2025 Winners | Education and Research Awards
Project Management Apprentice of the Year | Miles Allibone-Dover, National Highways / BPP University
Miles’s impressive entry showed his passion, commitment and enthusiasm to develop, progress and use learnings to make a difference. Miles demonstrated an ability to deal with difficult situations in the delivery of projects, and a clear focus on his own future development. He is clearly an ambitious apprentice with a strong drive to become a project manager.
Project Management Graduate of the Year | Evie Smith, Sellafield Ltd
The judges described Evie as exceptional. She’s achieved a first-class BSc in Project Management, been elected to the Young Generation Nuclear National Committee and been awarded Young Nuclear Professional of the Year 2023 from the Nuclear Institute. Judges also highlighted Evie’s ability to identify real challenges and issues and see where change can be effected. She chose a non-traditional dissertation subject that others might have turned away from.
Project Management Postgraduate Dissertation of the Year | Alima Soltanmuratova, University of Sussex
Judges commented that Alima’s dissertation, Integrating Design Thinking with Artificial Intelligence: Exploring Strategies for Enhancing Project Outcomes was original, and conceptually ambitious. It showed intellectual maturity, professional relevance, and thoughtful methodological integration.
Alima’s submission was felt award-worthy, for its innovative thinking, ethical awareness, and potential to inform real-world practice in digitally transforming sectors.
Project Management Doctorate of the Year | Baker Rickaby, University College London
Judges felt that Baker’s doctoral research, Managing Uncertainty in Real Time: A Case Study of High Speed 2 Railway Project made a compelling and innovative contribution to project management. Though rigorious fieldwork embedded within the HS2 project, the research offered both theoretical depth and practical relevance, especially for large-scale infrastructure projects. The methodology was robust and well-executed, with nuanced insights into real-time uncertainty responses.
Research Paper of the Year | Carolina M. Zani, Juliano Denicol, Tim Broyd, School of Sustainable Construction, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London
Judges felt that the potential impact of this work was significant both in academic and managerial contexts. The integration of various theoretical perspectives into a unified framework not only advanced the scholarly discourse on megaproject organisation design but also set a clear agenda for future empirical research.
The recognition by international bodies and leading practitioners along with its strong performance in downloads from the International Journal of Project Management indicated substantial potential for global influence in both academic and professional circles.
Developmental Programme of the Year | DXC Technology
Judges noted that this programme has clearly enhanced project management processes and fostered a culture of continuous improvement in DXC. Participants implemented lessons learned to create more efficient workflows and improve team collaboration, and a significant percentage of participants advanced to higher positions in project management within a year of completion.
The submission clearly demonstrated fantastic benefits for the programme and for society, showing that engaging positively with the community can really change society, perceptions, and people’s lives.
Project Management Educator of the Year | Dr Jennifer Davies, University of Liverpool
Jennifer clearly demonstrated a high level of adaptability when meeting the needs of her students and demonstrated an ongoing commitment to the latest industry thinking to enhance the quality of her teaching material.
Jennifer demonstrated not only a passion for learning but also a dedication to her students on a personal level. Her adoption of the latest teaching methods and innovations including AI resulted in formal recognition of her work.
Project Management Student of the Year | Macy Rogerson, University of Cumbria
Judges felt that Macy had a strong approach to project management methods and techniques. She was exposed to the practical realities of project management and has come through with valuable lessons learned and personal development, which will benefit future projects. Teamwork was a highlight of her project and a key factor in its success. Macy demonstrated a strong approach to motivating the team and bringing the best out of them.