Edinburgh Napier University has been named as one of eight UK institutions to take part in a new transatlantic academic collaboration.
The programme, entitled Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education: USA Exchange 2026, has been set up to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the founding patron of the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education – which is the UK’s highest honour awarded to universities and colleges.
2026 will also mark the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.
The Exchange will bring representatives from eight previous winners of the Queen Elizabeth Prize to Washington DC for a four-day programme in October 2026 to meet with selected US academics who work in similar fields.
It is designed to provide opportunities for new transatlantic collaborations and partnerships between UK and US universities and colleges that will have a beneficial legacy in the long term.
The eight UK universities and colleges were selected by a panel of eminent judges including representatives from the Trust’s Higher and Further Education Panels.
Edinburgh Napier was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize, then the Queen’s Anniversary Prize, in 2015, for its internationally acclaimed work in timber engineering, sustainable construction and wood science.
Following their successful submission for this US exhange programme, ENU’s leading academics in this area plan to collaborate with academic partners in America to implement a strategic alliance in timber construction and sustainable forestry.
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of the Royal Anniversary Trust said: “The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education: USA Exchange is a landmark initiative, launched in a year of historical significance on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Honouring Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s enduring legacy in education and diplomacy, the programme brings together the very best of UK academic excellence with leading minds in the United States.
“By convening Prize-winning alumni institutions in Washington DC, the Exchange creates an unparalleled platform for forging ambitious transatlantic partnerships with a lasting global impact.”
The eight participants in the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education USA Exchange 2026 are: Edinburgh Napier University, University of the Arts London, University of Edinburgh, City of Glasgow College, Keele University, Queen’s University Belfast, Scotland’s Rural College and University Centre Somerset College Group.
Timber research at Edinburgh Napier University
Since winning the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2015, ENU’s reputation as a base for timber research has grown further.
ENU has been pushing this research agenda for several years, with the UK Government’s recent Timber in Construction Roadmap 2025 setting out a sector-wide plan to move this forward at scale.
The acclaimed work in timber engineering, sustainable construction and wood science also played a significant role in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework assessment, which deemed ENU’s work to be “internationally excellent” and “world-leading”.
ENU sustainable construction expert Professor Robert Hairstans was named Pioneer of the Year at the 2024 Structural Timber Awards for his trailblazing work in the sector. he is the founding Director of the University’s Centre for Advanced Timber Technologies at NMITE.
In November 2025 a consortium involving ENU and Built Environment-Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) was awarded funding by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for a new comprehensive training program aimed at rapidly accelerating timber construction skills across the UK.
Edinburgh Napier continues to lead pioneering research into industrialised timber and offsite construction solutions as the host of BE-ST – which is Scotland’s national innovation centre for construction and the built environment.