By Molly Tooher-Rudd

Talking zoology specimens powered by AI and early warning systems to protect wheat crops in sub-Saharan Africa are just two examples of the outstanding project winners in the Climate and Nature category of the 2026 Cambridge Awards for Research Impact and Engagement.

The awards recognise outstanding achievement, innovation and creativity in devising and implementing ambitious engagement and impact plans that have the potential to create significant economic, social and cultural effects. The awards are run by the Engagement, Knowledge Exchange and Impact team in the University of Cambridge Research Strategy Office.

“Cambridge has many of the building blocks required to address climate change, not just through advancing knowledge, but in connecting discovery, education, innovation, policy and societal engagement,” said Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Environmental Sustainability.

University of Cambridge Head of Public Engagement Dr Lucinda Spokes handed out the awards at the Cambridge Climate and Nature Showcase in June, where 10 winners also presented their projects.

Chloe King, a PhD student from the Department of Geography, School of Physical Sciences, was named Early Career Research Winner for her work to shape a more sustainable approach to tourism in the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador).

Over the past two years, King’s collaborative research with authorities, NGOs, academic institutions, and local communities has enhanced inter-institutional governance of tourism in the Galápagos Islands. It is the first comprehensive tourism strategy to include regenerative and conservation principles that align with national and local policies.

“It is really wonderful to see this type of collaborative, impact-focused research recognised, hopefully providing an example to future researchers on how success in academia can be defined and celebrated differently,” King said.

Also from the Department of Geography in the School of Physical Sciences, Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Shashi Ratnaker Singh was recognised for his work on delivering a just energy transition in India. His project brought together Members of Parliament, state legislators, public sector companies, and the Chief Minister’s Office to shape an India-specific energy transition pathway that reflects the country’s socio-economic and federal realities.

The work has already led to an invitation from the Government of Indian state Madhya Pradesh to co-develop a Just Transition Policy for coal-dependent regions.

Dr Kamiar Mohaddes, Affiliated Professor and Associate Professor in Economics & Policy, from the Cambridge Judge Business School, was recognised for research that challenges conventional estimates of the economic costs of climate change. His work quantifies how rising global temperatures are likely to affect economic growth across 174 countries, showing that all countries – rich or poor, hot or cold – would suffer economically under the current emissions trajectory. 

“Everyone will suffer from climate change. It will be very costly to deal with the consequences if we don’t act now,” Dr Mohaddes said at the showcase.

Dr Curie Park, research associate from the Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering, School of Technology, took the prize for Collaboration for the Plastic to Ghar (P2G) initiative in Nepal. Project P2G pioneered Nepal’s first local circular innovation ecosystems to transform Himalayan plastic waste.

Led by the Centre for Industrial Sustainability, the initiative engaged 70+ innovators, villagers, and students, creating a localised circular economy resulting in three start-ups and five plastic hubs across rural and urban areas. The project empowered the isolated village communities, creating jobs and reducing open burning and dumping of plastic waste. 

Also among this year’s winners was Jack Ashby, Assistant Director of the University Museum of Zoology in the Faculty of Biology, School of Biological Sciences, with a project transforming the way visitors interact with museum collections.

Ashby created a wildly popular series of AI-powered conversations with specimens at the University Museum of Zoology. The conversations conveyed recent discoveries about the species and engaged more than 6,000 people.  

“We are absolutely thrilled our project was recognised through an Impact Award. It’s a real honour that something that was both a research project and an exciting opportunity for our visitors to test emerging technology was chosen for these awards,” Ashby said.

Another project amplifies the unheard voices of young people in search of green jobs in Africa, led by Dr Garima Sahai, research associate from the Department of Geography, School of Physical Sciences. The multi-country collaborative project seeks to understand the aspirations and barriers young people face with work.

The project had a strong focus on engagement with policymakers and stakeholders, to inform national and regional initiatives to support youth employment in the green economy transition. 

Bloomberg Cambridge University Corporate Indices

Dr Jacob Smith, Postdoctoral Research Associate and Dr Tamas Mona, Research Associate, from the Department of Plant Sciences, School of the Biological Sciences, received the Early Career Research runner-up award for developing early warning forecasting systems for major wheat diseases affecting crops in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The team developed models for risk assessment and advisory services, giving wheat farmers valuable time to act when the risk of outbreak is high.

Professor Ellen Quigley, Co-Director of Finance for Systemic Change at the Department of Land Economy, School of Humanities and Social Sciences was recognised for developing the Bloomberg Cambridge University Corporate Indices, a framework that maps out a method for evaluating corporate climate action. It focuses on diverting new capital away from fossil fuel expansion through debt markets.

Another award celebrated the work of Dr Mayumi Sato, PhD student from the Department of Sociology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, who works alongside environmental defenders in the Global South. Working on the frontlines to protect ecosystems and communities, they often face criminalisation and misrepresentation in mainstream media. This project seeks to re-shape how environmental defenders are understood and support practical creative action that safeguards communities and biodiversity.

Holly Clothier, Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Dr Debbie Yeboah, Faculty of Biology and Louise Campbell, School of Biological Sciences, worked together on their project Belonging: Creating a Shared Vision of the Botanic Garden. The project placed community voices at the heart of future planning.

Creative workshops identified five key themes: social relevance and connection, communication, accessibility and inclusivity, wellbeing and creativity. The project marks a transformative step towards genuine co-creation, ensuring the Garden continues to be welcoming and inspiring for all. 

Applications for the 2026 Impact Awards will open later this year, celebrating impactful long-term collaborations and imaginative new approaches.

source: cam.ac.uk