It's goodbye from me...
07 December 2016

Sally Ford Hutchinson FMRS

Having had the honour of chairing the MRS Awards Panel since 2010, I have decided that I will hand the baton over next year. Over the seven years I have seen the continual increase in both the quantity and, more importantly, the quality of papers – so congratulations to all the winners who took home trophies on Monday night.

There are no ‘easy passes’ with the MRS Awards; every paper selected deserves to be there and is chosen over other good papers. Another aspect of taking a seven year view is that the judging becomes harder and harder, as difficult choices have to be made, so thank you to all my fellow judges who have taken the time to read and evaluate the papers.

It is also very apparent from the scope of the papers that research continuously expands and moves into new and exciting areas. The introduction of new techniques and the use of new technology mean that the opportunities for the business of evidence are looking very positive. The awards have to keep up with these changes, so it was pleasing to see the new Social Media Research Award producing some fascinating papers, and that in its 30th year the Innovation in Research Methodology category still demonstrates the robustness and originality of thinking within our profession.

I stand down from the panel feeling that the research sector continues to be an exciting, growing world.