Recognition

The Science Council’s registers provide a framework for professional values and practice throughout science careers.

They licence professional bodies to award:

• RSciTech – Registered Science Technician
• RSci – Registered Scientist
• CSci – Chartered Scientist

Further information on professional registration can be found here.

Further information on applying for professional registration can be found here.

The Science Council recognises organisations that promote professional registration and development to their scientific staff through its Employer Champion programme. Current Employer Champions include the Medical Research Council (MRC), John Innes Centre, the Open University and King’s College London among many others.

For more information on the programme visit the webpage and take a look at this short film which explains more.

Newcastle University is very proud of the quality of their research and teaching. For this to succeed, “There must be a strong cohort of technicians.” according to Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Bring. Technical Manager for the Institute of Neuroscience Mel Leitch, immediately recognised the potential for professional registration to inspire not only his team, but all technical staff in the university. “Newcastle University as an employer is very committed to encouraging career development, and since our technicians make such a crucial contribution to the core research and teaching of the University, we felt the Science Council’s programme was tailor-made for us to meet this commitment.”

Working with the Science Council, Mel has organised workshops and registration days, and encouraged those in his team that are already registered to act as mentors for anyone going through the application process. “Recognition is something that we’ve been struggling with as a group of workers within Higher Education and professional registration has been a vehicle for giving us this recognition,” says Mel. “Those technicians that have become professionally registered have become super motivated. They come to me with solutions, not problems; they come with initiatives that they want to drive forward. Having that empowerment is really impressive.”

The Engineering Council is the UK regulatory body for the engineering profession and sets and maintains internationally recognised standards of professional competence and commitment. They licence professional bodies to award: Engineering Technicians (EngTech), Incorporated Engineers (IEng), Chartered Engineers (CEng) and Information and Communications Technology Technicians (ICTTech).

To find out more watch a short film about the Engineering Council.

Further information on professional registration can be found here.

Professional Registration for IT Technicians, designed to recognise the talents of IT Technicians. RITTech is a brand new standard for IT Technicians provided by BCS.

For more information watch the following video or head to the webpage.

The Institute of Science and Technology are developing a professional register for those working in arts and media.

Advance HE supports technicians to gain recognition for the contribution they make to teaching and supporting learning through Advance HE fellowship. Advance HE's fellowship is recognised internationally, demonstrating commitment to world-class teaching.

At the heart of Advance HE fellowship is the Professional Standards Framework (2023), which are the professional standards and guidelines underpinning great teaching.

Professional body that awards the EngTech to qualified technicians on behalf of the Engineering Council.

The Royal Society of Chemistry is licensed to offer the professional awards of Registered Scientist (RSci) and Registered Science Technician (RSciTech), which recognise technicians’ skills, knowledge and professionalism. These registers provide independent recognition of achieving and maintaining the exacting standards required to join the global community of professional scientists. The RSC supports those considering registration with resources such as a YouTube video series and a dedicated team of professional registration specialists to offer advice, feedback and guidance on the application process.

As well as providing a clear bespoke route to registered or chartered status for employees, the RSC’s peer-reviewed accreditation provides employers with the confidence that their training and progression routes are of a recognised high standard. Accreditation helps companies to recruit and retain talented employees who are keen to develop their careers.

HEaTED courses and network events provide CPD points and evidence that technicians can use on professional registration applications and renewals via any route or professional body.

Network events which all have a dedicated point of information on the recognition routes available to technicians can be found here.

HEaTED’s Teaching & Learning Skills for Technical Staff course is being mapped to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) by the HEA and supports applications for Associate Fellowship and Fellowship, a valuable recognition route for the teaching contribution made by technicians.

The NTDC team aims to enhance the excellence and efficiency of the Higher Education technical workforce and support HEIs to achieve a sustainable future for technical staff and services. The Centre is home to the TDM Toolkit. NTDC experts are available to support Toolkit implementation and to deliver a portfolio of workshops and presentations focusing on the issues facing institutions and technicians. Additional consultancy services are also available on request.

Technician Profiles: read profiles from real technicians who have become professionally registered to hear about their ideas for CPD activities and what they view as the key benefits.

The Technical Career Pathways Tools deliver a technical role structure outlining expectations aligned to professional registration. Read more here.

Outstanding Technician of the Year

This award is given to an individual whose exceptional practical skills, commitment and vision have enabled the highest quality teaching, research or knowledge transfer. It is open to technicians working in any discipline in UK universities and research institutes. Entries are accepted from institutions, technicians themselves, their colleagues or students, but in all cases testimonies must form part of the supporting documentation.

2023 Winner - Jason Daff, University of York - 2023 Shortlist

"Jason Daff is a great example of an outstanding technician who has made significant contributions to his field, his team, his institution and beyong. Along with his focus on plant research, he has initated new ways to support technical career development, and regularly volunteers his time and expertise to encourage and education the next generation of horticulturists." -THE Judging Panel

2022 Winner - Hong Lin, University of Reading - 2022 Shortlist

"Hong Lin is the embodiment of such an outstanding technician, with her exceptional achievements culminating in two major breakthroughs in 2020-21: the first cannabinoidderived medicine to become fully available to the NHS, and a COVID-19 therapy with the potential to be considered for clinical trial studies.  Hong is passionate about the visibility of the technician’s role, particularly those from underrepresented groups Hong is the linchpin of many research groups and the go-to person for advice on a number of techniques by academic colleagues and students alike across the university. Without her exceptional contributions, much of this work would not be possible." -excerpt from Hong's nomination

2021 Winner - Dr Andrew Filby, Newcastle University - 2021 Shortlist

The judging panel were really impressed by Andrew’s leadership of the university's "Innovation Methodology and Application" (IMA) research Theme in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, where his vision is helping to change research culture for colleagues, academics, technical staff, and students.

He is based in the Flow Cytometry Core Facility and his technical knowledge and expertise in the field of cytometry is especially evident. He has been able to use his specialism to develop techniques to understand the immunology of Covid-19, form international collaborations and contribute to national and international meetings.

2019 Winner - Barbara Kunz, The Open University

Geochemist Barbara Kunz was, the judges decided, the “stand-out nomination”.

“Dr Kunz embodies the very essence of the inaugural Outstanding Technician category,” our judges said. “She enables and drives research through the application of her theoretical and practical expertise and advanced equipment capabilities and experimental methodologies.”

Read our interview with her here.

Did you know that within the RSC Education awards, there are a number of awards suitable for technical colleagues and teams? We welcome nominations from both RSC members and non-members, and you can also nominate members and non-members for awards.

You can find out more about each of the prizes at the links below.

Horizon Prizes for Education: celebrate the ground-breaking innovations and initiatives that mark a step change in education. 

Excellence in Higher Education Prize: recognises inspirational, innovative and dedicated people working in higher education. 

Early Career Prize for Excellence in Higher Education: recognises inspirational, innovative and dedicated people in the first five years of their career in higher education. 

Team Prize for Excellence in Higher Education: recognises teams or collaborations who have had a positive impact on students in higher education. 

Nyholm Prize for Education: recognises inspirational, innovative and dedicated individuals or teams working in education. 

Technician Award

The IOP Technician Award enables the community to recognise and celebrate the skills and experience of technicians and their contribution to physics.

With the aim of raising the professional status of technicians, the IOP Technician Award highlights the diverse role of technicians in education, research and industry.

The winner receives a prize of £1,000, a trophy and a certificate presented at the IOP annual awards dinner.  Those in the secondary school category will receive an additional £1,000 prize for their school or department.

2019 Awardees

2020 Awardees

2021 Awardees

IET Awards – Apprentice and Technician of the Year

These awards are to recognise individuals who stand out from their peers and are making achievements in their area of expertise. Individuals who are role models to others and are passionate about promoting engineering to the world.

Salters’ National Awards for Science Technicians

Through its programme of awards, the Salters’ Institute champions students, educators and future leaders who are making a positive difference in and with chemistry and chemical engineering.

The awards are presented annually at the Salters’ Institute Awards Ceremony to recognise the achievement of all those in education and industry who are promoting Chemistry for Good.

ICE has five awards for newly qualified members. These awards go to members who show an exceptional standard of civil engineering knowledge in their Member or Chartered Professional Review.

The Higher Education Bioscience Technician of the Year Award seeks to recognise the superb work of technical staff, which underpins the bioscience research and teaching at all levels in universities across the UK and Ireland.

Tina Schrader, Senior Research Technician at the University of Exeter, recieved the award in 2019 for demonstrating excellent technical expertise and inspiring others through her work.

Runner up, Juan Escobar, Teaching Laboratory Manager at the University of Oxford, was also recognised for his exceptional hard work and superb organisation.

The Papin Prizes are a series of awards that publicly recognise technical excellence in academia. Named after Denis Papin, a 17th century technician who worked with Robert Boyle, Papin invented the steam digester and was one of the first technicians to publish in his own name.

Technical Support in Psychological Research Award

The award recognises the valuable role played by technicians in supporting research in psychology. It is presented in partnership between the BPS and the Association of Technical Staff in Psychology (ATSIP) and takes place annually.