Matthew Burgess, a postgraduate researcher at the IBME in the SMART Biomaterials group, supervised by Associate Professor Dr Malavika Nair. He has been awarded the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Postgraduate Prize 2026, receiving £5,000 in recognition of outstanding engineering research.

The IET Postgraduate Research Awards are awarded on a competitive basis and celebrate excellence and innovation among postgraduate researchers across the international engineering community.

The awards form part of the IET’s wider commitment to supporting the next generation of engineers and encouraging the development of high-quality academic research careers.

Matthew Burgess commented on his achievement:
“Receiving the IET Postgraduate Prize is a tremendous honour and a real validation of the work we are doing at Oxford. The materials we are developing, capable of stimulating and interacting with living tissue, open up genuinely exciting possibilities for tissue engineering that we are excited to explore. As I approach the end of my DPhil, this recognition comes at an especially important time. It will directly support my development as an independent researcher, enabling me to begin creating engineering solutions for critical-care biotechnology and to lay the groundwork for the next stage of my career.”

Dawn Ohlson, IET President, said: “Our global IET Postgraduate Research Awards are highly competitive and recognise excellence, with the accompanying financial support forming a key part of the IET’s annual commitment to investing in the next generation of engineers. Each of our award recipients is undertaking leading research at some of the world’s most prestigious universities, contributing to the advancement of knowledge across the international engineering and technology community. I wish all our winners every success as they continue their careers.”

For more information please visit: www.theiet.org/postgradawards.