Wiseman Prize

Nominations for the 2025-26 Wiseman Prize are open, closing on 14 August 2026.  

(An advisory email, including a link to the nomination form, was circulated on 22 June 2026). 

The Wiseman Prize

The Wiseman Prize recognises students and research staff who make exceptional contributions to the work of the Department beyond their expected duties.

Eligibility

The Wiseman Prize scheme is primarily aimed at research staff and research students (but may also include undergraduates) who make a commendable contribution to the work of the Department. The prize is intended for individual contributions; however, in exceptional circumstances, it may be awarded jointly to a group at the discretion of the award committee.

The prize may be awarded to the same individual only once in any three-year period. Any second or subsequent award must be based on an assessment of new and distinct contributions.

The Head of Department will call for nominations from senior administrative staff and University Teaching Officers in the Easter term. Please note that Affiliated Lecturers are not eligible to nominate.

Awardee Benefits

Awardees will receive a formal letter confirming the award of a Wiseman Prize. Recipients may wish to include this Departmental award on their CVs.  Although funding cannot be guaranteed, those recognised with a Wiseman Prize will be viewed favourably when applying for Departmental support (e.g. for travel, conferences, or 10^th-term funding for PhD students).

Example Contributions

Examples of activities that may lead to a nomination include:

• Supervision, leadership, and mentoring
• Events, courses, programmes, and projects (e.g., seminars, practicals, tutorials, course design, demonstrating)
• Participation in committees and groups (e.g., women@CL, Research Staff Forum)
• Outreach activities (e.g., volunteering)
• Other contributions (e.g. supporting social activities, fostering group cohesion, promoting a positive and inclusive environment, collaboration, and welfare support for colleagues or fellow students).

This list is not exhaustive. Nominees are not expected to contribute in all categories; however, they should demonstrate a sustained or significant contribution to the work of the Department. 

Important Information for Filling in the Nomination Form

Contributions should relate specifically to the Department rather than the wider University or College. While work within research groups is recognised as valuable, the Wiseman Prize focuses on contributions to the wider Department community.

Nominators are encouraged to complete as many sections of the form as possible and provide sufficient detail to support the nomination. The award committee relies on this information when assessing nominations. Information provided is also used to inform official communications from the Head of Department to prize recipients.

The decision to make an award rests with a committee acting on behalf of the Head of Department. Nominations should be submitted by senior administrative staff or University Teaching Officers. Other staff who wish to nominate a candidate should consult an appropriate nominator. 

The names of Wiseman Prize recipients will be published on this webpage.