Vice-Chancellor’s Awards

Vice-Chancellor’s Awards Shortlist 2024 

1. Support for Students Award 

Recognising groups of colleagues who have supported students' development. 

• Heritage Pathways: supporting student development through training and sector engagement – Humanities Division
• Hertford Library: the heart of student support – Hertford College
• Oxford SDG Impact Lab – Oxford Department of International Development
• Promoting a 'value added' culture in an undergraduate programme – Regent's Park College
• Somerville Skills Hub: delivering academic, wellbeing and careers support – Somerville College
• Supporting disabled student inclusion through creation of accessible resources – Accessible Resources Unit, Bodleian Libraries
• Tailored SpLD Support Pathway and Student Support Plans – Student Welfare and Support Services, and Centre for Teaching and Learning

2. Innovative Teaching and Assessment Award 

Recognising groups of colleagues who have implemented new approaches to education at Oxford. 

• Blocking Biochemistry: an innovative immersive approach to teaching and learning – Department of Biochemistry
• First Augmented Reality Experience in MBA Course Worldwide – IT Services, Saïd Business School and Department of Computer Science
• North Korea Crisis Simulation, Master of Public Policy – Blavatnik School of Government
• A comprehensive self-directed online course in statistics for everyone – Nuffield Department of Population Health

3. Inclusive Teaching and Assessment Award 

Recognising groups of colleagues who have adopted approaches that make teaching more inclusive for different groups of students. 

• Digital Synergy: Unleashing Dynamic and Inclusive Anatomy Education – Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics
• Diversification of Assessments in Sleep Medicine – Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences
• Diversifying the Curriculum in Biblical Studies at Oxford – Faculty of Theology and Religion
• Training conservation scientists and practitioners from around the world – Department of Biology

4. Research Engagement Award 

Recognising those who have enriched their research through engaging with those outside the University, for the benefits of wider society. 

• Building sustainable relationships with local Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities – Department of Psychiatry
• Collecting COVID Project: Public and Community Engagement with Research – History of Science Museum and Bodleian Libraries
• Funder co-ordination for clinical trial pandemic preparedness policies – Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness Research & Policy Team, Pandemic Sciences Institute
• Influencing the design and implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain in England – Department of Biology
• REACH improving water security for vulnerable people in Africa and Asia – School of Geography and the Environment
• Sensing volcanoes: public and community engagement with volcanic risk – Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford; University of East Anglia; University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre and the Montserrat Volcano Observatory
• Your Amazing Brain: A University and Regional Museum Partnership – Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging and Banbury Museum

5. Innovation and Commercialisation Award 

Recognising individuals or teams undertaking research-led innovation or commercialisation. 

• Brill Power – Making Batteries Better
• The Global Dissemination of Effective Psychological Treatments – Department of Psychiatry
• Improving Global Epilepsy Diagnosis Through Interdisciplinary Research and Technologies – Epilepsy Pathway Innovation in Africa, and the Oxford Martin Programme on Global Epilepsy
• Refeyn – Development and commercialisation of mass photometry: single molecule mass measurement
• The R21/Matrix-M Malaria Vaccine Clinical Development Programme – Nuffield Department of Medicine 

6. Research Culture Award 

Recognising those who have contributed to a positive, inclusive, and equitable research culture. 

• Developing an Ethical Fieldwork Code of Conduct for Oxford University – School of Geography and the Environment
• Growing an inclusive research team at the Pitt Rivers Museum
• Improving Research Culture in NDORMS, Oxford, and in the UK – Anjali Shah, NDORMS
• Hope into Action: Social Sciences Impact Conference 2023 – Research Impact and Engagement Team, Social Sciences Division
• The Hitchhiker’s guide to a Happier Lab – Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging
• XNET: Removing barriers for collaborative & inclusive interdisciplinary research – Oxford University (Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine and the Kavli Institute); University of Edinburgh; University of Aberdeen; University of Dundee

7. Community Partnership Award 

Recognising colleagues who have partnered with others to make a positive difference locally, nationally or globally. 

• Africa Oxford Initiative: Transformational impact via pan-university partnerships with African institutions
• Global Leadership Challenge: Empowering the next generation of responsible leaders –Department of Politics and International Relations
• Inclusive Programming for Adults with Learning Disabilities in GLAM
• Supporting young people from African families in accessing science capital – The Kennedy Institute, NDORMS, History of Science Museum and MPLS scientists
• Tackling childhood malnutrition in Oxfordshire: From Grassroots to Policy Actions
• Ten-Minute Book Club – English Faculty

8. Enhancing Oxford’s Professional Services Award 

Recognising professional and administrative staff who support the University's academic mission through delivering effective professional services. 

• Continuous improvement and collaborative working – Graduate Admissions team, UAS
• Cross-Departmental Collaborative Partnership Undertaking HR Service Review – NDORMS and the Department of Paediatrics
• Planning the shared building operations model for the Life and Mind Building – Biology and Experimental Psychology teams
• Innovative Leadership in Transformation and Delivery of Professional Services – Lesa Levett, Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health
• IT Professionals Working Together to Deliver IT & AV Systems for Reuben College and GLAM
• Resilience and professionalism under challenging circumstances – Cassie Sprules, Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, UAS
• Supporting a healthy environment for University staff and students – Occupational Health team, UAS

9. Environmental Sustainability Award 

Recognising colleagues who have furthered work to support the University’s Environmental Sustainability strategic goals and commitments.  

• Advancing cycle safety through the Vision Zero Working Group – Ed Wigzell, Environmental Sustainability team, Estates Services
• Biodiversity Friendly Futures for the Highlands of Ethiopia – Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Biology
• Driving multiple colleges’ sustainability progress – Peter Nitsche-Whitfield, Lincoln College
• Everything is Connected season – Humanities Division Cultural Programme
• Global Youth Climate Training – School of Geography and the Environment
• Supporting prospective international undergraduate applicants sustainably – Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach team, UAS

10. Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award 

Recognising colleagues who role model equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) through their work, and have made a difference to EDI at Oxford. 

• Championing EDI and role-modelling best practice – Fadi Issa, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences
• Increasing African student representation in Oxford's postgraduate studies – The Oxford Africa Society / Africa Oxford Initiative
• Commitment to Equality and Diversity in Data Science – Sara Khalid, NDORMS
• Medical Sciences Division Inclusive Leadership Programme
• Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team Gold Award – Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
• Taboos and Transitions Seminar – Dr Sarah Cullinan-Herring, Faculty of Classics
• "We Are Our History" project – Bodleian Libraries