MPLS Teaching Awards
MPLS Teaching Awards 2025
The annual MPLS Divisional Teaching Awards celebrate success and recognise and reward excellence in innovative teaching. These awards are open to anyone who teaches as part of their role within the MPLS Division, including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and learning support staff.
The Teaching Award Scheme is administered by the MPLS Divisional Office and awards are made on merit by a cross-departmental panel chaired by the Associate Head of Division (Taught Degrees). This year our award winners will be announced and celebrated towards the end of Trinity Term.
Nominations for the 2025 Award Scheme are now closed. Nominations can be made by academics, staff and students. Once all nominations have been submitted to the Divisional Office, departments shortlist up to five to go forward to a divisional panel who select the overall winners.
There are between 5-10 individual awards available for innovation in teaching and/or leadership in teaching. These carry a financial award of £1,000 per awardee (minus taxes).
Deadlines
The deadline for submitting individual nominations is 30 April 2025.
The deadline for submitting departmental shortlists to the MPLS Divisional Office is 29 May 2025.
How to nominate
To make a nomination in either category, please complete a Teaching Awards nomination form.
Any supporting evidence can be sent to teachingawards@mpls.ox.ac.uk
Some past nominations have been disadvantaged by a lack of detail included, so please offer as much detail as you can to support your nomination.
Previous winners
The awards have been running in their current format since 2012. The winners of the awards since 2012 are listed below. Winners of teaching awards from the years before 2012 can be requested by emailing teachingawards@mpls.ox.ac.uk.
2024 WINNERS
Individual Awards:
Dr Reka Toth, Department of Biology
Dr Craig Campbell, Department of Chemistry
Rebecca Crossley, Mathematical Institute
Dr Alan Roth, MPLS Division
Lot Koopmans, Department of Earth Sciences
Professor David Marshall, Department of Physics
Professor Thomas Adcock, Department of Engineering Science
See the 2024 Teaching Awards news item
2023 WINNERS
Individual Awards:
Sumali Bajaj, Department of Biology
Dr Martin Galpin, Department of Chemistry
Dr Andrew Ker, Department of Computer Science
Alexandra Morton-Hayward, Department of Earth Sciences
Dr Tamarah King, Department of Earth Sciences
Dr Isaac Mear, Department of Engineering Sciences
Professor James Marrow, Department of Materials
Dr Brian Tyrrell, Mathematical Institute
Professor Claire Gwenlan, Department of Physics
Dr Neil Laws, Department of Statistics
See the 2023 Teaching Awards news item
2022 WINNERS
Individual Awards:
Dr Dean Sheppard, Department of Chemistry
Dr Stuart Robinson, Department of Earth Sciences
Professor Jeroen Bergmann, Department of Engineering Sciences
Dr Christopher Patrick, Department of Materials
Professor Melanie Rupflin, Mathematical Institute
Dr Maria Christodoulou, Department of Statistics
Dr Ellie Bath, Department of Biology
Mr Martin Hurajt, Department of Biology
See the 2022 Teaching Awards news item
2019 WINNERS
Individual Awards:
Anna Bidgood, Department of Earth Sciences
Professor Sam Cohen, Mathematical Institute
Professor Fabian Essler, Department of Physics
Dr Ian Griffiths and Professor Frances Kirwan, Mathematical Institute
Mareli Grady, Mathematical Institute
Professor Patrick Rebeschini, Department of Statistics
Dr Lindsay Ann Turnbull, Department of Plant Sciences
2018 WINNERS
Individual Awards:
Professor Ruth Baker, Mathematical Institute
Professor Simon Benjamin, Department of Materials
Professor Helen Byrne, Mathematical Institute
Professor Xenia de la Ossa, Mathematical Institute
Professor Andre Lukas, Department of Physics
Professor Sarah Waters, Mathematical Institute
2017 WINNERS
Individual Awards:
Professor Byron Byrne, Department of Engineering Sciences
Professor Dan Ciubotaru, Mathematical Institute
Professor Steven Balbus, Department of Physics
Professor Peter Darrah, Department of Plant Sciences
Professor Claire Vallance, Department of Chemistry
2016 WINNERS
Project Award: Dr David Johnson, OERC
Individual Awards:
Dr Vicky Neale, Mathematical Institute
Mr Eric Peasley, Department of Engineering Science
Professor Caroline Terquem, Department of Physics
Dr Helen Johnson, Department of Earth Sciences
Dr Jonathan Burton, Department of Chemistry
2015 WINNERS
Project Award: Dr Christopher Palmer, Department of Physics
Special Category Award (Innovative Use of IT in Teaching Award): Ms Belinda Hughes, Department of Engineering Science
Individual Awards:
Dr Steve Sheard, Department of Engineering Science
Dr Andrew Ker, Department of Computer Science
Dr Cath Wilkins, Mathematical Institute
Professor Fabian Essler, Department of Physics
Professor Owen Lewis, Department of Zoology
2014 WINNERS
Project Award: Dr Janet Dyson and Dr Richard Earl, Mathematical Institute
Special Category Award (Oxford Sparks Public Engagement Award): Dr Joanna Barstow, Department of Physics
Individual Awards:
Dr Nicholas Green, Department of Chemistry
Professor Elspeth Garman, Department of Biochemistry
Professor Steve Simon, Department of Physics
Professor Brian Follett, Department of Zoology
2013 Winners
Project Award: Mr Rok Sekirnik, Department of Chemistry
Special Category Award: Dr Greg Gyurko, Mathematical Institute
Individual Awards:
Professor Luis Fernando Alday, Mathematical Institute
Professor Philip Maini, Mathematical Institute
Dr Christina Goldschmidt, Department of Statistics
Dr Richard Palin, Department of Earth Sciences
2012 WINNERS
Project Award: Dr Martin Griffiths, Mathematical Institute
Special Category Award: Alan Howe, Department of Chemistry
Individual Awards:
Dr Kathryn Gillow, Mathematical Institute
Professor Jon Chapman, Mathematical Institute
Tom Close, Mathematical Institute
Jamie Frost, Department of Computer Science
Contact
If you have any questions on the Teaching Award Scheme, please email us.