2026 Award winners

Winners of the 2026 Awards were announced at a vibrant ceremony in The Enterprise Centre. The event took place on Wednesday 20 May, and was hosted by Professor Julian Blow, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, alongside Dr Nicola Hancock (Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Innovation), Dame Jenny Abramsky (UEA Chancellor) and representatives from some of UEA's key partner organisations.

The winners of the Innovation and Impact Awards 2026 are:

Award for Student or Graduate Innovation or Enterprise

Peerdweb: (Dan Whitman (NBS graduate), George Featherstone and Stephen Powers) – a secure digital platform designed to help creators and organisations protect and commercialise unregistered intellectual property.

Knowledge Exchange Project of the Year

The AFN Network+ (Prof Neil Ward, ENV) – the UK’s leading cross-sector forum driving food system transformation with over 3,100 active members.

Outstanding Commercialisation of Research

Fish for All: A Natural Antimicrobial Solution for Seafood and Food Industry (Dr Yan Fen Lee, CPP) – a natural antimicrobial solution improving seafood safety and sustainability.

Outstanding Impact in Health, Wellbeing and Welfare

The Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) Test (Prof Colin Cooper, Prof Daniel Brewer, MED) – a simple home-based test with the potential to transform prostate cancer diagnosis.

Outstanding Impact in Policy and Practice

Informing UK Data Adequacy Policy: Protecting £146 Billion in Trade (Dr Karen Mc Cullagh, LAW) – influencing UK–EU data protection policy and safeguarding £146bn in trade.

Outstanding Social or Cultural Impact

Separations/Connections: Empowering Fijian communities through heritage collections (Prof Karen Jacobs, SRU) – transforming Fijian cultural heritage into a catalyst for social change, and empowering communities in Fiji.

Partnership of the Year

Black Beauty: Cultural Heritage in the Service of Animal Welfare and Children’s Literacy (Prof Thomas Ruys Smith, PPA) – a movement promoting animal welfare and children’s literacy rooted in Norfolk’s literary heritage.

Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Achievement

Documentary Storytelling and Driving Change: Using Film to Change Policy, Training and Awareness (Prof Eylem Atakav MLC)

Prof Atakav’s body of work – Growing Up Married, Lifeline and Left Behind – has had extraordinary national impact, shaping legislation, informing government strategy, improving frontline training, and amplifying the voices of survivors of domestic abuse. Her films have influenced the Marriage and Civil Partnerships (Minimum Age) Act 2022, contributed to the 2025 Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, and improved support pathways for frontline practitioners.

This powerful, survivor-centred work exemplifies values of creativity, compassion and social justice.

UEA's Chancellor, Dame Jenny Abramsky, said:

"This year’s ‘Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement’ recognises impact of an exceptional scale, depth and humanity. I was delighted to present this Award to Prof Eylem Atakav (School of Media, Language and Communications) for her remarkable project, Domestic abuse: Using Film to Change Policy, Training and Awareness.

"Through her powerful films Prof Atakav has shown how storytelling can challenge injustice, influence policy and place survivors’ voices at the heart of change. Her work has had profound national impact – shaping legislation, informing government strategy, improving frontline training and strengthening support for those affected by domestic abuse.

"This is driven by compassion and courage, grounded in collaboration with communities, practitioners and policymakers. It exemplifies UEA’s values and our commitment to social justice, creativity and real-world impact.

"I extend my warmest congratulations to Professor Atakav and to all of this year’s Innovation and Impact Award winners and finalists. This work reminds us why universities matter – not only as places of knowledge, but as forces for positive and lasting change.”