Faraday Division open award: Faraday Lectureship Prize

Guidelines for nominators

• Nominations open 12 November
  
• Nominations close 18 January, 17:00 GMT
• Only RSC members can nominate for this prize
• Nominees may NOT nominate themselves
• Nominees can only be considered for one of our Research & Innovation Prizes in any given year. In a case where a nominee is nominated for more than one prize independently, RSC staff will ask the nominee which prize they would like to be considered for.
• Individuals named in any of the following roles during the nomination and judging period are not eligible to nominate or be nominated:
  
  • Faraday Division Award Committee members
  • Division Presidents
  • Awards Working Group members
  • Trustees of the Royal Society of Chemistry

• The prize is open to nominees who are RSC members
• There are no career stage restrictions associated with this prize
• When nominating previous RSC prize or award winners, please remember that a person cannot be awarded twice for substantially the same body of work

To make a nomination, please use our online nominations system to submit the following information:

• Your name, contact details, and membership number (please contact the RSC Membership team if you do not know your membership details)
• Your nominee's name and contact details
• An up to date CV for the nominee (no longer than one A4 side, 11pt text) which should include a summary of their education and career, and a maximum of 5 relevant publications or patents
• A short citation describing what the nominee should be awarded for. This must be no longer than 250 characters (including spaces) and no longer than one sentence
• A supporting statement (up to 750 words) addressing the selection criteria
• A statement (up to 100 words) describing how your nominee has contributed more broadly to the scientific community. A list of possible examples is outlined in the ‘selection criteria’ tab.
• References are not required for this award and will not be accepted 

The RSC reserves the right to rescind any prize if there are reasonable grounds to do so. All nominators will be asked to confirm that, to the best of their knowledge, their nominee's professional standing is such that there is no confirmed or potential impediment to them receiving this prize. All winners will be asked to sign the RSC's Code of Conduct Declaration for Recognition. 

Selection Criteria and Judging Panel

Our selection committees base their evaluations primarily on the overall quality of relevant contributions made by nominees and not on quantitative measures. The scientific content of any supporting publications, as described in the supporting statement, is much more important than publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which it is published.

The selection committee will consider the following aspects of nominations for this prize:

• Originality of research
• Impact of research
• Quality of publications and/or patents and/or software
• Innovation
• Professional standing
• Collaborations and teamwork
• Other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominator 

In an instance where multiple nominees are judged equally meritorious in relation to the above criteria, judging panels have the flexibility to use information provided by the nominator on the nominee’s broader contribution to the chemistry community as an additional criterion.

Examples of relevant contributions could include, but are not limited to:

• Involvement with Royal Society of Chemistry member groups/networks
• Teaching/demonstrating
• Effective mentorship
• Service on boards, committees or panels
• Leadership in the scientific community
• Peer-reviewer
• Promotion of diversity and inclusion
• Advocacy for chemistry
• Public engagement and outreach

Faraday Division Awards Committee

• Claire Vallance, University of Oxford (Chair)
• Sam Stranks, University of Cambridge
• Helen Fielding, University College London
• Maria Sanz, King's College London
• Radha Boya, University of Manchester
• David Tozer, Durham University
• Steven Armes, University of Sheffield

History of the prize

This prize, founded in 1867, commemorates Michael Faraday, an elected fellow and keen advocate of the then-called Chemical Society.

Faraday was born in 1791 in Surrey. He started work as an apprentice bookseller in 1804 where he met Mr Dance, a member of the Royal Institute, who helped him attend Sir Humphrey Davy's lectures. These inspired him to apply to Davy for employment and in 1813 he began as a laboratory assistant at the Royal Institute (where he would later become director). After less than a year Faraday resigned his post in order to accompany Davy on a tour through France, Switzerland and Italy where he initiated lasting friendships with highly regarded philosophers.

On his return, in 1815, he resumed work at the Royal Institution and began research which he continued throughout his life. Published research included the discovery of magneto-electricity (1831), the great law of electrochemical composition (1833), and researches in atmospheric magnetism (1850). Some of his greatest chemical discoveries were the condensation of gases, including chlorine, and the production of new hydrocarbons, including benzol.

Faraday was highly regarded for his enthusiastic lecturing style, which often included successful experimental demonstrations. His Royal Institute lectures began in 1827 on the topic of Chemical Philosophy, and closed in 1860 with a Christmas course on the Chemical History of a Candle. Faraday was widely recognised for his contributions through numerous awards, including the Royal Society's Copley, Rumford and Royal Medals, and election as a member to all the great scientific bodies in Europe and America.

Faraday gradually withdrew from active duties and died on 25 August 1867. The Chemical Society, in which he always took great interest, said of him "In all relations of life, Faraday was respected and beloved".