The University of Liverpools’ Department of Chemistry has been awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its pioneering research and innovation work to address global challenges and benefit society.
The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is the highest national honour in Higher Education. It is awarded in recognition of world-class excellence and achievement to a small selection of UK institutions every two years.
The Department of Chemistry carries out world-leading research that pushes forward the frontiers of chemical sciences to tackle global challenges in critical areas such as low carbon energy, global health and sustainable manufacturing.
Prof. Wiebe van der Hoek, Executive Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Liverpool Faculty of Science and Engineering and Royce Partner Director said:
“Our Chemistry Department has an outstanding track record of scientific and translational achievement, and the benefits of its research and innovation are felt on a global scale from pioneering antimalarial drug discovery to revolutionising the design-based discovery of a range of functional materials and developing one of the best-known methods for making nanoparticles.
“We are very proud of this award and I would like to take the opportunity to particularly thank Royce team members for their support both for the Department and the wider University over the years, and hope they feel a shared sense of achievement in this honour.”
Royce Chief Scientist, Prof. Philip Withers added:
“Congratulations to all on this fantastic and highly prestigious accolade. I know from personal experience how special it is to have the lab recognised in this way. The Royce platforms for autonomous formulation hosted within the Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) at Liverpool are a jewel in our crown, and are supported by chemists who are leading the way in the development of the kind of new materials that are urgently required to tackle climate change.
“The combination of high-performance computing and high throughput materials science is revolutionising the discovery of materials that will have applications across many industrial sectors from sustainable living to consumer products. This prize is a fantastic recognition of the hard work and far-reaching impact of the efforts of the brilliant research teams in the department.”
The Department is home to six specialist research and innovation centres that work with industry and other partners to deliver global impact and support regional economic growth. These are: The Materials Innovation Factory which hosts a number of Royce Platforms, the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, the Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces, the Surface Science Research Centre, the Leverhulme Research Centre for Functional Materials Design and the Centre of Excellence for Long Acting Therapeutics.
The announcement was made at a reception at St James’s Palace. The Prize will be officially presented to the University in February 2024 by a member of the royal family.
