has led to 23 new jobs (including 15 youth leadership roles) supporting some of the most disadvantaged young people, nationally.

With Saeed Brasab - Unity Gym Project, Shahida Siddique - DiverseCity Development Trust, Julie Wharton -The Hideaway, Muna Abdi - MA Education CiC, Jan Cunliffe - JENGbA, Patrick Williams - Manchester Metropolitan ��ϳԹ��.

Joint winners: CiviAct: Reimagining ‘Community-Led’ ��ϳԹ�� Partnership, Dr Will Mason, Faculty of Social Sciences

Practical Power Electronics, Machine & Drives (PPEMD) for All, Dr Panos Lazari, Faculty of Engineering

Excellent support for KE or impact (professional services individual award)

Sarah Stanley Business, Partnerships Manager, Management School

"Sarah always demonstrates care and respect for her colleagues and those in her networks. Her focus is upon brokering relationships in which all parties can work together to create positive impact and lasting change. She nurtures relationships within the School and with external partners so as to ensure that opportunities are optimised and everyone feels the benefits of knowledge exchange.”

Dr Martina McGuinness, Management School

Hari Subramanian, KE Manager, Faculty of Engineering

“Hari has demonstrated exceptional commitment to Knowledge Exchange (KE) and impact by providing outstanding support to academics, fostering industry partnerships, and ensuring lasting connections between academia and external stakeholders. His contributions have significantly advanced the university’s KE objectives through well-defined, proactive engagement strategies,”

Dr Rob Ward, Faculty of Engineering

Erica Williams, KE Manager, Faculty of Engineering

“I really appreciate Erica's support, especially her empathy towards me as an incoming academic who knew little about the operation of the university and the particular internal funding rules. I think a lot of what she's done for me would be outside her responsibilities, but she went extra miles to help me,”&�Բ��;

Dr Connie Qian, Faculty of Engineering

Winner: Hari Subramanian, KE Manager, Faculty of Engineering

Excellent support for KE or impact (professional services team award)

Gordon Bishop, Emma Cantello Saville, Erica Williams and Liz Henwood from the Faculty of Engineering KE, Major Projects and Partnerships & Research Operations teams

Project: Building a Strategic Partnership with John Crane Ltd

“Gordon Bishop and the teams at PKES and Research Contracts were instrumental in bidding for, winning, and establishing this partnership,”&�Բ��;

Professor Rob Dwyer-Joyce, Faculty of Engineering

Rosemarie Gough, Annabel Crum, Madina Hasan, Emily Chambers, Oliver McGregor, Ross McMurray, Joe Heffer, Grace Accad, Katherine O'Sullivan and Suzanne Mason from the Data Connect, Secure Data Services, Research Software Engineering and Faculty of Health

Project: Development of CUREd+: A National Urgent and Emergency Care Research Database

“The project's success is driven by a diverse, multidisciplinary team, encompassing data science, healthcare, and governance expertise, who developed an agile, transparent methodology,”&�Բ��;

Dr Rosemarie Gough, Project Manager, IT Services

Dr Wendy Lawley & Dr Ruth Kirk, Faculty of Science KE team

Project: High Throughput Biophysical Measurements and Data Analysis of Challenging Samples Made by Combination of Protein Therapeutics (biologics).

“I had very little experience of industrial collaborations prior to engaging with the KE Science team, thus the support provided by Dr Lawley and Dr Kirk has been absolutely crucial,”&�Բ��;

Dr Barbara Ciani, Faculty of Science KE team

Winners: Dr Wendy Lawley & Dr Ruth Kirk, Faculty of Science KE team