University of York shortlisted for THE Award for Environmental Leadership
Posted on Friday 5 September 2025
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The shortlisting recognises the University’s pioneering YESI Fellows Initiative, developed through the York Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI). Since its launch in 2022, the programme has supported 43 Fellows who have collectively secured over £1.5 million in grant income, driving forward innovative, impact-led research to address pressing environmental challenges.
The YESI Fellows scheme provides opportunities for researchers at all career stages through three dedicated schemes:
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Discipline Hopping Fellowships – supporting cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation
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Knowledge Exchange Fellowships – enabling co-created projects with external stakeholders
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International Fellows Scheme – fostering global research partnerships with Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipient countries
This institutional model for interdisciplinary, impact-driven research is being shared nationally and internationally, helping to embed sustainability into wider research culture and to inspire systemic change across the higher education sector.
The key personnel nominated for this award are Professor Lindsay Stringer, Rachel Drinkhill, and Jane Güleç, who have been instrumental in shaping and delivering the YESI Fellows Initiative.
Professor Lindsay Stringer, YESI Director, said:
“We are delighted to see York’s commitment to environmental sustainability recognised on a national stage. The YESI Fellows Scheme empowers researchers to collaborate across disciplines and with partners worldwide, ensuring that our work has meaningful impact in tackling some of the most urgent challenges of our time.”
The winners of the THE Awards 2025 will be announced at a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Thursday 13 November 2025.
Congratulations to all the shortlisted nominees — it’s inspiring to see so much outstanding work across the sector being recognised.
YESI Fellows Scheme 2025/26 – applications open soon
The next round of the YESI Fellows Scheme will open for applications on Monday 8 September 2025. Researchers at the University of York are invited to apply to join this vibrant community of Fellows driving interdisciplinary, sustainability-focused research.