Let’s celebrate our research heroes!  

Please note: award submissions have now closed.

Nominations are now open for the Support & Delivery Impact Awards 2021. This is your opportunity to showcase all the hard-working, high-achieving staff from the Support & Delivery service that have made a difference to COVID-19 and other research in Wales during the past year. But we can only honour these research stars with your help.

While we know that in research delivery, all our teams have been working exceptionally and going above and beyond to ensure research happens, we would like you to nominate an individual or team who you feel especially/particularly deserves recognition for a 2021 Support & Delivery Impact Award. 

We’ll be presenting four awards at the event, which will acknowledge the valuable research delivery achievements made by individuals and teams:

1. Best use of public involvement 

Through this award we want to identify and promote the best use of public involvement in health and social care research in Wales informed by the UK Standards for Public Involvement. We are looking for studies that have adapted to the pressures of the pandemic and used innovative approaches to involving patients and the public in a way that is supportive and meaningful. 

2. Outstanding research team 

This award celebrates the achievements of any health or social care research team in Wales. We want to recognise a team that has demonstrated innovation, resilience, exceptional teamworking and a commitment to collaboration at a time when research has been under exceptional pressure to meet rapidly changing priorities. 

3. Above and beyond award for an outstanding research professional

Our above and beyond award recognises a Welsh research professional that has particularly risen to the challenges of the past year. This researcher may have overcome personal and professional adversity, found creative new ways of working or otherwise demonstrated considerable commitment to improving the health and care of people and communities through their research.

The final award, the One Wales award, will acknowledge those across the Support & Delivery Service that are working hard to realise a One Wales Seamless Service for supporting and delivering high quality health and social care research. 

The awards ceremony will take place at the Support & Delivery virtual event on 22 April 2021.

Nicola Williams, director of support & delivery said: “The past year has seen  incredible research taking place in Wales as we have played a central role in the UK response to COVID-19. Our awards are designed to acknowledge the hard work and excellence that has made it all possible.

“So I would encourage everyone in the Support & Delivery service to consider nominating a person, or team, who have excelled in the past year. We really do rely on your nominations to ensure the most deserving staff from right across Wales are recognised.”

Our 2019 winners included research assistant Sarah Davies, the Hywel Dda research nurses, Lydia Vitolo, industry manager, research nurse Anna Roynon-Reed, and the critical care research team at the University Hospital of Wales.

“For me it’s important to be recognised,” said Sarah Jones, lead research nurse at Bronglais General Hospital, one of the Hywel Dda research nurses who collected the public award.

“We’re four small district general hospitals and people forget that sometimes small is better. We work very well together, we communicate well and through doing well with research we put our health board on the map.”

Could you or your colleagues be one of this year’s winners? Nominate yourself or someone you know now to be in with the chance.

How do I submit an application? 

Applications from all members of the Health and Care Research Wales Support & Delivery service are welcome. If you would like to nominate yourself, or someone you know, for a Support & Delivery Impact award please fill out this online form. 

In 200 words or less, your application should showcase a benefit or positive change that has occurred as a result of the work of the nominated individual or team. The evidence of impact in your application should be about a genuine reflection and analysis of thinking, practice and actions.

We welcome applications in Welsh. Please note that applications received in Welsh will be translated into English before being assessed.

Application forms must be completed online by 17:00 on 15 March.

Applications will be assessed by a panel made up of members of Health and Care Research Wales’ Support & Delivery staff.