Lynne Cox President's award for Excellence in Research Support
The award for research support excellence recognises outstanding contribution by professional services and technical staff to Imperial’s research efforts and highlights good and innovative practice. This award category offers a maximum of four awards each year, including up to two Medals.
Lynne Cox President's award for Excellence in Research Support
- What we're looking for
- Who can nominate
- Who is eligible to be nominated
- How to apply
- How we will assess your nomination
- Nomination form questions
The remit of this award should be interpreted broadly. Recognising the different nature of support provided by different categories of staff, this award is divided into separate categories for technical and professional staff, and nominators are asked to clearly state to which of these categories their nominee belongs.
The award might recognise (this is not an exhaustive list) the contributions of central College, faculty or department staff working in research grant administration; project, centre or departmental management; finance or contracts (where substantially focussed on research); research strategy and policy; or support for research students and postdocs. Research technical professionals may be working to support facilities and equipment, software, data or other aspects of technical support for research.
The awarding panel may also ring-fence one award each year for a junior colleague (below level 4), and nominators are asked to indicate whether they wish their nominee to be considered for this.
Please detail:
- Any new activities, establishment of best practice, and/or new approaches
that the nominee(s) has contributed - The specific impact and benefits of the nominee’s contribution, both within their immediate team and more broadly
- The nominee’s professional conduct, including approachability and
- supportiveness to other staff and his or her support for Imperial’s values, including supporting and promoting a diverse, inclusive and equitable research culture
- How the nominee contributes to a better research culture in his or her department/Institute/ Centre/Sector or the wider faculty/university
Nominations can be made by staff from all areas of the College. Self-nomination is not permitted for this category.
- Imperial staff on professional, operational or technical staff contracts. Team nominations require clear justification and should be entered on a single nomination form.
- Previous winners may not be re-nominated for the same category of award until at least three years have passed since their previous success (i.e. winners of 2022, 2023 and 2024 cannot be re-nominated for the same award in 2025). Find the full list of previous winners on the previous award winners webpage
To make a nomination please use the new online nomination system.
Please view the user guide to help you access the system and enter your nomination(s). Specific guidance for each award category can be found below.
If you have any issues please contact Mr Alex Headley.
Assessment process
Applications that fit the scope of the funding opportunity will be assessed through a single stage, panel review.
We will invite panel members to review your application independently against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity:
| Award Criteria | Description |
| Professional conduct | Please score to what extent you believe the nomination has demonstrated evidence of the nominees professional conduct in terms of their approachability and supportiveness, and ensuring swift and effective support. |
| Best practice and/or innovative approaches | Please score to what extent you believe the nomination demonstrates the use of best practice and, where appropriate, their use of innovative approaches |
| Impact of contribution | Please score to what extent you believe the nomination demonstrates a beneficial effect/impact of the nominees contribution to Imperial research |
| Supporting statement | Please rate the extent to which the supporting statement convinces you of the excellence of the candidate |
| Fostering inclusivity | Please score for the extent the nominee has contributed to the fostering of an inclusive and diverse culture |
The scores are assigned only on the strength of the evidence presented in the application form in demonstrating that the nominee meets each of the award criteria.
| Nomination overview | |
| Support staff category | Please confirm if this nomination should be considered for the technical or professional/operational category? |
| Junior Colleague | Would this nominee be eligible to be considered as a junior colleague? (below level 4) |
| Impact of contribution | Impact of contribution |
| Best practice and innovative approaches | Best practice and innovative approaches |
| Fostering inclusivity | Fostering inclusivity |
| Statement of support | An individual not involved in the nominee's direct line of management should provide a statement of support substantiating the claims made for the nominee. Short additional supporting statements from colleagues and / or students can also be included within the overall word limit for this section |
The scores are assigned only on the strength of the evidence presented in the application form in demonstrating that the nominee meets each of the award criteria.