Founders' Awards 2026: The Winners
Named after some of Birmingham’s most influential figures, these awards demonstrate that their vision of ground-breaking research with local, national and global impact is as alive today as it was when the University was founded in 1900.
These awards recognise the very best academic work in our University. Awarded at the Chancellor's Dinner, they also provide an opportunity to recognise our outstanding academic colleagues and celebrate their achievements with our most distinguished friends and stakeholders.
Whilst each award recognises a different area of expertise, all recognise work which has contributed to the advancement of the University’s reputation both nationally and internationally.
The Florence Price Award for Outstanding Early-Career Academic
Dr Sophie Pain is an emerging international leader in sustainable energy materials, transforming photovoltaic design for full-lifecycle sustainability. Her atomic-scale manufacturing enables recyclable solar technologies, positioning the UK as a leader in next-generation photovoltaics. Her Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowship focuses on atomic layer deposition techniques to create solar panels that can be fully dismantled and recycled at end of life.
The Joseph Chamberlain Award for Educational Advancement
Professor Julia Myatt has led a step change in embedding sustainability across education at the University of Birmingham, ensuring relevance across all disciplines. As Inaugural Academic Director of Sustainability Education, she has delivered institution-wide transformation, enhancing student learning, staff capability, and global reputation. Her programmes include the Sustainability in Action course and internship schemes that have engaged over a thousand students in applied sustainability projects.
The Rose Sidgwick Award for External Engagement and Impact
Professor Richard Butler and the University of Birmingham Palaeobiology group deliver world-leading research with local to global impact. Their work reaches billions, shaping policy while enhancing the social, cultural, and economic value of fossil heritage and inspiring engagement with Earth’s history. Major discoveries such as the “Dinosaur Highway” excavation and new fossil species have generated global media reach and contributed to conservation policy and heritage initiatives.
The Josiah Mason Award for Academic Advancement
Professor Karen Yeung is at the forefront of advancing understanding of the regulation and governance of emerging technologies. She has pioneered ‘Law and Technology’ as a sub-discipline of legal scholarship. Her work on algorithmic regulation and ‘hypernudge’ systems has shaped international debates on how AI can influence behaviour and challenge human rights and democratic governance.
Medal of Honour
Professor Paul Moss has advanced understanding in clinical and translational haematology, including immune therapies, viral control in transplantation, anti-tumour immunity, and infectious disease. He pioneered approaches such as the use of CMV‑specific T cells in transplant patients and led the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medal of Honour
Professor Karen Guldberg has made a sustained and exceptional impact on inclusive education in the UK. For over 20 years, she has led research, policy, and practice, transforming how neurodivergent children and young people are understood, taught, and supported. Her development of the Autism Education Trust framework has informed national training programmes reaching over 400,000 educators.
2026 Founders' Awards
See all of the shortlisted nominees