Vice-Chancellor’s Awards

All nominations must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the awards:

Nominators

• The individual making a nomination must be a member of staff at the University of Oxford or one of its colleges.

Nominees

• Nominated staff must be current employees of the University of Oxford, or one of its colleges, at any career stage, and be contracted to be in post up to and including 15 May 2025.
• Nominees can include:
  • staff (including researchers, academics, teaching staff, administrative, technical and professional services staff, research facilitators and curators)
  • postgraduate research students (where working on a shared project alongside a wider group of staff)
  • individuals from partner organisations from outside the University (as part of a team including Oxford staff).
• There is no limit to the number of individuals that can be nominated in one team. However, all entrants must be named individually (rather than team or department names).
• Due to space constraints, the number of individuals named on awards communications and invited to the awards ceremony may need to be limited.
• In most categories, colleagues can nominate themselves or others (nominees need to agree to being nominated before a nomination is submitted). However, certain categories are not eligible for self-nominations. Please refer to detailed guidance and criteria for information.
• Colleagues can make nominations for individuals or groups.
• You must declare any personal (non-professional) relationships you have with any of the individuals that you nominate. Refer to guidance below for more information.

Projects and activities

• Projects and activities referenced in nominations must have taken place from July 2023. The activities or projects can have started before this date; however, work needs to have continued past this date to be eligible.
• The activities or projects can be complete or ongoing.
• Colleagues can enter as many categories as they want for different projects and activities.
  • However, you cannot put forward the same project/activity for multiple awards (nominations for different categories must be for different activities).

If you are unsure which category to enter, please carefully review the award-specific descriptions and criteria, as well as information about how to enter.

For projects or activities that have previously entered the University of Oxford Vice-Chancellor’s Awards

• Those that were previously selected as winners or Highly Commended, will not be eligible for this year’s awards (unless significant progress has been made since the last award).
• Those that were not previously selected as winners or Highly Commended will be eligible for the awards this year (although you are encouraged to demonstrate that additional progress has been made and to provide further evidence against the selection criteria).

Other

• Incomplete entries, and those that exceed given nomination word counts, will not be considered.
• Nominations close at noon on Monday 3 February. Late entries will not be considered.
• If you are not sure whether your nomination meets the eligibility criteria, please contact the Vice-Chancellor's Awards team on vcawards@admin.ox.ac.uk. 

Disclosing personal relationships

Everyone making a nomination will be asked to disclose whether any of the nominees is a member of their immediate family, or if they have a close personal relationship with them – in line with University guidance on this matter. It is possible to make nominations in these instances, so long as the relationships are disclosed.

Recognising everyone’s contribution

When making nominations, colleagues are encouraged to carefully consider the input of everyone who has contributed to the project or activity across a range of roles and seniorities. In particular, they are asked to consider members of their team who have reduced working hours due to family or caring commitments, or are on maternity leave or on leave due to ill-health.

Judging criteria for all awards

The following criteria will be used across all Vice-Chancellor’s Awards:

1. Value and significance
   1. Purpose: the project or activity has a clear purpose and rationale behind its approach/choice of partner(s)/audience(s) related to the category.
   2. Significance: it is possible to demonstrate the difference the project or activity has made to relevant individuals or groups and why the difference made is important. (NB: the project’s scale will not be a factor when considering significance).
   3. Evaluation and learning: the project or activity was evaluated, and learnings made from it for the future.
2. Individual and team performance

The colleagues and partners involved have demonstrated commitment and dedication, leading to positive outcomes which are appropriate to their career stage and position in the organisation of the individuals.

Supporting our culture

Nominees in all categories will also be invited to provide information about how the work or project aligns with the following critical activities that shape the University’s culture now and in the future.

• Diversity and inclusion: the project or activity contributes towards creating a more inclusive culture at Oxford in line with the EDI Strategic Plan.
• Sustainability: The project or activity contributes towards increasing the University’s environmental sustainability strategy.
• Safety: the project or activity contributes to a communal safety culture in lines with the goals and values of the EveryDaySafe programme.

While nominations will not be formally scored on these areas, they will be taken into account when considering the overall effectiveness of nominations and making ranking decisions.

Award-specific criteria and guidance

Excellence in education and student support

1. Teaching and Learning Award: will be awarded to colleagues who have demonstrated an ability to provide high-quality teaching and learning with a focus on improving educational outcomes for students. Nominations will be considered for those working with students at all levels, from undergraduate to doctoral supervision.
2. Innovative Teaching and Assessment Award: will be awarded to colleagues who have implemented new approaches to education at Oxford. For example:

• those who have created new digital resources to support student learning, using digital tools to provide unique learning experiences for students, (re)designed a programme/course that maximise the affordances of online and/or blended delivery, embedded student-staff partnerships within the teaching and assessment
• activities that make teaching more inclusive for different groups of students. For example, this could include teams that have diversified assessments to support a more inclusive learning environment for students, diversified the curriculum, or made greater use of digital tools to support learners.

3. Support for Students Award: will be awarded to colleagues who have contributed to and supported students' development. You might be based in colleges, departments or professional services and provide support to students while they are studying at Oxford. You will have developed academic and/or pastoral support for student welfare, wellbeing or academic support. For example, projects might be concerned with careers, sports, languages, counselling or academic skills development or support the needs of specific student groups.

Award-specific criteria for awards 1–3:

• Colleague nominations only: nominations in this category must be from another member of staff. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
• Evidence of collaboration: while individuals may be nominated, all nominees must demonstrate excellence in their collaborative approach and of working with staff and students.
• Evidence of educational outcomes: nominations must include evidence of how educational and student support approaches have had a positive impact on outcomes and learning experiences for students.

Excellence in Research and Innovation

4. Research Engagement Award: will be awarded to individuals or teams that have made a positive difference to society, researchers and research through engaging with those outside the University, including businesses, policymakers, public and community groups and others.

Please note this category is for activities related to research. Engagement activities that are not predominately related to research should be nominated for the Community Partnership Award.

5. Innovation and Commercialisation Award: will be awarded to individuals or teams who have undertaken impactful research-led innovation, which may take many forms, including: the creation of new products, tools or services; enabling change in business practice or policymaking; entrepreneurial activity; social enterprise or other forms of commercialisation.

Award-specific criteria for awards 4 and 5

• Links to research: a clear link must be shown between research and the project or activities to its outcomes. It may also reference the activities that have enabled researchers to engage the target audience(s) with their own research. Entries should also consider the ways in which the research benefited from the engagement or innovation process.
• Researcher involvement: at least one academic or researcher from the University of Oxford must be included in the project team. The nomination recognises team members and contributors involved in the project There should be evidence of equitable collaboration where applicable and transparent recognition of team members at all levels. This may include research students, professional services, technical and support staff and external contributors (eg industrial research partners).

6. Research Culture Award: will be awarded to those who have contributed to a positive, inclusive and equitable research culture through actions to support careers, improve research practice and value different contributions to research. It is open to staff engaged in all aspects of research, including academics, researchers, technicians, support staff, etc.

Award-specific criteria for award 6

• Alignment with research culture values: nominations must demonstrate commitment to research culture values that support inclusivity and equitable practices and partnerships.
• Alignment with the University’s research culture priorities: nominations should clearly demonstrate how the project or activities align with Oxford’s institutional priorities in research culture: support careers, improve research practice and value different contributions to research. It may also reference activities by the nominee(s) to support their team, department, discipline, etc.

Note on evaluation and learning: evidence may be presented in the form of a reflective narrative, testimonials from colleagues/stakeholders/beneficiaries, as well as evaluation design plans and methodology where relevant and available.

7. Breakthrough Researcher Award: this award recognises researchers at the early stages of their careers who have made a significant impact at the University. It is for early-career researchers who have shown leadership at the University and beyond. It recognises those who have successfully implemented innovative approaches to enhancing research quality, for example by promoting collaboration, research practices, user engagement or professional development, either directly or through structures such as institutional or sector committees or networks.

Award-specific criteria for award 7

• Work included in the nomination must have taken place at the University of Oxford or one of its colleges.
• Colleague nominations only: nominations in this category must be from another member of staff. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
• Nominees must be within ten years of graduating from their doctorate (excluding any career breaks or leave for care, maternity or similar reasons). Please include your date of graduation (and details of any career breaks) in your nomination
• Nominees must be on a non-permanent contract based at the University or one of its colleges.
• We particularly welcome applications from postdoctoral researchers and junior research fellows, or equivalent. We would not usually expect nominations for Faculty Staff or Associate Professors.

Excellence across Oxford

8. Local Community Engagement Award: will be awarded to colleagues who have worked to make a positive difference to the lives of individuals and communities in Oxfordshire. Examples might include projects and activities designed to increase educational and employment opportunities for young people, increase access to Oxford’s facilities and resources, or support communities through policy development and capacity building. Activities in this category must relate to communities in Oxfordshire. Activities in areas just outside Oxfordshire (particularly those that are very close to Oxford) may also be considered.

Please note that this category is for projects and activities that are not predominately related to Oxford research. Research-related engagement activities should be nominated for the Research Engagement Award.

9. Making a Difference Globally Award: will be awarded to colleagues who have made a difference to the lives of those around the world through University resources, expertise or insights. This might include shaping global public policy, capacity building, supporting equitable access to opportunities for under-served communities, and building transnational networks and coalitions that make a difference to people's lives.

Please note that this category is for projects and activities that are not predominately related to Oxford research. Research-related engagement activities should be nominated for the Research Engagement Award.

10. Supporting Our Mission Award: Will be awarded to teams or individuals who have transformed and improved high-quality services that support (directly or indirectly) teaching, learning and research. Nominations are particularly encouraged for projects or activities that either:

• help the University reimagine its culture, processes and technology in the digital era, in line with the ambitions of our digital transformation, or
• demonstrate evidence of adopting Professional Services Together principles of People, Quality and Collaboration.

Award-specific criterion for awards 8–10

• Must demonstrate evidence of making a significant enhancement or improvement to how the University delivers and manages its services (simply doing a good job in an existing role would not usually make a nomination eligible).

11. Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award: recognising colleagues who role-model EDI through their work, and have made a difference to EDI at Oxford – either in their part of the institution or across the University. Will be awarded to colleagues who have:

• taken an inclusive approach to working with others and contributed to creating an environment in which everyone feels that they belong and can thrive
• influenced positive change within their department, faculty, college or the wider University
• promoted awareness and understanding of equality and diversity issues among the University community or the wider community through outreach and public engagement.

Award-specific criterion for award 11

• Must demonstrate evidence of inclusive practices and approaches through their work.

Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution

This will be awarded to any nomination, selected by the Vice-Chancellor, where it is felt that a colleague or team has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to supporting the University’s mission. Nominations from all categories will be considered for this award. It is not possible to apply for it directly.

Ensure that you have carefully read and understood all the information about the awards, eligibility and criteria before making a nomination.

Once you are ready to make a nomination, please complete this online form. To discuss submitting your nomination in an alternative form (such as audio or video), please contact vcawards@admin.ox.ac.uk to explore the options available to you.

The deadline for nominations is strictly noon on Monday 3 February. Late entries will not be considered.

Completing the form

Please note that it is not possible to save your progress on the form. However, a downloadable version is available for you to fill in offline before completing the online form. Please note that this is for offline reference only, and you will need to use the online form itself to submit your nomination.

Important: the online form will only accept plain text inputs. If you copy text from the downloadable version, any formatting will NOT copy across. This includes any bold/italic text, any links, any formatted text such as headings, and any bullet points.

The form will require you to provide:

• the name and details of the person making the nomination
• a key contact for the nomination (this must be one of the nominees)
• the names and details of those you wish to nominate
• the title of the nomination (5–8 words)
• a very brief (up to 50-word) description of the project or activity, for communications and other purposes
• a 500–750-word explanation of why you believe the project or activity meets the award criteria
• up to 400 words about how your nomination supports our culture in the areas outlined above (diversity and inclusion, sustainability and safety)
• information about any close personal relationships you may have with any individuals being nominated
• optionally: you will also be able to share link(s) to relevant documents or online resources to support the nomination (not attachments – refer to details below). You do not have to include these, but you may decide to include, for example, statements of support from external partners (max 400 words), or evidence of impact/evaluation. This is not an opportunity to exceed the word count by submitting an expanded justification for the nomination.

When submitting your nomination, you will be asked to agree that:

• information about it can be publicised via internal and external communication channels (all content will be sent to the key contact for approval prior to publication)
• you have secured the consent of all individuals and organisations, internal and external, that were integral to the project or activities, prior to the entry being submitted (please note that nominated individuals will receive an automated email when you submit the form)
• you have disclosed whether any of the nominees is a member of your immediate family, or you have a close personal relationship with them
• nominations that exceed the word counts will not be considered for shortlisting

If you have any questions about making a nomination that are not answered on this site, please contact vcawards@admin.ox.ac.uk.

Important technical guidance: please read before using the form

Multiple forms

Only one instance of the form can be open at any time; if you open a second copy of the form it may clear any data entered.

Formatting

The online form will only accept plain text inputs. This means that if you are copying text from a Word document, any formatting will NOT copy across. This includes any bold/italic text, any links, any formatted text such as headings, and any bullet points.

Nominated individuals

For internal colleagues, you will need select these individuals from a ‘people picker’ on the form. This cannot be left blank, and must be a named individual, rather than a shared mailbox.

If you paste an email address into the form, the people picker will suggest names as follows:

z

Once you click on one of the names, the screen will show:

You can then go on to add the next person.

If you do not pick a person and leave the pasted email address then when you submit the form an error will be raised that states ‘You can't leave this blank.’ You must select the person as above.

External partners

For external partners you will need to enter their details into the form manually. For externals, please note:

• you must use a specific data entry pattern for each person: Name; Organisation
• each piece of data must be separated by a semicolon and each row separated by a new line
• each row must have two items of data
• if the company is not known please enter ‘External’.

Additional evidence

You can only share links to supporting evidence via the nomination form. It is not possible to upload attachments. Please note the following about providing links:

1. If you wish to share a document (rather than a website or online resource), please first upload the document online (for example, to SharePoint) and copy the link.
2. If you wish to provide a link to a single piece of evidence, you can paste this link straight into the form.
3. If you wish to submit multiple links (maximum: 3), please follow these steps:
   1. create a new Word document
   2. copy and paste the links to your evidence into that document
   3. upload the document online (as per point 1 above)
   4. paste the link to this new document into the form.
4. Important: any files hosted behind SSO must have their permissions set to allow access to all staff ‘(People in Nexus365)’ so that the judges can access them.
5. There is a 255-character limit for this field. Long URLs with multiple folders or parameters may exceed this limit, so you may need to shorten them or use a simpler link.
6. Links must start with ‘https://’ (not just ‘www’).

Judging process

Checks will be performed to ensure nominations are complete and meet eligibility requirements. Nominations will then be reviewed by:

• Stream judging panels comprising colleagues from the central University, divisions, colleges and GLAM, who will give their recommendations on which entries should be shortlisted. The chairs for these panels will be:
  • Categories 1–3: Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education)
  • Categories 4–6: Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Innovation)
  • Category 7: University Advocate for Researchers
  • Categories 8 and 9: Local and Global Engagement Officer
  • Category 10: the Registrar
  • Category 11: Chief Diversity Officer
• A Finalists’ Awards Panel consisting of the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Chief Diversity Officer and the Local and Global Engagement Officer. They will confirm the shortlists, winners and highly commended entries in each category. The Vice-Chancellor will select the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution.

All those making a nomination will be notified about whether they have been shortlisted in March 2025.

Winning and highly commended entries will be recognised at the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards ceremony and reception on Thursday 15 May 2025.

Alongside the Awards Ceremony, there will be a showcase of award entries in Blackwell Hall in the Weston Library on Tuesday 13 May 2025, 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.

We encourage you to hold these dates in your diary if making a nomination.

Members of shortlisted teams will be invited to the ceremony and given details of the showcase when the shortlists have been confirmed (please note that, due to space constraints, unfortunately it may not be possible for all team members to attend).

Photography and videography

Shortlisted nominees will be invited to attend a photoshoot on Thursday 20 or Friday 21 March 2025, to enable us to capture high-quality photos to represent and celebrate their nomination. Please save the date. There is no pressure to attend the photoshoot or be visually represented.

The University will use and share the images in online posts, University social media, ceremony visuals, event branding, publications and reports, for the purpose of sharing and celebrating the success of the VC Awards 2025.

For further guidance please read the Legitimate Interest Assessment for the VC Awards.

Congratulations to all the teams and individuals nominated in the 2024 awards. Click on the award names below to find out about the winners and highly commended nominations. 

As part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards 2024 Showcase event, a series of ‘flash talks’ took place, in which some shortlisted teams gave short presentations on the work they were nominated for. You can watch recordings of the talks that took place by clicking on the links below. Each talk is 10 minutes. You will be asked to login to Panopto Replay Lecture Capture using your Oxford Single Sign On (SSO).