In recognition of outstanding research, the Centre for Social Work Innovation and Research (CSWIR) recently presented awards to Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) across the University of Sussex. Diana Ramirez Sarmiento and Sunisha Neupane, both PhD researchers at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), based at the University of Sussex, were among the awardees.
Diana received the School of Education and Social Work (ESW) Award for Critical Social Inquiry (PGR), which celebrates research that pushes the boundaries of critical social inquiry, aligning with CSWIR’s core themes and its assessment criteria for relevance and potential impact.
Diana is a Colombian lawyer, political scientist, and holds an MA in Political Science from Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Social Movements and Political Parties at Universidad de La Sabana. She has been the recipient of a scholarship from COLFUTURO and the University of Sussex, as well as a grant from the Funds for Women Graduates. Her research focuses on citizen participation in peacebuilding programmes and transformative processes in rural Colombia. During her fieldwork, she employed participatory methods to explore how participatory spaces can be reshaped in contexts marked by structural violence and intersecting inequalities. Diana is part of the Participation, Inclusion and Social Change Research Cluster.
“Conducting research in development involves a profound responsibility, especially because the field is still shaped by colonialist and extractivist practices. As a researcher from the Global South, I feel a deep commitment to pursue work that is impactful for the communities involved in the research process and contributes to the material transformation of lives marked by marginalisation and violence.”
Sunisha Neupane was awarded the Faculty of Social Sciences Associate Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (PGR), which acknowledges research demonstrating exceptional scholarly merit and innovation, assessed under the criterion of Innovation.
Sunisha joined IDS in 2021 as a postgraduate researcher and is part of the Health and Nutrition Research Cluster. Her research aims to explore maternal health needs, and access issues in rural Nepal with a focus on context and community participation.
“My research focuses on maternal health in a remote mountainous area in Nepal and it explores the lived experiences of pregnant women and healthcare providers,” Sunisha said. “I examine the disconnect between policies and on-the-ground realities, highlighting how systemic challenges such as geographical factors, the local economy, resource constraints and societal expectations affect maternal health outcomes.”
Congratulations once again to Diana and Sunisha on their well-deserved recognition!