Social scientists shortlisted for the Vice-Chancellor's Awards 2025
The shortlist for the Vice-Chancellors Awards 2025 has been announced, and we are delighted to share that it features thirteen projects and individuals from the Social Sciences Division. Many congratulations to our colleagues across the Division, and to all those nominated for their work across the wider University!
This year, there were 160 award entries across the 11 categories, with 1,300 individuals included in the nominations. They were assessed by stream judging panels made up of colleagues from across the central University, divisions, colleges and GLAM.
Discover the shortlisted projects and individuals from the Social Sciences Division below, or read the full shortlist announcement on the Vice-Chancellor's Awards homepage.
This year’s Vice-Chancellor’s Awards nominations were an outstanding demonstration of our strength in teaching, research and innovation, and of the myriad ways in which people across the University are working together in support of our academic mission. I look forward to announcing the award winners and celebrating the nominees at the ceremony in May.
Professor Irene Tracey, CBE, FMedSci – Vice-Chancellor
The winners and highly commended nominees will be announced at a special ceremony hosted by the Vice-Chancellor at the Sheldonian Theatre on Thursday 15 May.
Everyone is invited to attend the Awards Showcase in Blackwell Hall in the Weston Library on Tuesday 13 May, where shortlisted nominees will have an opportunity to demonstrate and discuss their work. The showcase will be open to all staff as well as members of the public.
Shortlisted nominees from the Social Sciences:
Category: Excellence in education and student support
For colleagues who have worked to enhance Oxford’s high-quality education and student experience across the collegiate University
Teaching and Learning Award
Recognising colleagues who have demonstrated a commitment to high-quality teaching and learning for Oxford’s students, in support of improved educational outcomes.
Equipping the next generation of Oxford leaders
The Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre equips students with essential entrepreneurial skills through diverse initiatives, including online platforms, training programmes, events, experiential learning and a student-led investment fund. With support from EnSpire and a number of external partners, its initiatives foster innovation, support venture creation and build robust networks, preparing students for success in the innovation economy.
Teaching negotiation skills for future public policy leaders
Working in public policy requires constant negotiation: with colleagues, government agencies, partner organisations, and the private sector. In this core module of the Blavatnik School of Government’s Master of Public Policy programme, Associate Professor Emily Jones equips students with negotiation concepts and practical tactics through innovative teaching approaches including case studies and simulations.
Innovative Teaching and Assessment Award
Recognising colleagues who have implemented new approaches to education at Oxford.
Speaking up in the classroom and beyond
Research can often be labelled as abstract or theoretical by students. To bring research to life, Professor Michael Gill of the Saïd Business School developed interactive role-plays and video case studies of leaders discussing their struggles with helping employees to ‘speak up’ and how these issues can be solved through research insights.
Support for Students Award
Recognising colleagues who have supported students' development.
Inclusive, adaptive and transformative support for all students
Dr Debbie Aitken, Senior Departmental Lecturer in Medical Education (Department of Education), provides comprehensive academic and pastoral support to all students, fostering their wellbeing and success at Oxford. Through innovative mentoring, she tailors her approach to each student’s unique journey before, during and after university, empowering them to reach their full potential.
Category: Excellence in research and innovation
For colleagues who have undertaken high-quality research and innovation:
Research Engagement Award
Recognising those who have enriched their research through engaging with those outside the University, for the benefits of wider society.
Advancing fairness in the digital economy
Fairwork is a global action research project based at the Oxford Internet Institute that assesses working conditions in the digital economy. Through rigorous research and stakeholder engagement with workers, policymakers and platforms, Fairwork sets labour standards, promotes ethical practices, and drives tangible improvements in working conditions worldwide.
Improving the lives of disadvantaged children in Peru
Young Lives is a longitudinal study of poverty in the Global South, based at the Oxford Department of International Development. Partnering locally and internationally, it delivers innovative research engagement to enable policy impact. Recent engagement with non-academic stakeholders in Peru has informed congressional debates on children’s right to a basic education and legislative change to prohibit child marriage.
Innovation and Commercialisation Award
Recognising individuals or teams undertaking research-led innovation or commercialisation.
OxValue: affordable technology valuation
OxValue.AI, founded by Professor Xiaolan Fu at the Oxford Department of International Development, provides an artificial intelligence (AI)-based, accessible, affordable, objective and accurate technology valuation tool and allows investors, businesses and the governments to better value, assess and acquire technologies. It has market potential, economic benefits and social impacts by supporting small businesses, innovators and small investors and facilitating technology transfer.
Research Culture Award
Recognising those who have contributed to a positive, inclusive and equitable research culture.
Cross-university Narrative CV support team: recognising diverse contributions
Research funders have introduced a new CV format, called a Narrative CV (NCV), aiming to recognise a broader range of contributions to research, beyond lists of publications. A cross-institutional project team, which includes Dr Kanza Basit, Senior Research Facilitator in the Division's Research, Impact & Engagement team, created a suite of termly training and guidance to help researchers write their NCVs, supporting careers and encouraging culture change.
Breakthrough Researcher Award
Recognises researchers at the early stages of their careers who have made a significant impact at the University.
Dr Sara Ratner, Department of Education
Dr Sara Ratner is a Research Officer in the Department of Education who has made a significant impact across the University (and globally). At Sara’s initiative and with funding from the Social Sciences Division's Interdisciplinary Hubs scheme, the AI in Education at Oxford University (AIEOU) Interdisciplinary Research Hub was established attracting more than 700 collaborators from around the world in its first month.
Category: Excellence across Oxford
For colleagues who have demonstrated excellence in supporting and furthering our academic mission:
Making a Difference Globally Award
Recognising colleagues who have made a difference to the lives of those outside the UK through University resources, expertise or insights.
Advancing global poverty eradication using a multidimensional approach
The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI)’s pioneering work using a Multidimensional Poverty Index significantly contributed to tracking and advancing global goals on poverty eradication, particularly in developing nations. By strategically expanding its transnational network of partners, OPHI increased capacity and empowered local and global leaders to step up poverty reduction efforts for marginalised communities. OPHI is based at the Oxford Department of International Development.
Helping to end the death penalty in Africa
Professor Carolyn Hoyle and Daniel Cullen at the Oxford Centre for Criminology (Faculty of Law) and colleagues at the Death Penalty Project are dedicated to justice and human rights across Africa. Over a decade, the nominees have established transnational collaborative networks to realise the potential of research, advocacy, legal strategy and engagement to secure abolition in Zimbabwe, Ghana and Sierra Leone, making a difference to those at risk of execution.
The Maasai Living Cultures Project
A collaborative project between the Maasai community and Pitt Rivers Museum, aimed at building trust and addressing concerns about the portrayal of Maasai culture in museums. It aims to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration between both parties and build relationships based on respect, trust and deeper understanding.
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.
Economics of Diversity Series
Recognising that economics provides a powerful lens for understanding societal structures, the Oxford University Business Economics Programme team at the Department of Economics launched the Economics of Diversity series in 2020 to drive informed, evidence-based discussions on equality, diversity, and inclusion.
