A double nod to Salford as nominations for prestigious THE Awards are announced

What are we shortlisted for?

Outstanding Estates Team

The University’s innovative £2.5 billion Crescent and University District Masterplan is powered by our hard-working Estates Team, working in partnership with Salford City Council. The 240-acre major regeneration scheme aims to drive economic and social prosperity for Salford over the 20-year life of the programme.

Through the 2021-22 academic year, the team worked tirelessly to progress and launch major campus developments: our Science, Engineering and Environment Building; Energy House 2.0; North of England Robotics Innovation Centre; and Greater Manchester Institute of Technology. The team also received numerous awards and accolades for sustainability, in line with our commitment to becoming net carbon zero by 2038.

Jason Challender, Director of Estates and Facilities, said:

“We are delighted to be nominated for Outstanding Estates Team once again at the THE Awards. The nomination is testament to our hard-working team – in recent years they have worked diligently to develop major multimillion-pound developments. Together we are driving the University’s innovative £2.5 billion Crescent and University District Masterplan, working in partnership with Salford City Council.

“Notably, in recent years we have improved our position, notably in the People and Planet University League where we ranked 9th in the 2022/23 table, up from 12th in 2021/22 and 64th in 2019. This puts us second amongst the North West universities.”

The ambitious 322-strong team have also been named Morgan Sindall’s client of the year, and achieved sustainability goals like increasing electric vehicles by 10%, eliminating avoidable single use plastics from campus, reducing water consumption by 20%, installing solar electricity panels and maintaining our highly regarded Green Flag Award.  

Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year - Professor Alison Brettle, School of Health and Society

Professor Alison Brettle is a highly experienced supervisor, working across the PhD, DProf and PhD by published works programmes, having successfully supervised over 20 students to completion, with another four about to complete. Her track record demonstrates exceptional graduate outcomes, including significant achievements in terms of careers and academic outputs.

Alison provides exceptional support over and above the role of supervisor, when people are managing chronic illness, issues with anxiety, and stress, demonstrating a calmness and listening manner to understand and support individuals. She receives consistently positive student feedback, nominated year on year for the University’s ‘Supervisor of the Year’ award. Alison works tirelessly to support the entire PGR community in her field of health and society, for example through school-wide training, and across the wider university to develop policy and practice. She receives this nomination for her outstanding track record, and her wider mentorship and leadership across the University.

Speaking about her nomination, Alison said: “I’ve always enjoyed supervising my PhD students and working within PGR so was absolutely delighted to be recognised in this way.”

For the first time since the THE Awards launched in 2005, the final ceremony will take place outside London. On 7 December 2023, they will hold higher education's biggest celebration at ACC Liverpool – best of luck to all involved!

You can find the shortlist in full here: THE Awards 2023 (the-awards.co.uk)