Engagement awards

The Principal's Research Impact and Engagement Awards, or PRIME Awards, recognise outstanding achievement, innovation and creativity in impact and public engagement with research; celebrating activities with the potential to create economic, social, environmental and cultural impact from research, and engage broad publics, new stakeholders and underserved audiences.

Heriot-Watt University was one of the first universities in the UK to award prizes for public engagement, demonstrating the importance of involving and inspiring the public with research. Since 2011, champions from across the University have been recognised for their efforts to reach new audiences not already engaged with research, and demonstrate a lasting impact on the public. 

In 2019, we broadened the scope of the awards, to recognise the wide range of impact our research and researchers have on society. In 2021, we celebrated 10 years of awards for engagement, recognising the importance of partnerships and community to the University.