21 May 2026
Research using AI to help us learn Roman boardgames and grow much-needed blood platelets in a lab are among the early career researcher projects awarded funding in this year’s Cyril Tyler Prize.
The Cyril Tyler Prize is an internal University scheme offering £10,000 to four projects led by researchers at the start of their Reading careers.
The prize was launched in 2025 and is intended to help Reading early career researchers to develop, collaborate and take their research ideas to the next level.
One award was made for each research theme.
This project is using a new technique to try to help successfully grow platelets in a lab.
Platelets are produced by bone‑marrow cells in our bodies to help blood to clot, but cancer and other conditions affect this and patients require blood transfusions.
The new research will study how platelets are formed in more detail than ever before, to provide more information on how they could be reliably produced outside of the body.
This project is designing and testing a training programme teaching digital skills to older jobseekers.
Many older jobseekers lack knowledge of how to navigate LinkedIn, online networking and AI interviews.
The project will co-design and test a four-week digital employability programme with 40 adults aged 50 and above, alongside Reading Borough Council and Age UK.
This project is developing new AI approaches to learn more about space weather, in order to better predict it.
Solar eruptions impact life on Earth by disrupting satellites, communications, and power infrastructure.
The research will use satellite observations and look more closely at the causes of these cosmic explosions.
This project is combining archaeology with modern AI research to learn more about Roman boardgames, which were a fundamental part of daily life, but remain largely unstudied.
It will record gameboards in ancient floors and streets in the city of Rome to gather data.
The interdisciplinary approach will allow us to decode how games shaped Roman social life.
We are in the process of finalising our postgraduate taught courses for 2027/28 entry. In the meantime, you can view our 2026/27 courses.
