Polymer Chemistry Lectureship

Established in 2015, this international lectureship honours early-career scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of polymer chemistry.

Open to all researchers throughout the world

The Polymer Chemistry lectureship is open to all researchers throughout the world. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the Royal Society of Chemistry and researchers in academia or industry.

Nominators do not need to be senior researchers, and we encourage nominations from people at all career levels.

We believe we have a responsibility to promote inclusivity and accessibility in order to improve diversity. Where possible, we encourage each nominator to consider nominating candidates of all genders, races, and backgrounds.

Please see the RSC's approach to Inclusion and Diversity.

Please note, that current Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board members and previous recipients of this lectureship will not be eligible for the current lectureship.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Polymer Chemistry Lectureship, the candidate must:

• Be an independent researcher, PhD students postdoctoral research associates are not eligible
• Be actively pursuing research within the polymer chemistry field, and have made a significant contribution to the field
• Be at an early stage of their independent career (this should typically be within 12 years of attaining their doctorate or equivalent degree, but appropriate consideration will be given to those who have taken a career break, work in systems where their time period to independence may vary or who followed an alternative study path)
• Have a publication as corresponding author in Polymer Chemistry within the 3 years prior to the nominations deadline

Please note, nominations will close on 16 March 2025.

Nominations must be made via email, and include the following:

• The name, affiliation and contact details of the nominee, nominator and referee
• An up-to-date CV of the nominee (1 – 3 A4 page maximum length)
• A letter of recommendation from the nominator (500 words maximum length). The relationship between nominator and nominee should be stated in the letter
• A supporting letter of recommendation from a referee (500 words maximum length). This could be from the nominee’s academic mentor, PhD supervisor, or postdoc for instance. The relationship between referee and nominee should be stated in the letter
• The nominator must confirm that to the best of their knowledge, their nominee’s professional standing is as such that there is no confirmed or potential impediment to them receiving the Lectureship
• Please note that the nominee must be aware that they have been nominated for this lectureship

All eligible nominated candidates will be assessed by a judging panel made up of the Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board. Any Editorial Board members with a conflict of interest will be ineligible for the judging panel.

The judging panel will consider the following core criteria:

• excellence in research, as evidenced in reference to originality and impact
• quality of publications, patents or software
• innovation
• professional standing
• independence
• collaborations and teamwork
• evidence of promising potential
• other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominator

In any instance where multiple nominees are judged to be equally meritorious in relation to these core criteria, the judging panel will use information provided on the nominee’s broader contribution to the chemistry community as an additional criterion. Examples of this could include:

• involvement with RSC community activities
• teaching or demonstrating
• effective mentorship
• service on boards
• committees or panels
• leadership in the scientific community
• peer reviewing
• promotion of diversity and inclusion
• advocacy for chemistry
• public engagement and outreach