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Dr Jennie Parnham, a researcher at the School of Public Health, has been recognised at this year’s NIHR Impact Prizes for her work evaluating the healthiness and policy impact of free school meals across the UK.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Impact Prizes celebrate researchers and teams who have made an extraordinary contribution to health and care outcomes, transforming patient care across the UK and internationally. Now in their twentieth year, the prizes recognise the breadth and depth of talent driving life-changing research across the UK's health and care research sector.

This year's prizes were awarded across a highly competitive field of entries, with 11 winners selected comprising seven research teams or individuals and four early-career researchers, alongside nine commended entrants.

Dr Parnham was recognised in the early-career researcher category, which highlights outstanding emerging talent whose innovative projects are already making a tangible difference to patient and population health.

Free school meals

School food policies are one of the most important levers available for improving children's diets, and Dr Parnham's research examined both the nutritional quality of food served in schools and the effectiveness of universal free school meals for infant school children.

The study found that school meals were on average healthier than packed lunches; however, both contained high amounts of ultra-processed foods. The research also found that the free school meal scheme did improve children's diets overall, with the greatest benefit seen among children from lower-income families.

The findings attracted widespread media attention, reaching an audience of over 55 million people and bringing concerns about ultra-processed food in school meals into mainstream public debate. Dr Parnham's research has since been cited in 40 policy documents, including the impact assessment that supported the Mayor of London's expansion of universal free school meals in primary schools.

The study was funded by a NIHR School for Public Health Research PhD studentship.

On receiving the award Dr Parnham said: “I am overjoyed to receive this prize. When starting my studentship, my goal was that the research had real impact. It’s so wonderful to look back and recognise the ways in which my research has gone beyond academia.”

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR, said: "I offer my warmest congratulations to all the excellent winners and commended teams of this year's NIHR Impact Prizes, who have all made a crucial contribution to changing lives through research."

Read more about this year's NIHR Impact Prize winners on the .