Technicians shortlisted in prestigious Papin Prizes
07 Oct 2021
The shortlist has been announced for the UK’s only award ceremony dedicated to celebrating technical excellence and innovation in higher education and research
61 technicians, including two from our University, have been shortlisted for an acclaimed Papin Prize across ten categories. To honour the role and impact of technicians in supporting the COVID-19 effort, two special recognitions have been included this year: COVID-19 Recognition, National Impact and Community Impact.
Hundreds of individuals and teams were nominated for this year’s prestigious awards which will be presented at the biannual Higher Education Technician Summit (HETS) 2021 on 10 November 2021 at the East Midlands Conference Centre, University of Nottingham.
Kelly Vere Project Lead for TALENT said: “Since launching, the Papin Prizes have become one of the most highly regarded rewards for technicians in our sector. It’s the only award ceremony which is wholly dedicated to celebrating the varied role of technicians and the work they do.
“The Papin Prizes provide national recognition for technicians and help to raise the profile and status of technicians within the sector. We wanted to offer two additional prizes to this year’s categories because of the valuable impact technicians have made during the pandemic. These recognising an individual or team who has played a significant role in the response of their institution to COVID-19 and it’s no surprise this was the most popular category.
“Congratulations to all individuals and teams who were nominated. Shortlisting is never an easy task and the fact we have more than sixty eligible is testament to the quality of submissions we received.”
The Papin Prizes are named after Denis Papin, a 17th century technician who worked with Robert Boyle. Papin invented the steam digester and was one of the first technicians to publish in his own name. Nominations for the 2021 Papin Prizes are made by any member of the higher education community including students, staff, collaborators and alumni.
The two technicians shortlisted from our University are:
Contribution to Infrastructure
A member of technical staff that has made a significant contribution to day-to-day infrastructure to support research and/or teaching – for example, roles may include technical staff who look after building facilities or technicians that provide key services.
- Catherine Davies, Technical Services Manager, Photon Institute
Outreach/Community
A member of technical staff that has made a significant contribution to community/outreach activities.
- Samantha Littler, Research Assistant, School of Medical Sciences
More information:
The Papin Prizes are named after Denis Papin, a 17th century technician who worked with Robert Boyle. Papin invented the steam digester and was one of the first technicians to publish in his own name. Nominations for the 2021 Papin Prizes are made by any member of the higher education community including students, staff, collaborators and alumni.