Inspiration. Recognition. Prestige.
2019 marks 150 years since the start of our prizes and awards programme. That’s 150 years of recognising the outstanding work happening in every corner of the scientific community.
This is your chance to raise awareness of individuals and teams making a positive impact for the chemical sciences. If you’d like to nominate someone but need some help with the process or working out which award to nominate them for, then get in touch.
Our previous winners have come from a vast range of specialisms, backgrounds, countries and communities but all have demonstrated passion, excellence and dedication deserving of recognition and reward.
There are over 60 prizes and awards that you could nominate for, reflecting the broad scope of achievement in our community. This year, for the first time, our Awards for Service, Inspirational Member Awards and Inspirational Committee Awards are now open for nominations at the same time.
We spoke to Professor Duncan Bruce, Chair of the Awards Working Group, on how the process works and why everyone should consider nominating someone. Read the full story.
Our early- and mid-career awards have new eligibility criteria for 2019, with emphasis on number of years of professional experience in preference to age. For more details, click through to the webpage for each award below.
Make your nomination by 5pm (UK time) 15 January 2019. Some awards require nominators to be Royal Society of Chemistry members.
Go to open awards
“We hope that the project will show students how incredible real research is, and that real science is done by people like them – being a scientist is for everyone.”
Dr Claire Murray, Inspiration & Industry Award 2018
“I’ve known a couple of the past winners for quite some time, and I never thought I could be recognised as being in their league.”
Dr Conrad Goodwin, Dalton Emerging Researcher Award 2018
“We hope that this award will inspire more scientists to develop activities and tools to encourage underrepresented groups to engage in careers in science.”
Dr Henry “Hoby” Wedler and Professor Dean J. Tantillo, Inclusion and Diversity Prize winners 2017
In the spotlight this year:
Joseph Black Award
Recognising an early career scientist in any field covering both the practice and teaching of analytical science, this award commemorates the chemist and teacher Joseph Black.
Longstaff Prize
First awarded in 1881, the Longstaff Prize is given to a member who has done the most to advance chemistry, based on the quality rather than quantity of their work.
Rita and John Cornforth Award
This award promotes and rewards scientists working in collaborative research teams with both chemistry and the life sciences disciplines. Winners complete a UK lecture tour.
Sir Edward Frankland Fellowship
Presented biennially for the encouragement of research in organometallic chemistry or the co-ordination chemistry of transition metals, based on the originality and impact of research.
Toxicology Award
Established in 2008 and presented biennially to recognise the contributions of chemical science to occupational and environmental toxicology. Winners complete a UK lecture tour.
Liversidge Award
Awarded biennially in recognition of outstanding contributions to physical chemistry. A key purpose of this award is to disseminate new knowledge and prompt further study.
Inclusion and Diversity Prize
Recognises an individual or team's contribution and impact in promoting and improving the accessibility, inclusivity and diversity of the chemical science community.
Materials for Industry - Derek Birchall Award
Rewards an individual for creativity and excellence in the application of materials chemistry in industry in honour of prolific inventor and polymath Derek Birchall.
Organic Industrial Chemistry Award
For the development and application of organic chemistry in an industrial context by a person or team. Last awarded to Debra Wallace for her work on synthetic routes to drug candidates.
Go to all open awards
Nominations for our 2019 Prizes and Awards are open from 1 October until 15 January.
- Before making a nomination for a prize or award, find out more on its webpage. Some nominations requires references.
- Anyone is eligible for nomination, but some awards do require you to be a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry to submit an entry. Find full details on the award page.
- Please make your nominations by 5 pm (UK time) 15 January 2019.
- For a full list of open prizes and awards, filtered by area, eligibility criteria, nomination requirements and prize money, please download this spreadsheet.
Alexander Todd – Hans Krebs Lectureship in Chemical Sciences
The Alexander Todd – Hans Krebbs Lectureship is a reciprocal lectureship with the GDCh awarded for advances in chemistry made by a scientist while working and residing in Germany.
Anne Bennett Memorial Award for Distinguished Service
The Anne Bennett Memorial Award for Distinguished Service recognises exceptional voluntary services over a period of years to the RSC Analytical Division.
Applied Inorganic Chemistry Award
The Applied Inorganic Chemistry Award is for outstanding contributions to the development of any branch of inorganic chemistry which has an application in industry.
Award for Service
Our Award for Service recognises outstanding non-academic service to the work of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Members of Council, Division Presidents, Section Chairs and other Interest Groups are invited annually to make nominations; however, any member may also make a nomination to be considered by the Award for Service Panel.
Bader Award
The Bader Award is to recognise eminence in organic chemistry, which has not previously been rewarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Bioinorganic Chemistry Award
The Bioinorganic Chemistry Award recognises outstanding research in any aspect of bioinorganic chemistry.
Bourke Award
The Bourke Award enables distinguished scientists from overseas to lecture in the UK in the field of physical chemistry or chemical physics.
Centenary Prizes
The Centenary Prizes are awarded to outstanding chemists, who are also exceptional communicators, from overseas to give lectures in the British Isles.
Chemical Dynamics Award
The Chemical Dynamics Award is for outstanding innovative research on the dynamics of molecules, including spectroscopy, kinetics or molecular interactions in the gas, liquid or solid phase.
Chemical Sciences Apprentice of the Year
The Chemical Sciences Apprentice of the Year award is given in recognition of outstanding contribution made by an apprentice working in the chemical sciences sector.
Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year Award
The Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year Award award is given to individuals who demonstrated creativity and vision, driving chemistry innovation to commercial success for their business.
Corday-Morgan Prizes
The Corday-Morgan Prizes are awarded for the most meritorious contributions to chemistry.
Creativity in Industry Prize
The Creativity in Industry Prize is an outstanding achievement award recognising the contribution of an individual to the chemical sciences industry.
Dalton Emerging Researcher Award
The Dalton Emerging Researcher Award is for inorganic research chemists within two years completion of their PhD.
de Gennes Prize
The de Gennes Prize is for outstanding and exceptional work in the field of materials chemistry.
Environment Prize
The Environment Prize is awarded for outstanding contributions to the chemical sciences in the area of environment, sustainability and energy.
Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division Early Career Award
The Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division Early Career Award is for exceptional contributions to the chemical sciences in the area of environment, sustainability and energy.
Harrison-Meldola Memorial Prizes
The Harrison-Meldola Memorial Prizes are awarded for the most meritorious and promising original investigations in chemistry and published results of those investigations.
Hickinbottom Award
The Hickinbottom Award is for contributions to any area of organic chemistry from an early career scientist.
Higher Education Teaching Award
The Higher Education Teaching Award recognises outstanding teaching skills as well as development of innovative materials or methods in higher education, resulting in a strong impact on students.
Homogeneous Catalysis Award
The Homogeneous Catalysis Award recognises outstanding research in homogeneous catalysis.
Inclusion & Diversity Prize
The Inclusion & Diversity Prize is awarded biennially to an individual or team to recognise their contribution and impact in improving the accessibility, inclusivity and diversity of the chemical science community.
Industrial Analytical Science Award
The Industrial Analytical Science Award recognises the work of industrial analytical scientists and is given for outstanding contribution to analytical technology or methodology in industry.
Industry Technician of the Year
The Industry Technician of the Year is given in recognition of outstanding contribution made by an individual in a technical role in industry.
Industry-Academia Collaboration Award
The Industry-Academia Collaboration Award recognises outstanding examples of teamwork in promoting innovation through industry-academia partnerships.
Inorganic Mechanisms Award
The Inorganic Mechanisms Award recognises studies leading to the understanding of reaction mechanisms in any branch of inorganic chemistry and by any methods.
Inspiration and Industry Award
The Inspiration and Industry Award award is given in recognition of an individual's or team's impact on the local or national community in relation to the promotion of science and STEM careers.
Inspirational Member and Committee Award
The Royal Society of Chemistry Inspirational Member Award and Inspirational Committee Award recognise the efforts of members and committees supporting our community through member-led activities.
Interdisciplinary Prizes
The Interdisciplinary Prizes are awarded for work at the interface between chemistry and other disciplines.
Jeremy Knowles Award
The Jeremy Knowles Award is to recognise and promote the importance of inter- and multidisciplinary research between chemistry and the life sciences.
John B Goodenough Award
The John B Goodenough Award is to recognise exceptional and sustained contributions to the area of materials chemistry.
Joseph Black Award
The Joseph Black Award is for a young scientist in any field covering the practice and teaching of analytical science.
Liversidge Award
The Liversidge Award recognises outstanding contributions to physical chemistry.
Longstaff Prize
First awarded in 1881, the Longstaff Prize is given to one of our members who has done the most to advance the science of chemistry.
Ludwig Mond Award
The Ludwig Mond Award is for outstanding research in any aspect of inorganic chemistry.
Marlow Award
The Marlow Award is in recognition of the most meritorious contributions to physical chemistry or chemical physics.
Materials for Industry – Derek Birchall Award
The Materials for Industry - Derek Birchall Award rewards an individual for creativity and excellence in the application of materials chemistry in industry.
Merck, Sharp & Dohme Award
The Merck, Sharp & Dohme Award is for contributions to any area of organic chemistry from an established career scientist.
Norman Heatley Award
The Norman Heatley Award is to recognise and promote the importance of inter- and multidisciplinary research between chemistry and the life sciences through independent work.
Nyholm Prize for Education
The Nyholm Prize for Education recognises a major innovation or research contribution to the field of chemical science education.
Organic Industrial Chemistry Award
The Organic Industrial Chemistry Award is for the application of organic chemistry in an industrial context by a person or team.
Organic Stereochemistry Award
The Organic Stereochemistry Award is for studies of stereochemistry related to structure, reactivity or synthesis.
Organometallic Chemistry Award
The Organometallic Chemistry Award is for any aspect of the organic chemistry of the main group and transition metals.
Pedler Award
The Pedler Award is for contributions to any area of organic chemistry from an established career scientist.
Perkin Prize for Organic Chemistry
The Perkin Prize for Organic Chemistry is awarded for sustained originality and achievement in research in any area of organic chemistry.
Peter Day Award
The Peter Day Award is for outstanding contributions to, and advancement of, the field of materials chemistry. The award alternates between those specialising in the broad areas of soft matter and continuous lattice solids.
Physical Organic Chemistry Award
The Physical Organic Chemistry Award covers the relationship between structure and molecular behaviours in chemistry.
Rising Star in Industry Award
The Rising Star in Industry Award recognises individuals in the early stages of their careers who have already made a significant impact in the chemical industry.
Rita and John Cornforth Award
The Rita and John Cornforth Award rewards scientists working in collaborative research teams between the chemistry and life sciences disciplines.
Robert Robinson Award
The Robert Robinson Award is for contributions to organic chemistry from a researcher over the age of 55. For more information, please see the Robert Robinson Award page.
Ronald Belcher Award
The Ronald Belcher Award is given for work on an analytical topic, by a graduate of a British or Irish university.
S F Boys – A Rahman Award
The S F Boys - A Rahman Award is for outstanding innovative research in the area of computational chemistry, including both quantum chemistry and molecular simulations.
Schools Education Award
The Schools Education Award is presented to a teacher or team who has demonstrated an exceptional ability to teach chemistry and inspire students at any pre-university level, either over a prolonged period of time or by making a large impact in a short period of time.
Sir Edward Frankland Fellowship
The Sir Edward Frankland Fellowship is presented for the encouragement of research in organometallic chemistry or the coordination chemistry of transition metals.
Sir George Stokes Award
The Sir George Stokes Award recognises outstanding and sustained contributions to analytical science by someone working in a complementary field, which has led to developments of great importance to chemical analysis.
Soft Matter and Biophysical Chemistry Award
The Soft Matter and Biophysical Chemistry Award is for outstanding and innovative research in soft condensed matter or the application of physicochemical techniques to biological problems.
Surfaces and Interfaces Award
The Surfaces and Interfaces Award is for outstanding and innovative research on the behaviour of chemical systems at surfaces or interfaces.
Sustainable Energy Award
The Sustainable Energy Award is for the contributions of chemical sciences to sustainable energy.
Synthetic Organic Chemistry Award
The Synthetic Organic Chemistry Award recognises the development of new methods or strategies employed in the construction of organic molecules.
Theophilus Redwood Award
The Theophilus Redwood Award is given to a leading analytical scientist who is also an outstanding communicator.
Tilden Prizes
Founded in 1939, the Tilden Prizes are awarded for advances in chemistry.
Toxicology Award
The Toxicology Award is for the contributions of chemical science to occupational and environmental toxicology.
Over the years I have been involved in several nominations – my first as a young senior lecturer – and there is great satisfaction in seeing someone you nominate being successful. You can help a fellow chemist and that has to be worth doing.
Awards
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