Dr Miranda Brawn Award seen as one of the most important investments that can be made right now to help our next generation, our economy and our future.
https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/article/dr-miranda-brawn-awards-2021-2022
DR MIRANDA BRAWN and the University of Oxford have teamed up to design a new innovative award called the ‘Dr Miranda Brawn Award’ launching in the Trinity Term on March 31.
This is designed to support and help talented Black (African and Caribbean), Bangladeshi, Pakistani and mixed heritage students enhance their Oxford experience. The award, which will be open to UK undergraduates from low-income households, will support excellence and ambition among these talented future leaders by giving these students the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Oxford is committed to widening participation in higher education and to building an inclusive and diverse university environment. However, despite significant progress in recent years, Black, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and mixed heritage undergraduate students from the UK are underrepresented at the University of Oxford.
The award will further advance the University’s commitment to encourage more applications by empowering these gifted students to thrive during their studies at Oxford, as well as build networks and self-confidence that will enhance their future careers. This will ensure the most impact and be most effective in combatting underrepresentation and disadvantage.
The award will consist of funding and mentoring while being administered annually over a period of five years by the Oxford University Careers Service. In order to prioritise funds for those from low-income households, it will be open to students who are Crankstart Scholars or Oxford Bursary recipients.
Students can apply by completing a funding application form (and then send it to the Finance Officer) by Friday, May 6. Receipt of this award will not affect eligibility for an Oxford Bursary. The application and judging processes are being managed by the University of Oxford including all related queries.
The ‘Dr Miranda Brawn Award’ will enable recipients to undertake career development projects during the summer vacation. Students who receive the award will have the chance to enjoy activities or experiences that are not covered through other colleges or University financial support programmes. This could include, for example, making a short film, starting a new business or social enterprise to compliment and support their education.
Recipients of the award will also have access to the resources of The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, including one-to-one mentoring sessions with founder and president, multi award-winning businesswoman, lawyer, philanthropist, international public speaker, educator, success coach, investor, board director and diversity advocate Dr Brawn.
Dr Brawn said: “I was honoured to be approached by the University of Oxford last year to launch the Dr Miranda Brawn Award. We have agreed to include The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation to help to support, educate and empower our next generation of diverse leaders to become a success.
“The positive change for true equality starts with each of us and there is true power in this. I have been a diversity, equity and inclusion leader for over two decades, working across many different sectors. This has ranged from the student and graduate levels all the way up to the c-suite and boardroom, and includes launching the UK’s first ‘Black Women on Boards’ initiative through The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation.
“The new award at the University of Oxford aims to inspire, educate and empower our next generation of diverse leaders from the Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black African, Caribbean and mixed heritage communities by supporting them to study at the number one university in the world.
“The end goal is to support their education and career dreams in order to have more c-suite leaders, CEOs, board directors and successful business owners from these specific communities. This is one of the most important investments that can be made right now to help our next generation, our economy and our future.”
Dr Fiona Whitehouse, Head of the Internship Office at the Careers Service, added: “Taking part in extra-curricular activities can be so valuable to students during their time at university, helping them to grow in confidence and develop new skills alongside their studies. I’m therefore delighted that Dr Miranda Brawn has chosen to establish this award at Oxford, and give talented students here access to opportunities they might not otherwise have had.
“I can’t wait to see what those selected for the award decide to use it for and the positive impact it will no doubt have on their Oxford experience.’
Professor Martin Williams, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education at Oxford, said: “At the University of Oxford we are committed to accelerating the pace at which we diversify our student body and are united in our efforts to remove the barriers that students face.’
Dr Miranda Brawn, added: “Recent research has highlighted that Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black African and Caribbean students of both sexes, are less likely to achieve success through the traditional gold-standard, higher value government benchmark than white British peers.
“Hence, the importance of this award to help to bring true equality, diversity, equity and inclusion to the workplace.
“The award is in loving memory of the great women in my family. My late great-granny Philomena and late granny Victoria, both born in Dominica, and my late grandmother Maryam, born in India, who all stressed the importance of a great education which was re-emphasised by my parents while growing up.
“This award is very personal to me as it represents part of my own mixed heritage. I am looking forward to meeting and personally mentoring the winners over the years and have them be part of The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation family.
For more information and to support The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, you can visit www.tmbdlf.com, email info@tmbdlf.com and watch their first short film on TMBDLF’s You Tube Channel.