Discipline Awards
RSNSW Discipline Awards and Lectureships
For 2024, nominations will be sought for Year B Awards
Applications for the Society’s discipline awards and lectureships will be called for annually.
These Awards are made on a three-yearly cycle, in Years A, B, and C, as indicated in the listing of the Awards, with Year A Awards commencing in 2023, Year B in 2024, and Year C in 2025.
Please note that the call for nominations for all awards opens on 1 July and closes on 30 September of each year.
Notes:
- Nominees for a Discipline Award may not have won a previous RSNSW Discipline Award for their work in the same discipline.
- Where appropriate, Awards may recognise teams as well as individuals. Nominators are welcome to consult the Society for guidance before making a team nomination, noting that for Medals, one physical medal only is presented.
- For Awards with Lectureships, winners are expected to publish their Lecture in the Society’s Journal.
- For Awards without Lectureships, winners are invited to submit a review or other article about their work to the Society’s Journal.
Year A Awards — offered in 2023, 2026, 2029, …
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of the sciences affecting the planet, excluding Medicine and Veterinary Science, and Agricultural and Environmental Science, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
The Royal Society of NSW Clarke Medal honours Rev. William Branwhite Clarke, a geologist, and a significant figure in the history of the Royal Society of NSW, who served for a decade as a highly influential Senior Vice-President of the Society (in the early years, the Governor of NSW was the President of the Society). The Medal was first awarded in 1878 “for meritorious contributions to Geology, Mineralogy, and Natural History of Australasia.” The first Clarke Memorial Lecture was delivered in 1903. Since 2018, the Clarke Medal and Lectureship have been conjoined. Additional information about the establishment of the Clarke Medal is available at the preceding link.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of the Medical and Veterinary Sciences and Technologies, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
The Walter Burfitt Award honours the life and work of Walter F. Burfitt BA MB ChM BSc, an eminent Sydney surgeon in the early twentieth century. It was established as a prize with generous support from Dr Burfitt and his wife, and was first awarded in 1929. In 2004, funding for the prize was augmented by Dr Burfitt’s granddaughter, Dr Anne Thoeming. In 2023, Council designated it the Royal Society of NSW Walter Burfitt Award. Additional information about the establishment of the Walter Burfitt Award is available at the preceding link.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of the Social and Behavioural Sciences including Economics, Management, Psychology (with the exclusion of clinical psychology which is included in the RSNSW Walter Burfitt Award in Medical and Veterinary Sciences and Technologies) and related disciplines, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
Council established the Royal Society of NSW Social and Behavioural Sciences Award in 2023 to reflect the full scope of the Society’s founding values.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Awarded for distinguished research in the History and Philosophy of Science conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
The Royal Society of NSW History and Philosophy of Science Award was established by Council in 2013 to reflect the founding values of the Society and was first awarded in 2014.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Year B Awards — offered in 2024, 2027, 2030, …
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of the Physical Sciences and Mathematics, excluding the Chemical and Earth Sciences, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
The Pollock Memorial Lectureship was first awarded in 1949, sponsored by The University of Sydney and the Society, in memory of J.A. Pollock, Professor of Physics at The University of Sydney (1899-1922) and a member of the Society for 35 years. In 2023, Council designated it the Royal Society of NSW Pollock Award and Lectureship.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of the Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
The Poggendorff Award and Lectureship honours Walter Poggendorff, an eminent biologist and noted plant breeder in the 1930s and 40s, and his bequest to the Society to support a Lectureship. It was first awarded in 1987 and in 2023 Council designated it the Royal Society of NSW Poggendorff Award and Lectureship. Additional information about the establishment of the Poggendorff Award is available at the preceding link.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of the Humanities, Philosophy and Law, excluding the History and Philosophy of Science, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
Council established the Royal Society of NSW Humanities, Philosophy and Law Award in 2023 to reflect the full scope of the Society’s founding values.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Awarded for distinguished research which spans across disciplines, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
The Royal Society of New South Wales Milner Interdisciplinary Award honours the life and work of C.J. Milner (1912-1998), Professor of Applied Physics and Optometry at the University of New South Wales (1952-1978), and of his parents, S.R. Milner FRS (1875-1957) and W.E. Milner MSc (1874-1966), 1851 Exhibitioners at Bristol College, University of London. Council established this Award in 2023 to reflect the full scope of the Society’s founding values with generous support from Dr Jessica Milner Davis FRSN.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Year C Awards — offered in 2025, 2028, 2031, …
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of the Chemical Sciences, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
The Liversidge Lectureship was established in 1931 by the Royal Society of NSW in conjunction with the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI), in honour of Archibald Liversidge MA LLD FRS, Professor of Chemistry at The University of Sydney (1874-1907), and one of the Society’s Council members who sponsored its Act of Incorporation in 1881. In 2023, Council designated it the Royal Society of NSW Liversidge Award and Lectureship. Additional information about the establishment of the Liversidge Award is available at the preceding link.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of Engineering, Technology, Architecture and Design, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
The Warren Award honours William Henry Warren, Foundation Professor of Engineering at The University of Sydney, establishing the first faculty of engineering in New South Wales in 1884. He was founding President of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, and twice President of the Royal Society of NSW. The Warren Prize (then medal) was first awarded in 2020 and in 2023 Council designated it the Royal Society of NSW Warren Award. Additional information about the establishment of the Warren Award is available at the preceding link.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of the Creative Arts and/or Performance, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
Council established the Royal Society of NSW Creative and Performing Arts Award in 2023 to reflect the full scope of the Society’s founding values.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.
Awarded for distinguished research in any area of the Life Sciences, excluding veterinary and medical sciences, conducted mainly in New South Wales. Recipients may be resident in Australia or elsewhere.
Council established the Royal Society of NSW Life Sciences Award in 2023 to reflect the full scope of the Society’s founding values.
The application procedure for this award is described on the nomination form. Each nomination must comply with the conditions of award and will consist of a completed nomination form together with supporting documentation as specified on the form. Completed nominations (ideally compiled into a single PDF file) should be sent to the email address listed on the nomination form.