SRUC presented with Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education
SRUC has been presented with a prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education by Their Majesties The King and Queen yesterday, Tuesday 24 February 2026.
The accolade was awarded at St James’s Palace for SRUC's leading work on the Scottish Farm Business Survey alongside 18 other institutions.
Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive, Interim Chair of the Board David Bell and Principal consultant Sascha Grierson received the award at the ceremony along with other members of SRUC.
The award recognises the impact of the Scottish Farm Business Survey, which has been informing agricultural policy and practice in Scotland for almost a century.
SRUC were awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education for the third time, placing it among few Scottish institutions to have received the honour on more than two occasions.
Professor Wayne Powell said: “Being awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education for a third time was a huge achievement and reflects the commitment of our staff and partners to delivering research and education that benefits Scotland and the wider world.”
SRUC’s previous Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education award was in 2017 for a genetics research programme demonstrating how selective breeding could increase milk yields while reducing methane emissions.
The Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education (formerly known as the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes) are part of the UK’s national Honours system, recognising outstanding contributions from universities and colleges across the country.
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the Royal Anniversary Trust, said: “The Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education celebrate the power of education to change the world for the better. This much-loved national honour recognises, at the highest level of state, outstanding work in UK universities and colleges, and the remarkable benefit they bring to our economy, society and the wider world.”
First awarded in 1994, the Queen Elizabeth Prizes are granted every two years by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister following a rigorous, independent review process carried out by The Royal Anniversary Trust, an independent charity.
More information is available on the Royal Anniversary Trust website – www.royalanniversarytrust.org.uk
Posted by SRUC on 25/02/2026
