Guidelines for Referees

If we would like you to act as a referee for a Prize or Award candidate, the nominator will contact the referees once  receipt of nomination is acknowledged. 

The nominator is responsible for informing the two referees that they must provide reports by 31 January. Referee reports should be sent to Awards: see contact information below. 

We ask referees to provide a statement regarding the suitability of the candidate for the RSC Prize or Award for which they have been nominated.  This statement should address the selection criteria listed below, any additional criteria for the specific Prize or Award (see the A-Z list), and be no more than 500 words in length.  We also ask that you state your relationship (if any) with the nominee e.g. PhD supervisor.

If you have any questions about refereeing please contact the Awards Department.

Selection Criteria

The following aspects of all nominations for scientific research Prizes and Awards will be considered by the selection committee(s) as appropriate:

• Originality of research
• Impact of research
• Quality of publications and/or patents
• Innovation
• Professional standing
• Independence (for early career Prizes and Awards only)
• Collaborations
• Other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominee/nominator