Brunel University of London has been shortlisted in four categories of the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.
The nominations are for Technical or Digital Innovation of the Year, Outstanding Technician of the Year, Widening Participation or Outreach Initiative of the Year, and Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year.
With four shortlistings, Brunel is ranked joint top for the largest number of nominations in the THE awards alongside King's College London, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Worcester.
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 26 November in Birmingham.
Professor Andrew Jones, Vice-Chancellor and President of Brunel University of London, said:
"Being shortlisted in four categories at the THE Awards is a fantastic achievement. It demonstrates not just brilliant academics and researchers, but also fantastic teams and teamwork.
“The nominations showcase Brunel’s real-world impact through our innovative AI, pioneering research and supervision, outstanding technical innovation, and absolute determination to drive access and social mobility via our outreach programmes.
“I congratulate everyone involved and thank them for their continued dedication to delivering excellence for our students, partners and wider society."
Technical or Digital Innovation of the Year
Submission: Beyond the Scenes: Redefining Police Education Through Immersive Crime Scene Simulation
Brunel’s immersive Learning Room is transforming professional education through realistic simulation-based learning. Its innovative crime scene experience places students in complex investigative scenarios, requiring them to analyse evidence, respond to emerging intelligence and make critical decisions under pressure. The approach develops the practical skills and confidence needed for modern policing and has also been successfully applied across nursing, occupational therapy, social work and medicine, with 95% of students reporting improved understanding and 98% rating the experience as highly engaging and valuable.
Outstanding Technician of the Year
Finalist: Amelia Dingley
Amelia Dingley has been shortlisted in recognition of her exceptional contributions to teaching, research and professional practice within Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences. A core author of the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES) Expert Statement on sport performance testing and founder of its Technical Special Interest Group, Amelia has played a leading role in advancing technician representation nationally. Her work helped secure CASES’ commitment to the Technician Commitment, and she was named CASES Volunteer of the Year in 2025. Colleagues describe her impact on students, research and institutional culture as both exceptional and far-reaching.
Widening Participation or Outreach Initiative of the Year
Submission: Opening the Door to Higher Education: How the Brunel Book Club Drives Access and Social Mobility
The Brunel Book Club has been shortlisted for its innovative approach to improving literacy, widening participation and raising aspirations among Year 5 and 6 pupils from underrepresented backgrounds. Combining weekly reading sessions with on-campus activities and author workshops, the programme fosters a love of reading while helping participants build literacy skills, confidence and ambition. The initiative has delivered impressive outcomes, with almost three-quarters of Year 6 pupils in the 2025/26 programme exceeding expected progress in reading comprehension, achieving an average increase of 17 months.
Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year
Finalist: Professor Veena Kumari
Professor Veena Kumari has been recognised for an outstanding record of doctoral supervision and researcher development. Since joining Brunel in 2018, three of the four doctoral researchers she has supervised to completion as primary supervisor have received the University's Vice-Chancellor's Prize for Doctoral Research. Across her career, she has supervised 27 doctoral researchers, many of whom have progressed to leading academic positions at institutions including Imperial College London, King's College London and the University of Oxford. Her supervision approach combines academic rigour with strong mentorship, supporting doctoral researchers to become confident and successful independent scholars.