During a glittering ceremony in the Great Hall the winners of the University of Exeter Impact Awards 2013 were revealed.
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley was the guest of honour at the event, which was attended by more than 300 guests.
Professor Nick Talbot, deputy vice-chancellor (research and knowledge transfer), who hosted the evening, said: "Our intention in running these awards is to provide a great opportunity to showcase research which is having an impact on society both now and in the future.
"Projects were judged based on research quality, innovation, partnership working, and significance and impact. The awards also provide a fantastic platform to bring together and thank those outside of the university who have worked with us, and whose contribution is invaluable in creating our world-leading research outcomes."
Cristina Locatelli who, together with Professor Gabriella Giannachi, won the Oustanding Impact in Arts and Culture Award, said: "We are delighted our project Art Maps has been awarded such a prestigious recognition.
"We feel it is a testimony to the hard work of researchers and professionals from a varied range of disciplines, coming together in the firm belief digital technologies can not only extend access to art collections to people of all ages and backgrounds around the world, but also enrich their engagement with arts with new and exciting dimensions, which we are just starting to explore."
The winners were:Arts and culture– Art Maps: a new crowdsourcing app developed with the Tate Gallery allows users to explore more than 67,000 artworks and relate them to the places, sites and environments they encounter in daily life. Enterprise– Simpleware: image-based modelling tools for industryHealth and wellbeing– Judging the value of healthcare treatments: getting the outcomes right for patientsPolicy and education– Rewriting education for teachers: improving professional understanding and practicePublic engagement– Past Caring: a study of bereaved carers, by carers, for carers, with carersRegional partnership– Optimising emergency stroke treatment to reduce disabilitySustainable futures– There were combined winners in this category, with Hasan Baig and his supervisor Professor Tapas Mallick both taking home the honoursTechnology– Fourth generation biofuels: programming bacteria to produce retail-grade dieselBest postgraduate impact– A new event recognition system for water distribution networks
Vice-chancellor and chief executive Professor Sir Steve Smith said: "I was delighted not only by the quality of the research on display but also by the real difference it was making to improving understanding of some of the biggest challenges we face, be they regional, national or global. The evening was a great success and my personal congratulations go to all the winners who thoroughly deserve their trophy."
