Centenary Project Grant Scheme

Benoit Mayer (School of Law)

To set up a two-day workshop bringing together international experts to discuss legal positions around climate change being developed by international courts and tribunals. This will showcase the University’s ability to take the lead in conversations on international and environmental law.

David Stack (History); Nicola Wilson (English Literature); Anne-Marie Henderson (CQSD); Mathew Haine (CQSD)

A research project seeking to understand the experiences and challenges of working-class students and staff at the University. This is partly in response to evidence that some students from working class backgrounds find largely middle class university environments uncomfortable and hide parts of their identity. The project will include engagement with staff and students, an exhibition and a teaching and learning conference. The findings will inform policy development and widening participation efforts at Reading.

Helen Dacre; Claire Ryder (both Meteorology)

Installing digital climate and weather data displays at key locations around campus which show data from our own Atmospheric Observatory on Whiteknights campus. This project will create a lasting, visually impactful public display that showcases the University's rich history in meteorological research.

Sarah Humphreys (SportsPark)

Almost three-quarters of women in the UK change their outdoor activity routines during winter due to fears around their safety. This women-only running initiative is for students, staff and the community. The initiative is based on Whiteknights campus and the local vicinity, with the aim of getting more women out being active in the darker months.

Louise Hutchinson; Alice Haughan; Vinicius De Oliveira (all Agriculture); Vikki Rose (PhD student)

A 24-hour event in which the local community, nature groups, staff and students will be invited onto our campus to help record as many wildlife species as possible. This special celebratory event will share our passion for the campus with the wider community and build upon ongoing quarterly Bioblitz events that we began this year.

Mara Oliva (History); Rachel McCloy; Eugene McSorley (Psychology); Alanna Watts (student)

Educating and inspiring young audiences about the history and significance of renewable energy, using our connections with local schools and community and making the most of the new outdoor classroom space being created for the centenary.

Will Rand (Rowing)

A celebration event, using rowing as a focus for celebrating 100 years of the University of Reading. The event will feature a formal dinner at Greenlands campus for staff, students and supporters, to strengthen connections with the community and share the positive effect rowing has had on countless students’ lives.

Suzy Tutchell; Cathy Tissot; Melanie Jay; Amy Chapman (all Institute of Education)

A collaborative art project bringing together students and staff in the Institute of Education, and alumni members working in local schools, to create three large ceramic pots, each composed of 100 clay tiles representing an individual’s unique contribution. The resulting pots will be displayed to celebrate unity, growth, shared history, and the University’s focus on the environment and sustainability.

Jo Billington (Psychology)

A hybrid event focused on autistic thriving, building on the successful launch event of the Centre For Autism in 2023. It will bring people together to explore the topic, showcase the work of staff and students at the University, and create a space for talks by autistic scholars and advocates.

Lee Allan-Smith (Staff Forum)

The installation of five new benches on Whiteknights campus, made from sustainable materials and featuring information about our centenary, research and biodiversity on campus. The benches will allow staff, students and visitors to stop, rest and enjoy areas of our campus.

Molli Cleaver (Community Engagement); Rachel Helsby (Chancellor/Vice-Chancellor’s Office); Bethany Brown (Alumni and Reading SU); John Grainger (Alumni)

This project will collect memories of staff, students, alumni and the local community to connect these stakeholders through nostalgia. It will put our people at the heart of the celebration, creating a sense of connection with the University and the centenary, and ensure the memories of our community are not lost.

Activities will include a RAG parade, window dressing, theatre production and Varsity match.

Hilary Spicer (Fundraising); Hannah Lyons (Museums and Special Collections)

Designing, creating and installing a mural in the heart of campus to celebrate the centenary. The semi-permanent mural will create a focal point to celebrate our history, heritage and community, and demonstrate the value we place in public art.

Andrew Cripps; Cheryl Yalden; Chris O’Shea (all Technical Services)

Building on our openness agenda, a film will be produced with a walk-through view of our animal research facilities. The film will use virtual reality and will be launched at a public event discussing the past, present and future of animal research.

Vicki Harman; Dawn Clarke (both Politics and International Relations)

This project focuses on the changing nature of women’s lives, including the balance between home and work, and social expectations. It will be based on research by Reading academics as well as the experience of community members, and will showcase the new BSc Sociology degree being launched at Reading in 2026. A reading group and special collections visit, a community engagement workshop, and an academic conference will be held.

Christopher Merchant; Nigel Arnell; Ed Hawkins (all Meteorology); Dylan Parkes (External Relations)

Building on Reading’s reputation for climate science and communication, the project will drive two-way community engagement exploring how climate science is received and understood. This will be via workshops held in the local area and seeks to create new communication methods to inspire people to support the transformation required to address climate change.

Jonathan Gregory (Meteorology); Dylan Parkes (External Relations)

Develop and launch an engaging and educational guide to the diverse range of trees on our Green Flag-awarded Whiteknights campus, which can be accessed via mobile phone. It will support the educational activities around the Reading Nature Park Project and further enhance the nature-based experiences available to our community.

Teck Eng (Henley Business School UoR Malaysia

Collaborate with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) to incorporate professional qualifications into Marketing modules in the UK and Malaysia, and launch 100 scholarships for Malaysia students to undertake the CIM professional exams. This will lead to an Anglo-Malay marketing summit and foster closer ties with the CIM.

Mark Dallas (Pharmacy)

This project will explore the sounds that make up our unique identity, capturing and analysing sounds in our campus environment such as lectures, nature and student activities. The result will be a library of sounds that can be used in other projects, and a short composition compiling the different sounds, created with support from the Department of Film, Theatre and Television.

Bethany Brown (Alumni and Reading SU)

Working with other Students’ Union colleagues, University colleagues and students, this will educate students about past student activism, showing the power of action in bringing about change in society. It will include a new award, a commemorative magazine and a short film.

Jenny McGrother (Health and Safety)

A light-hearted and fast-paced talk providing personal experiences and perspectives on how scholars and theorists have impacted the management of health and safety. It will cover why some theories influence practice while other don’t, misunderstandings that occur, and how learning from philosophy, psychology and other fields might improve health and safety for all.

Oliver Douglas (Museums and Special Collections)

A project exploring dairying as part of the University’s origins and ongoing work and research. It will share archived photos and collections and capture new photos and film of dairying on our farms. It will also include a launch event at The Museum of English Rural Life and community workshops and tours.

Diane Evans; Anne Marie Altaner (both Henley Business School)

Additional wildflowers, shrubs and trees will be planted in the designated wildlife area on the bank of the Thames at Greenlands, with bird boxes also installed to encourage wildlife. Two existing ornamental water fountains in the formal gardens will also be restored.

Peter Inness (Meteorology)

A project allowing Master’s students to use data from a weather station in Reading’s twin town of San Francisco Libre, a small town in Nicaragua, Central America, in their dissertations. Young people in San Francisco Libre will visit forests and nearby ecosystems to collect photos to share with Reading. Reading-based students will use all this data to study climate issues in Nicaragua and share it to inform agricultural and forestry practices there. A photo exhibition and seminar will also be held at Reading.

Rhi Smith; Hannah Lyons (both Museums and Special Collections); Lucy Tyler; Teresa Murjas (both Film, Theatre and Television)

This project will share the stories of notable and forgotten women who lived during the University’s beginnings in the late 19th century, including how the University advanced women’s education. The stories will be told in collaboration with students and staff in various departments, through a exhibitions, an audio trail and a theatre performance.

Jonathan Mitchley (Biological Sciences)

Bringing the finals of Botanical University Challenge 2026 to Reading, which will host staff and students from across the UK and Ireland, and look to establish a new festival. The events will celebrate the influential role of botany teaching and research at Reading during the past century, and our alumni who have made significant contributions worldwide.

Ellen Knight; Rosy Scholes (both PhD students)

With support from colleagues at The MERL, a time capsule will be created containing items showcasing agricultural research and education at the University, as well as outlining our visions for future farming. Key stakeholders will be invited to a ceremonial burial of the capsule, with its contents recorded for an exhibition.

James Lloyd; Sue Walker; Geoff Wyeth; Rob Banham (all Typography); Ethan Nunn (student)

The Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at Reading is celebrating its 50th anniversary, with an exhibition showcasing how it has built a distinctive approach to graphic design taking place this year. The grant funding will help enhance this exhibition with a public launch event and an online version to extend its reach.

Hannah Lyons (Museums and Special Collections); Aleiah Potter (Events)

Four globe sculptures were installed at Whiteknights campus in 2024 as part of The World Reimagined project, as art installations marking the legacies of the Transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans. The funding will see two more globes purchased to be placed at our Whiteknights and London Road campuses.

Rodrigo Perez Vega (Henley Business School)

A bike ride event connecting local schools and the Whiteknights campus nursery will be organised as part of the Kidical Mass initiative. The event will demonstrate how parents and children can use our campus grounds as a safe cycling route, with free bike training rides taking place before the main event.

Hong Yang (Environmental Science); Jo Anna Reed Johnson (Institute of Education); Jianlin Hu (NUIST); Isaac Ogundare (PhD student)

Educational workshops will be organised in Reading, Nanjing in China and Ibadan in Nigeria using portable air quality sensors to measure pollution and carbon dioxide levels. This will support the ‘Clean Air for the Next Century’ global citizen science movement. It follows a previous award-winning community project in Reading and will involve school children and local communities to collect data and boost understanding.

Catherine Foley (Institute of Education)

Teacher education at Reading traces back to 1892 and this project aims to secure its legacy by celebrating partnerships. It will connect with former Institute of Education students now in teaching, as well as partner schools, to establish a network of educationalists to mentor the next generation of teachers and leaders. It will also capture stories through images, film and sounds.

Victoria Ely (UoR Music)

An exciting collaboration between University of Reading Music and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, this project will bring together musicians from diverse backgrounds into the University orchestra to take part in workshops. It will create a new original piece of music to be performed at the 2026 Community Festival.

Michael Kilmister; Victoria Grace-Bland; Mather Haine (all CQSD); Corinne Brookes (Student Success and Engagement)

Workshops will be held to allow students to express the value of our natural campus environment to their wellbeing and learning, through the creation of ‘zines’. The zines will allow ideas to be recorded artistically to celebrate the University’s commitment to a greener future and the connection between our students and our campuses.