UCL technical teaching support group wins prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry award

19 May 2017

UCL Chemistry Lab Technical Team has won the Higher Education Technical Excellence Award 2017 recognising support provided for undergraduate teaching, enabling students to use labs to their fullest.

The technical team ensure that the laboratories within the UCL Chemistry department are managed efficiently and safely, and that the labs are sufficiently resourced, including both physical resources and providing direct technical support to undergraduates during their practical sessions.

Two years ago, in response to student and staff committees and an Internal Quality Review (IQR), the team began a review in to the technical support offered at undergraduate level, beginning with third year teaching. The review coincided with the launch of UCL’s Connected Curriculum initiative, which seeks to bring undergraudates closer to research, and this provided a framework in which to match the department's practical teaching to current research being undertaken by staff.

Mr Alan Philcox, team lead, said: “The technical team were put forward for this award by Dr Katherine Holt, chair of the UCL Chemistry department teaching committee. We are pleased to have received the nomination and honoured to have won the award which presents recognition of the hard work and dedication of the team.”

The Higher Education Technical Excellence Award is awarded to individuals or teams demonstrating exceptional contributions to technical support within the Higher Education sector. The UCL Chemistry Lab Technical Team receives £2000, a medal and a certificate.

The Royal Society award winners are evaluated for the originality and impact of their research, as well as the quality of the results, which can be shown in publications, patents, or even software. The awards also recognise the importance of teamwork across the chemical sciences, and the abilities of individuals to develop successful collaborations.

Dr Robert Parker, chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry said: “It is an honour to celebrate the innovation and expertise of our community through our prizes and awards. Our charitable mission is to advance excellence in the chemical sciences, and we are proud to celebrate our inspiring and influential winners, who share that mission.”

Mr Philcox adds: "We plan to continue with the on-going practical review, using the Connected Curriculum as a guide to do so."

“The technical team were put forward for this award by Dr Katherine Holt, chair of the UCL Chemistry department teaching committee. The team were pleased to have received the nomination and honoured to have won the award which presents recognition of the hard work and dedication of the team. We will continue with our practical review, using the Connected Curriculum as a guide.”