Loughborough now ranks among the most highly acclaimed institutions for the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education with eight awards in total – only the University of Oxford surpasses this achievement.
The Prize, part of the UK Honours System, is awarded every two years to up to 20 institutions across the country, celebrating excellence in key academic fields that have made a significant impact on society and the wider community.
Loughborough’s work in Para and disability sport, notably its partnership with ParalympicsGB, has been formally recognised at a ceremony at St James’s Palace for its commitment to research and development in the sector.
This dedicated focus, supported over decades by the Peter Harrison Foundation, has contributed significantly to ParalympicsGB securing a top two world ranking at three consecutive Summer Paralympic Games.
The impact of Loughborough’s work reaches far beyond high-performance sport. A notable example is the joint initiative with the University of British Columbia in Canada to develop exercise guidelines for adults with spinal cord injury, which are now accessible in ten languages.
The University was also acknowledged for advancing equity and removing barriers to participation, enabling disabled people to choose to be active and improving the quality of life and health worldwide.
Professor Vicky Tolfrey, Loughborough University’s Para and disability sport research lead, said: “It’s overwhelming really, it’s a fantastic achievement from everyone involved. It allows us to elevate, we’ve come a long way in the last twenty years, but I see this as a turning point.
“Working with ParalympicsGB, UK Sport, and the wider ecosystem, will give us that springboard to now elevate the work that we do.
“We’ve developed our work here at Loughborough to be world-leading. On that journey it’s been fantastic to bring other people along the way with us, and it’s happened because of our global impact through international partnerships and academic research.
“We’ve come a long way over the past two decades, and that journey simply wouldn’t have been possible without the early backing of the Peter Harrison Foundation.
“Their support helped us build the foundations for the world leading work we’re doing today, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Professor Nick Jennings, the University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, added: “What is truly inspiring about the work our experts carry out in this area is the difference it makes beyond elite sport. They are committed to using their knowledge to ensure real-world benefits for all, removing barriers to participation and enabling disabled people to choose to be healthy and active.”
Jo Maher, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Sport at Loughborough University, said: “This award is particularly significant because it recognises the broader societal impact of our research. Our academic outputs are designed to translate directly into practice by taking world-class high-performance innovations and applying them to pathway programmes and grassroot sport.
“The team genuinely deserve this recognition. For more than twenty years, they have demonstrated exceptional dedication and focus in advancing this specialist field.”
Penny Briscoe CBE, ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission, said: “What an incredible achievement for the university. I’m hugely proud of the fact that Loughborough University and ParalympicsGB have a long history of working collaboratively. To play a small part in the award is fantastic.”
Emma Wiggs MBE, a triple Paralympic gold medallist, said: “I think Loughborough has always been a shining light across the world for Para sport, particularly the research and the impact it’s had. For me personally, in Para canoe, they were fundamental in doing the research with colleagues in Sweden to change some of the classifications running up to the Tokyo Games.
“It was absolutely crucial not only to raising the standard across the world but also to allow us to bag a gold medal.”
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the Royal Anniversary Trust added: “This much-loved national honour recognises, at the highest level of state, outstanding work in UK universities and colleges, and the remarkable benefit they bring to our economy, society and the wider world.”