Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, has become the first university in the UK to have been shortlisted for a top public relations award from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).

The public relations team at QMU has beaten off stiff competition from across the country to be named a finalist in the new STEM campaign category for the CIPR Excellence Awards 2015. The STEM award category recognises a successful public relations campaign or project undertaken by or on behalf of a company operating specifically in the Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics sectors.

The Excellence Awards are the public relations profession’s leading awards. They recognise and celebrate the outstanding work of individuals, teams and consultancies across the UK and overseas.

As the profession’s chartered body, the CIPR don’t give out awards lightly. Their 90-strong team of expert judges select the shortlist and hold panel interviews with the successful entrants in each category.

QMU’s campaign focused on the launch of the first Scottish Centre for Food Development & Innovation at the University in December 2014, how it is enhancing Scotland’s position as a leader in food and drink innovation in Europe and is supporting access to the global market for healthy and functional food.

The ‘Recipe for Success’ campaign was inspired by QMU’s history, having been established in 1875 to tackle dietary issues facing the urban poor; alongside the relevance of that history to the current news agenda and government policy. Today, the University’s food and drink expertise ranges from nutritional analysis through to development of functional products enhancing health, which offer practical solutions for industry.

As part of the campaign, QMU created a promotional film highlighting the Centre’s academic expertise and commercial partnerships, which can now be viewed and shared online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8IBLptVoIg&feature=youtu.be

Commenting on the CIPR Excellence Award shortlist announcement, Lynne Russell, Communications Manager at QMU, said: “We’re really proud to have become the first university in the UK to have been shortlisted in the new STEM category for the CIPR Excellence Awards 2015.

“Reaching the shortlist is really something to shout about, as it shows that QMU is at the top of its game as a shining example to the PR profession.”

The overall award winners will be announced at a special ceremony in London on 3rd June 2015.

For more information on CIPR Excellence Awards 2015, visit: http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/awards-events/excellence-awards