MAPS #GoBeyond Awards 2023: Winners Announced!

Congratulations to the winners of the MAPS #GoBeyond Awards. The MAPS #GoBeyond Awards reward and recognise students who not only demonstrate dedication and hard work in their studies, but who also go beyond their studies through excellence in extra-curricular activities.

The current state of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in academic science is far from what it can, and should, be. There is a significant underrepresentation of certain ethnic, gender, LGBTQIA+, disability, neurodivergent, and socio-economic groups.

Indeed, science itself loses out on the multifarious benefits that these currently underrepresented (UR) groups bring to the research and teaching environment. A mechanism for changing science for the better, is to directly change, and challenge, the culture of scientists themselves. We need to start rewarding, and encouraging, scientists that proactively improve the inclusiveness of UR groups in their current science environment.

Dr Luke Davis, a Research Fellow at the Department of Mathematics, recently won funding for his project MAPS #GoBeyond as part of the Take Bold Action for Inclusion funding scheme. The purpose of the MAPS #GoBeyond project was two-fold:

1. To inspire and educate undergraduate and postgraduate taught students to develop and execute effective extra-curricular activities such as; volunteering, or widening participation, or science communication.
2. To award and recognise existing (excellent) efforts as shown by current undergraduate and postgraduate taught students regarding these extra-curricular activities. More specficially: the MAPS #GoBeyond Awards for undergraduate and postgraduate (taught) students rewards and recognises students who not only demonstrate dedication and hard work in their studies, but who also go beyond their studies through excellence in extra-curricular activities such as; volunteering, or widening participation, or science communication, or improving inclusiveness, and the well-being of other students.

The funding allowed for the successful attainment of the project's aims through the funding of workshops by EDI experts and academics, such as Adama Fatima Saccoh, and through the funding of the awards ceremony.

Regarding the awards, the funding secured prizes (four £100 Waterstones vouchers) and certificates for the awardees that attracted high calibre students and added to the level of recognition of their efforts.The first cohort of winners (2023) were Ella Bedford (Physics), Miriam Zallocco (Global Humanitarian Studies), Alvaro Keskula (Chemistry), and Alexa Wong (Natural Sciences). Many congratulations!

In terms of future directions, the MAPS #GoBeyond scheme will benefit from further funding so that the #GoBeyond awards become a mainstay prize for undergraduates and postgraduates. Moreover, it is anticipated that the workshops will also continue, providing students with unique perspectives and skills to not only flourish in their studies, but to also make a positive impact to their wider community.

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