The 2009 Times Higher Education Awards have marked their fifth year by attracting an impressive 600 entries from 137 of the UK's higher education institutions. The individuals and universities that have made it on to our shortlist should be proud of the achievements that have made them stand out from their peers.

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The line-up this year recognises outstanding achievement in 18 areas, with three new categories that recalibrate the awards to focus on the academy's core mission of research and teaching.

In terms of research, we have added the Serendipity Award, sponsored by Research Councils UK, and the Outstanding Engineering Research Team of the Year, sponsored by BAE Systems.

In teaching, it was heartening to note that the Most Innovative Teacher of the Year category attracted more than 80 entries in its inaugural appearance.

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This year, the Lifetime Achievement Award became the Lord Dearing Lifetime Achievement Award in honour of Ron Dearing, an inspiration to the sector and author of the landmark 1997 report into higher education, who died in February.

As always, shortlisting has been fiendishly difficult and time-consuming. The names on our roll of honour represent excellence in an inspirational sector. Now all that remains is to hand the even more demanding task of choosing the overall victors to our panel of specially selected judges.

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The winners will be announced at the Awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London, on 15 October.

JUDGES

Patrick Finch, bursar and director of estates, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bristol, and chair, Association of 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Directors of Estates

Paul Ramsden, chief executive, Higher Education Academy

Wes Streeting, president, National Union of Students

Ian Diamond, chair, Research Councils UK

Hugh Tollyfield, special adviser on employer engagement, Higher Education Funding Council for England

Dianne Willcocks, vice-chancellor, York St John 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, and chair, Widening Access and Participation Strategic Advisory Committee, Hefce

Chris Cobb, pro vice-chancellor, Roehampton 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, and member, Organisation Support Committee, Joint Information Systems Council

Philip Esler, chief executive, Arts and Humanities Research Council

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Ann Mroz, editor, Times Higher Education Phil Baty, deputy editor, Times Higher Education

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Outstanding Support for Early Career Researchers - Sponsored by Research Councils UK in association with Vitae

• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cambridge
• Durham 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Edinburgh
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Manchester
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Nottingham
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford

Outstanding Support for Students - Sponsored by Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

• Aston 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• Bucks New 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Chester
• Harper Adams 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leicester
• Oxford Brookes 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Outstanding Employer Engagement Initiative - Sponsored by Foundation Degree Forward

• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Glamorgan
• Greater Manchester Strategic Alliance
• Lancaster 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Lincoln
• Stockport College
• Teesside 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology - Sponsored by Elsevier

• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bath
• Birmingham City 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• De Montfort 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Greenwich
• Imperial College London
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leicester

Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development

• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bradford
• Durham 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of East Anglia
• Nottingham Trent 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the West of England

Excellence and Innovation in the Arts

• Brunel 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Dundee
• Goldsmiths, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London
• Oxford Brookes 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Portsmouth
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ for the Creative Arts

Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community

• Birkbeck, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Central Lancashire
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Derby
• Glyndwr 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• Newcastle 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Strathclyde

Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year - Sponsored by Joint Information Systems Committee

• Bucks New 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• Cardiff 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• London School of Economics and Political Science
• Queen's 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Belfast
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Reading
• St George's, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

Most Improved Student Experience

• Canterbury Christ Church 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Edinburgh
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Essex
• Queen Mary, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London
• Southampton Solent 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• Staffordshire 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sussex

Research Project of the Year

• Bournemouth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bristol
• Institute of Education
• Lancaster 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• Queen Mary, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of York

Widening Participation Initiative of the Year

• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Brighton
• Glasgow Caledonian 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Northampton
• The Open 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• Royal Veterinary College
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Ulster

Outstanding Engineering Research Team of the Year - Sponsored by BAE Systems

• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Greenwich
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leeds
• Loughborough 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• Newcastle 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Plymouth
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Southampton

Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Development - Sponsored by Leadership Foundation for Higher Education

• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Derby
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Central Lancashire
• Institute of Education
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leeds
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ for the Creative Arts
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of York

Entrepreneurial 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the Year - Sponsored by National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship

• Coventry 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Hertfordshire
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Portsmouth
• Queen's 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Belfast
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Surrey
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Strathclyde

Serendipity Award - Sponsored by Research Councils UK

• Cardiff 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• King's College London
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Nottingham (Professor Sir Peter Mansfield)
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Nottingham (Dr Edward Lester)
• Queen Mary, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

Lord Dearing Lifetime Achievement Award

There is no shortlist. The winner, chosen by Times Higher Education's editorial board, will be announced on the night of the Awards ceremony.

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Most Innovative Teacher of the Year

• Leslie Arthur, Nottingham Trent 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• Sarah Baillie, Royal Veterinary College
• Paul Curzon, Queen Mary, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London
• Penny Green, King's College London
• Nick Halafihi, Leeds Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• Catherine Sanderson, Leeds Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the Year - Sponsored by Iskandar Malaysia

• Bournemouth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Nottingham
• Queen Mary, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London
• Teesside 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Warwick
• 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Winchester.

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