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Margaret Law Fire Safety Award 2025: winners announced

The Margaret Law Fire Safety Award is an annual global award that recognises the outstanding contributions of undergraduate and postgraduate students worldwide who are advancing fire safety solutions through projects or research.

Last updated: 6th February 2026

Margaret Law MBE was a pioneering fire scientist who established the discipline of Fire Safety Engineering at Arup in 1974. This award celebrates her legacy by recognising and inspiring a new generation who uphold the practical application of scientific understanding and technical rigour.

The awards acknowledge groups and individuals who embody these values through their collaborative behaviour and influence to create fire-safe, sustainable solutions for all. This year’s entries highlighted a breadth of insight and innovation, with projects spanning sustainable materials, emerging fire-safe technologies and human-centred design.

2025 winners

First place: Team members from Wuhan University of Technology

First place (£1,000) is awarded to a group submission that showcases the development of a novel, fluorine-free, foam-based firefighting system, with the aim to improve extinguishing efficiency and address environmental regulations.

Team Members: Yunpeng Yang, Lilong Nie, Yongkang Guo, Zhuoxuan Li, Yanyan Zou, Haolan Tan

Supervisors: Kaiyuan Li, Linlin Yi

Team members from Wuhan University of Technology

Project: Novel, Smart, and Green Foam Based Firefighting System

Second place: Zara Vermeulen, Stellenbosch University

Second place (£500) is awarded to Zara Vermeulen, whose research explores millet as a sustainable, low carbon and affordable alternative for intumescent coatings, providing opportunities for application in developing countries.

Zara Vermeulen, Stellenbosch University

Project: Investigation into millet for use as an ecofriendly intumescent coating for passive fire protection

Third place: Cheung Wai Kit, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Third place (£250) is awarded to Cheung Wai Kit, who investigated the visibility of modern exit signs in smoke-filled environments to improve effective fire safety solutions in real-world conditions.

Cheung Wai Kit, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Project: Visibility in Smoke: Advancing Fire Safety Design through Modern Exit Signs Analysis

Celebrating the legacy of Dr Margaret Law

Dr Margaret Law, who joined Arup in 1974 and shaped the firm’s fire engineering practice until her retirement in 2002, was renowned for translating scientific principles into practical design solutions for some of the world’s most iconic structures. The award continues her legacy by encouraging the next generation of fire safety innovators.