As part of Summer of Research 2025, the Adam Weiler Impact Award panel took place on Friday 20 June, offering a platform for four postgraduate researchers (PGRs) to showcase how their postgraduate research is influencing policy, community well‑being, and scientific practice.

Established in memory of Sussex student Adam Weiler, the award celebrates outstanding PGRs who are driving real-world change. This year’s four recipients each received a £1,000 prize, awarded earlier in May at the inaugural Sussex Awards ceremony, held at the Attenborough Centre.

Hosted in the Student Centre, the panel discussion was moderated by Professor Jeremy Niven, Dean of the Sussex Researcher School. Each award winner gave a short talk summarising their research, its intended or realised impact and future plans before taking questions from an engaged audience of researchers and professional services staff.

Meet the award recipients:

• Tiffany Murphy (Media, Arts & Humanities) explores the role of feminist performance as a vehicle for collective care and ethical witnessing in her project On the Mend, which supports survivors of gendered violence.
• Guy Edwards (Global Studies) investigates Colombia’s decision to cease new oil and gas licensing, contributing to critical discourse on climate governance in the Global South.
• Marianne Glascott (Life Sciences) focuses on kelp spore motility as a non‑vertebrate, early‑warning tool for detecting marine pollution, offering a more ethical and practical approach for environmental monitoring.
• Christina Niki Kampoureli (Brighton & Sussex Medical School) is using real‑time fMRI neurofeedback to enhance attention and memory in adults with ADHD, with promising implications for clinical intervention.

The panel allowed attendees to reflect on what “impact” truly means at the postgraduate level, challenging the idea that meaningful change only arrives later in one’s career. The atmosphere was energising: researchers shared outcomes and aspirations, while audience members contributed thoughtful questions and feedback.

A full video recording of the panel talks is now available, showcasing the impact-led ambition from these four scholars:

For more information about Summer of Research 2025 events and opportunities to celebrate and support emerging researchers, visit the Celebrating Emerging Researchers webpage.

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