Three researchers presented the Shared Green Societies Awards

Three early career researchers can now call themselves award-winning researchers, following the announcement of the inaugural Shared Green Societies Awards on 12 December 2025.

The awards are presented under the Shared Green Societies Forum, and recognise outstanding research by early career and PhD researchers from the Social Sciences and Humanities that supports Europe’s green transition by strengthening participation, knowledge exchange, and inclusive policymaking.

Chris Foulds, Professor at Anglia Ruskin University and co-coordinator of the EU-funded SHARED GREEN DEAL project, which supports the forum, says: 

“As a forum, we believe it is important to highlight and promote the very impressive work early career researchers and PhD candidates are doing. Too often, we see structures that limit the impact of this research, and the awards are one way of trying to change that,” he says and adds: 

“The appetite for new research on Social Science and Humanities is strong both for policy makers and fellow academics. ”

The first award stream, Supporting citizen and professional participation, was judged by Sarah Seus (Fraunhofer ISI) and Sarah Royston (Anglia Ruskin University). The winner was Kelli Kennedy (University of York) for her work Co-Producing Bradford’s Just Transition: Community Climate Evidence.

“Kelli Kennedy presented work using a wide range of citizen engagement methods, including training local residents, listening events, and ensuring that policy outputs reached decision-makers. From her application, it is clear that she reflects critically on her own role and responsibility in connecting academic research with real-world needs,” Sarah Seus explains.

The runners-up were Jannat Ara Rahman (Independent Researcher) and Harry Radzuan (London South Bank University).

The second stream, Promoting mutual knowledge flows, was judged by Rosie Robison and Chris Foulds (Anglia Ruskin University) and Antje Disterheft(ICS-ULisboa). The winner was Anna Melnyk (TU Delft) for her work Learning Across Scales: Bridging Global Knowledge Flows for a Just Energy Transition in Europe.

“We were very impressed with this submission. Anna highlights a wide range of multi-stakeholder processes she has helped to lead, linked to the just energy transition, spanning scales and contexts, from large North Sea projects to local communities. Her application makes a strong case for the work she has carried out in recent years, with a particularly strong reflection on what she has learnt about mutual knowledge flows,” says Rosie Robison. 

The runners-up were Chiara Tellarini (Independent Researcher) and Coralie Robert (Independent Researcher).

The third and final stream, Advocating for inclusive public policies, was judged by Monica Tunínger (ICS-ULisboa) and Ami Crowther (Anglia Ruskin University). The winner was Lluís Martinez (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) for his work on inclusivity in sustainable urban mobility transitions.

“Lluís’ submission offers an innovative approach to policy and practice, with a clear and well-defined understanding of inclusivity. It provides valuable insights and brings new perspectives into ongoing policy discussions,” says Monica Truninger.

The runners-up were Irmak Karakışlak (United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security) and Ricardo Moreira (ICS, Universidade de Lisboa).

To learn more about the awardees and their work, join us in Brussels for the launch of the Shared Green Societies Forum, or subscribe to the SHARED GREEN DEAL newsletter, where their work will be highlighted in the months ahead.

About the Awards

The Shared Green Societies - Research Awards celebrate PhD Researchers and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) whose work contributes to Europe’s green transition. Coordinated by Anglia Ruskin University, Fraunhofer ISI, and ICS-ULisboa, the awards highlight innovative approaches at the intersection of sustainability, society, and policy.

These awards directly feed into the purpose of the Shared Green Societies Forum, bringing together SSH researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to bridge research, policy, and practice for sustainability. Officially launching in Brussels in January 2026, the forum has backing from networks representing over 4 000 NGOs and municipalities across Europe.

By showcasing best practices, the awards will spotlight how SSH research can foster citizen participation, enable mutual learning, and advocate for more inclusive public policies—helping ensure that diverse voices and experiences shape Europe’s green future

Another round of the awards are planned for 2026. 

Full list of nominees

The full shortlist across the three themes included the following the following PhD or early career researchers.

Annika Lundkvist, Jannat Ara Rahman, Rok Novak, Sabrina Vieira Fialho, Seyedkeyvan Hosseini, Harry Radzuan, Wessel Ganzevoort, Kelli Kennedy, Miguel Macias Sequeira, Yann Robiou du Pont, Mariia, Sandra Parth, Chiara Tellarini, Leonard Missbach, Coralie Robert, Yvette Ramos, Anna Melnyk, Michiel Bron, Simon Happersberger, Charlotte van Vessem, Lluis Martinez, Eivind Hjort Matthiasen, Veera Kankare, Irmak Karakislak, Sofia Pina, Ricardo Moreira, Chethaka Kankanam Gamage

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