Social scientists' impact 'among the very best of Oxford' at Vice-Chancellor's Awards 2025

Recognising those who have worked to make a positive different to the lives of individuals and communities in Oxfordshire.

Oxford Young Sport Leaders Programme – Winners of the Local Community Engagement Award 2025 (©John Cairns Photography)

Winners: Oxford Young Sport Leaders Programme (OYSLP)

The Oxford Young Sport Leaders Programme (OYSLP), run by the Oxford SDG Impact Lab, connects local schools with the University through sport and education. Featuring inclusive sports, workshops led by academics, access to University facilities, and mentoring by University students, OYSLP fosters belonging, develops skills, and builds bridges between the University and local communities.

Recognising colleagues who have made a difference to the lives of those outside the UK through University resources, expertise or insights.    

Winners of the Making a Difference Globally Award 2025 - The Maasai Living Cultures Project (©John Cairns Photography)

Winners: 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. Listen to the flash talk.

Highly Commended: 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.

Finalist: 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. 

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

Highly Commended: Improving the lives of disadvantaged children in Peru 

Young Lives is a longitudinal study of poverty in the Global South. 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.

Finalist: 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.

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

Highly Commended: 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.

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

Finalist: 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. Listen to the flash talk.

Recognises researchers at the early stages of their careers who have made a significant impact at the University. 

Highly Commended: 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. 

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

Finalist: 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. Listen to the flash talk.