Endorsement for GLAM in the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards

Projects across GLAM were recognised at Oxford University’s Vice-Chancellors Awards 2026. The Awards acknowledge the achievements and celebrate success across the University in a range of strategically important areas.

There were 170 award entries across the 13 categories this year, with over 1,000 individuals included in the nominations. Seven projects from across Gardens, Libraries and Museums were shortlisted, the breadth revealing our diversity of expertise and continued delivery of impact. 

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor CBE FRS FMedSci presented the awards at a special ceremony at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities on Thursday 4 June. 

Vice Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey with the Iffley Academy Partnership team, photo by John Cairns Photography

Local Community Engagement Award
The Local Community Engagement award was won by the GLAM team delivering the Iffley Academy Partnership, a programme of high-quality cultural education opportunities for young people with complex special needs at the Iffley Academy school.

The Museum of Natural History received highly commended for their Natural Science and Heritage Scheme - a structured museum-based work experience programme that supports young people to develop and share their passion for the science of the natural world. 

The Ashmolean’s Shedding Light project was also a finalist in this category. Shedding Light is a permanent museum installation exploring the intertwined histories of British colonialism and ceramics, promoting community engagement with African and Caribbean communities.

Teaching Learning and Assessment Award
The Encountering evolution at the Museum of Natural History project was a finalist in this category. The project brings molecular evolutionary biology to life for Biochemistry students through object-based learning in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Support for Students Award
The Radcliffe Science Library wellbeing programme was a finalist in this category. Through a dedicated wellbeing room, collaboration, and varied activities, the programme enhances student inclusivity, belonging, reduces stress and encourages wellbeing.

Research Culture Award
The researcher-led action to strengthen Oxford’s research environments project, led by Dr Courtney Nimura of the Ashmolean Museum, received highly commended. Through innovation, diplomacy and peer leadership as a researcher representative, the project enables advancements in researcher inclusion and career development across the University.

Supporting our Mission Award
GLAM came highly commended in the Supporting our Mission Award for the Transforming Audience Engagement Across GLAM project which introduced a shared CRM system to streamline operations, grow audiences and support better engagement across Oxford’s gardens, libraries and museums.

The Fire Safety Response team, which included representation from GLAM, was a finalist in this category. Working collaboratively, the Fire Safety Response team made significant progress reducing and managing fire safety risks across the University.

Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution  
Outstanding contribution went to the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities - celebrating the cross-University collaboration behind building and opening the Schwarzman Centre on time and on budget. Teams from across GLAM were involved in the development of the centre.

Full details of the University-wide celebration are available from here.