On 14th June 2023, Heriot-Watt University held the Principle’s Research Impact and Engagement Awards (PRIME Awards) where research projects were recognised for their outstanding achievement, innovation, and creativity in impact and public engagement. The PRIME Awards celebrate activities with the potential to create economic, social, environmental, and cultural impact from research, and engage broad publics, new stakeholders, and underserved audiences. Project activities are considered under four categories: Inspire, Involve, Influence, and Innovate.
Representatives from the 3SIP2C’s engagement and capacity building team (WP5) attended the ceremony as one of the shortlisted projects in this year’s awards. Prof. Thomas Wagner, Dr Inna Yaneva-Toraman, Dr Giang Van Trong, and Dr Duc Nguyen were thrilled and very honoured to receive the Inspire Award on behalf of the team for the series of engagement activities that WP5 and contributors had achieved over the past six months.
Collectively called “Plastic Hunt in North Vietnam” the activities which the selection panel reviewed included 1) the massive beach clean-up and waste audit at Giao Hai (bit.ly/3nXm9Ef); 2) the student storytelling workshop, 3D map modelling, and Cat Ba field trip with students from VNU High-School for Gifted Students in Social Science (bit.ly/3Bm2rF8); 3) participatory 3D mapping event with Cat Ba communities to help integrate local ecological knowledge into scientific work, and 4) the hunt for coconut drifters in Lan Ha Bay (bit.ly/3nSTujA) which involved many of the island’s residents and visitors and inspired conversations and knowledge exchange about marine plastics.
The panel reported that they were very impressed with how the 3SIP2C scholars had brought together diverse stakeholders, combining citizen science with playful learning, workshops and local knowledge to drive change in local communities. As the winner of the Inspire award, 3SIP2C received a beautiful glass trophy and additional funding to continue their outstanding work and build further skills in impact and engagement.
The team representatives were also delighted to learn about the amazing research activities across the university and to cheer for our very own Dr Ingrid Kelling and her team on the Fair Food Hub, which was Highly Commended under the Involve category. We congratulate all the winners and shortlisted projects and thank the selection committee and Heriot-Watt Engage team!
