Awards
The UK Earth Observation Conference 2026 Awards celebrate excellence, impact, and contribution across the UK Earth Observation (EO) community.
The awards recognise individuals and teams whose work advances EO research, application, engagement, and community building. Nominations are now closed.
UKEO 2026 Community Award
Congratulations to our UKEO 2026 Award nominees!
Your nomination recognises the outstanding contributions you have made to the UK Earth Observation community. Whether through research, impact, collaboration, engagement, teaching, mentoring, or postgraduate achievement, your work is helping shape the future of Earth Observation.
We are proud to celebrate your accomplishments and look forward to recognising all nominees at UKEO 2026!
Research Award
Recognising excellence in Earth Observation research and scientific contribution
Nominees:
- Sarah Dance (University of Reading)
- Mathias Disney (UCL)
- Rui Song (University of Oxford)
Business Collaboration Award
Recognising successful collaboration between academia, industry, or other partners that delivers innovation and value.
Nominees:
- Tony Canas (SSTL)
- Aleksandra Bavdaz (Sensefish)
Teaching and/or Mentoring Award
Recognising excellence in teaching, supervision, mentoring, or capacity building within the EO community.
Nominees:
- Jonothan Murray (Imperial College London)
- Heiko Balzter (University of Leicester)
Impact Award
Celebrating EO work that has delivered demonstrable impact for policy, practice, or society.
Nominees:
- Rushanka Amrutkar (Environment Agency)
- Emily Dowd (University of Reading
Public Engagement Award
Celebrating outstanding engagement activities that increase awareness, understanding, or use of Earth Observation.
Nominees:
- Angie Watson (STEM Learning)
- Abigail Waring (University of Leicester)
- Tara Thompson (University of Leicester) and Sally Stevens (University of Reading)
2026 Postgraduate Award
Celebrating exceptional achievement by a postgraduate researcher in Earth Observation.
Nominees:
- Emily Dowd (University of Leeds)
- Marlena Holloway (University of Northumbria)
RSPSoc Awards
In addition to the UKEO Community Awards, a number of RSPSoc Awards will also be presented during the Gala Dinner:
- RSPSoc Bill Barlow Award
- RSPSoc Sir Paul Curran Award
- RSPSoc Postgraduate Thesis Awards (two awards)
- RSPSoc Journal Awards (three awards)
The Bill Barlow Award and the Sir Paul Curran Award are currently open for eligible RSPSoc members.
If you are an RSPSoc member and wish to make a nomination or apply, please log in to the RSPSoc website using your membership credentials and visit the Grants and Awards pages for further information.
Awards Presentation
The UKEO Community Awards will be presented at the Conference Gala Dinner on Wednesday 16 September 2026, providing an opportunity to recognise and celebrate achievements across the EO community in a shared and formal setting.
