Dr Ruth Webster, Reader in the University's Department of Chemistry, has been named one of five winners of the 2022 Philip Leverhulme Prize for Chemistry.

Chosen from over 300 nominations, the Trust offered five prizes in each of the following subject areas: Archaeology, Chemistry, Economics, Engineering, Geography, and Languages and Literatures.

The scheme commemorates the contribution to the work of the Trust made by Philip, Third Viscount Leverhulme and grandson of William Lever, the founder of the Trust.

The prizes recognise and celebrate the achievements of outstanding researchers whose work has already attracted international recognition and whose future careers are exceptionally promising.

Each prize is worth £100,000 and may be used for any purpose that advances the prize winner’s research.

Dr Webster was awarded the prize for her research on homogeneous iron catalysis for the atom-economic preparation of organic and main group compounds, underpinned by detailed mechanistic evaluation.

Earlier in the year, Dr Webster was named winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s 2022 Dalton Division early career award: Sir Edward Frankland Fellowship.

Professor Anna Vignoles, Director of the Leverhulme Trust, said: “In its twenty-first year, this scheme continues to attract applications from an array of researchers of an incredibly high calibre, and the decisions get harder every year.

“The Leverhulme Trust is delighted to award prizes to academics undertaking work on an impressively wide range of topics, from robotics to Romans, labour markets to Black British literature, and greenhouse gases to disability and wellbeing.

"We are very proud to support these researchers through the next stage of their careers.”