The Sir Michael Uren Prize: celebrating excellence with the College’s most prestigious student prize.  

The prestigious Prize will be awarded annually and honour an outstanding postgraduate student whose research demonstrates real-world impact. This initiative aims to nurture exceptional research talent, acknowledge achievements, and commemorate Sir Michael’s enduring ties with the College. Presented at a College-wide level, the Prize will spotlight the transformative potential of work, prioritising societal impact over and across any specific disciplinary boundaries. 

Traditionally, departmental prizes at Imperial have recognised academic excellence, with numerous such accolades existing. These are an important recognition of academic excellence and typically honour individuals whose work stands out—for instance, achieving the highest exam score in their year or presenting the finest doctoral thesis in their field. While a few College-wide awards, like the Outstanding Student Achievement Award, exist, these primarily spotlight external activities and do not include a financial benefit for recipients. The Sir Michael Uren Prize is different, a perpetual College-wide award that celebrates both academic prowess and societal impact, providing a substantial financial award that can genuinely transform the recipient’s life and research. 

One of the core objectives of the Sir Michael Uren Prize is to cultivate academic and impact potential. The financial award of £20,000 will allow recipients the freedom to pursue their research interests and career aspirations, whether by extending their tenure at Imperial, innovating a prototype, engaging in a study period at another institution, or in some other way. 

Applications for the Sir Michael Uren Prize 2025 Now Open

We are pleased to announce that applications for the Sir Michael Uren Prize 2025 are now open. Each department is invited to nominate one exceptional current PhD student, or recently-graduated PhD student who has demonstrated outstanding achievements and significant impact in their research. 

Departments are encouraged to nominate their best candidates using the Sir Michael Uren Prize application form (max 3 pages, Arial, size 11 font). The Head of Department (HoD) or a delegate must approve and submit nominations, with the nominated students confirming their consultation. As nominations are limited to one per department, internal selection processes may be used, as determined by the HoD.

Past winners

 

Please contact Caitlin o'Shea (c.oshea@imperial.ac.uk) for any questions relating to the Sir Michael Uren Prize.