More success for University at Wales STEM Awards

The University of South Wales (USW) has again been recognised at the Wales STEM Awards.

For the third year running the University has been successful at the Awards, which shine a spotlight on the organisations and individuals making a difference to the STEM - science, technology, engineering, and maths - agenda in Wales.

The awards celebrate those leading the sector in Wales, those businesses creating an impact on the Welsh economy, those addressing the STEM diversity gap and skills shortage, and those inspiring and raising aspirations of the next generation.

Having been shortlisted in three categories - STEM Educational Programme of the Year (Public Sector), STEM Rising Star of the Year, and twice in the STEM Research Project of the Year - USW won the honour in the Research project category for its work on sustainable and slow-release organic silicon fertilisers (SIFER), led by Dr Christian Laycock.

After scooping the honour, Dr Laycock said: "Winning this award is a tremendous honour and a testament to the hard work and collaboration of everyone involved in developing our sustainable fertiliser. This recognition underscores the importance of tackling the environmental challenges in modern agriculture while providing innovative, practical solutions for farmers. 

“The award will help propel our research forward, bringing us closer to real-world applications that improve food security, protect natural resources, and reduce farmers' dependence on volatile natural gas prices. It has also opened up new opportunities to collaborate with industry partners, allowing us to refine and commercialise the technology for widespread use. 

“We are excited about the potential of this project to make a lasting, positive impact on the agricultural sector and look forward to continuing to share our progress with the broader community."

Other finalists from USW included a project researching the impact of recurrent concussion in rugby union, the University’s STEM Outreach (pre-16) project, the Faculty of Computing, Engineering, and Science Student Recruitment team, and cyber security lecturer Beth Jenkins in the Rising Star category.

Professor Donna Whitehead, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of USW, said: “It is heartening to once again see the sector-leading work we do at the University being recognised at the Wales STEM Awards.

“The work carried out by Dr Laycock and his colleagues has rightfully been held up as an example of how education and industry work together to address some of the most important challenges we face in today’s world. I can’t congratulate them enough.

“Although the other finalists from USW didn’t win their categories, I know that they are leaders in their fields and are an example of the excellence we have at the University, excellence which will ensure the next generation of scientists, engineers, technologists, and mathematicians, will thrive in their chosen careers.”