Dr George Green has been recognised in the University of Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor’s Awards shortlist
01 May 2026
Congratulations to ISIS’ George Green whose work has been shortlisted for this year’s University of Oxford Vice-Chancellor’s Awards. With nearly 170 entries and around 1,000 individuals included in nominations, inclusion on the shortlist represents a serious achievement.
George Green, who is an Associate Professor in Classical and Scientific Archaeology, has been shortlisted for the Breakthrough Researcher Award. He holds a newly created post between the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, and Archaeology, Classics and the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford.
His research uses muon-based elemental analysis on the MuX instrument at ISIS to investigate the composition of artefacts deep beneath their surface without causing damage. This approach is particularly suited to his work on the movement and manufacture of gold across ancient Africa, Asia, and Europe. For example, a recent experiment studying some of the world’s first coins.
George’s inclusion on the awards shortlist recognises the significant impact the partnership he leads between ISIS and the University of Oxford is having. As well as his research, the partnership is also creating new teaching and training opportunities for students across multiple disciplines, alongside research projects based on the Ashmolean’s collections.
There's an awful lot of research going on at Oxford, so to be nominated by my colleagues and then selected as one of five people shortlisted for 'Breakthrough Researcher' is a fantastic feeling.
George Green
There are only three facilities in the world where elemental analysis with muons is possible, let alone being directed towards archaeological research questions. This means that George’s work is incubating a globally unique and truly cutting-edge research area between ISIS and Oxford.
“There’s an awful lot of research going on at Oxford, so to be nominated by my colleagues and then selected as one of five people shortlisted for ‘Breakthrough Researcher’ is a fantastic feeling,” says George. “So many of the things recognised in the nomination were only possible due to the partnership we’ve built between ISIS and Oxford. The new teaching concepts, scholarship opportunities and formal relationships with collections are not something I could have achieved alone as an enthusiastic user, so the shortlisting is testament to the brilliant support from ISIS too.”
George’s work has been selected for an exhibition at the Vice Chancellor’s Awards Showcase on 2 June, held at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, where he will be joined by colleagues from ISIS to discuss their work.
The awards celebrate the achievements of staff across the collegiate University, recognising excellence, innovation, and collaborative impact in support of Oxford’s core mission. You can find out more about the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards here.
