The Sussex Researcher School is delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 Adam Weiler Impact Awards.
This year, two outstanding postgraduate researchers have been recognised for game-changing work in very different fields: mental health among pregnant adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa, and sustainability in military industry and practice.
Announced during SussexDocFest on 6 June, the £1,000 Adam Weiler Awards recognise researchers who demonstrate the potential to make a lasting, positive impact with their PhD work, and are supported by a generous donation to the University in memory of a former student.
Wezi Mhango (Psychology): Wezi, supported by the Commonwealth Commission Scholarship and Wellcome Trust Active Ingredients Award, proposes effective mental health interventions for pregnant adolescents in low- and middle-income countries, addressing a gap in support for young women at high risk of common mental health problems.
Focusing on Malawi, her studies resulted in the development of Footpaths for Adolescent Maternal Mental Health, or FOR MAMA, an antenatal intervention incorporating psychoeducation, emotion-focused and problem-solving coping strategies.
This simple, flexible and low-cost initiative can be delivered by non-specialist health workers or adolescent peers, and offers a real opportunity to address the growing burden of mental health problems and positively impact young people’s lives across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nico Edwards (Global Studies): Nico’s PhD examines what is driving the pivot to environmental sustainability in military industry and practice, looking at both ‘green militarism’ and climate justice, and considers both the consequences of this shift in strategy and the potential for resistance.
Taking an innovative approach that combines interviewing, reflective diary writing and participant observation at international arms fairs, and already widely published, she is making a truly original contribution to the literature and to civil society work.
And as an advisor to Scientists for Global Responsibility, an Associated Researcher with the World Peace Foundation and an Emerging Expert with the Forum on the Arms Trade, Nico shows the potential to make a real difference on the world stage.
Runner-up prizes of £500 were awarded to the following researchers:
Robert Dickinson (Psychology), whose work combines political and social theory with public health and psychology research topics such as Covid-19.
Julia Schreiber (Psychology), who uses emerging AI to analyse millions of social media posts across borders, examining allyship and responses to conflict.
Catherine Grant (Institute of Development Studies), who is using innovative and interdisciplinary methodologies to research disease epidemics and pandemics more effectively.
This year’s selection panel, chaired by SRS Dean Prof Jeremy Niven, included Prof Matthew Dimmock and Prof Margaretta Jolly (Media, Arts and Humanities), Prof Anke Schwittay and Dr Kamran Matin (Global Studies), and Dr Matthias Gobel (Psychology).
The prizes will be presented at the Summer of Research Awards Ceremony at the Attenborough Centre on 18 June.