BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY AWARDS
Do you know of an outstanding bioscientist who deserves recognition? The Biochemical Society presents several awards each year, which are open to scientists around the world. The Society would like to encourage nominations that reflect the diversity of the bioscience community. A list of the awards that may be relevant to plant scientists are listed below.
- The Centenary Award – any bioscientist; prize of £3000 GBP and the Centenary Medal)
- The Colworth Medal – bioscientists within 10 years of PhD; £3000 GBP prize and a lecture
- Early Career Research Awards – bioscientists with no more than 6 years postdoctoral experience in four categories: biological systems, cells, computational biology, and molecular structure and function. Prize of £1000 GBP, medal, and invitation to submit a journal article
- Teaching Excellence Award – £2000 GBP, speaker and journal invitation
- Industry and Academic Collaboration Award – bioscientists within 20 years of PhD; £2000 GBP prize, speaker and journal invitation
- International Award – bioscientists within 20 years of PhD who have conducted ‘distinguished and independent interdisciplinary research that illustrates the importance of the molecular biosciences in the advancement of life sciences research’ outside of the UK and Ireland
- Keillin Memorial Lecture – lecturer and subject of the lecture are selected, by the Awards Committee, from a field related to the interests of Keilin in bioenergetics, electron transfer and mitochondrial biology
- The Morton Lecture – The winners of the award lectureship demonstrate they have made an outstanding contribution to lipid biochemistry.
- The Novartis Medal and Prize – recognizes contributions to the development of any branch of biochemistry. The award is for work carried out in the UK or Republic of Ireland but is open to candidates of any nationality.
IRENE MANTON PRIZE FOR BOTANY OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON
Awarded for the best thesis in botany examined for a doctorate of philosophy during a single academic year (October to September). It is open to candidates whose research has been carried out whilst registered at any UK institution. Theses on the full range of plant sciences are eligible. Nominations are received from the Head of Department, or the supervisor of the candidate. Award: £1000 GBP Website: https://www.linnean.org/the-society/medals-awards-prizes-grants/the-irene-manton-prize
JILL SMYTHIES AWARD
Established in 1986 by the late Mr BE Smythies FLS, in honor of his wife, the late Florence Mary Smythies (“Jill”), whose career as a botanical artist was cut short by an accident to her right hand. Awarded to a botanical artist in recognition of excellence in published illustrations, such as drawings or paintings, in aid of plant identification, with the emphasis on botanical accuracy and the accurate portrayal of diagnostic characteristics. Award – £1000 GBP Website – https://www.linnean.org/the-society/medals-awards-prizes-grants/the-jill-smythies-award
LOUIS MALASSIS INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC PRIZE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FOOD
The Agropolis Fondation’s Louis Malassis International Scientific Prize for Agriculture and Food recognizes individuals, or a group of individuals, for their exemplary and promising contribution in promoting innovation through research, development and capacity building in the North, South or in the Mediterranean Region in order to improve food and agricultural systems sustainability as well as contribute to addressing food security and poverty reduction. There are three categories: the Distinguished Scientist Prize, the Young Promising Scientist Prize, and the Outstanding Career in Agricultural Development Prize. Award: €20,000 EUR Website: http://www.agropolis-fondation.fr/uk/our-actions/Malassis-Prize.html
MARSH AWARDS
The Marsh Christian Trust was established in 1981 and runs a portfolio of awards that recognize the contribution of dedicated individuals working in different sectors – to improve the world we live in. Marsh Awards that may be of interest to plant scientists are listed below:
- Terrestrial Conservation Leadership – recognizes and rewards an individual or organization that is making a significant contribution to sustainable biodiversity at a local level.
- International Plant Conservation: recognizes an early/mid-career individual who has made a significant achievement in the conservation of rare and endangered plant species and plant diversity.
- Education in Botanic Gardens: recognizes an early/mid-career individual who has made an outstanding contribution to promoting public awareness of the importance of plants and/or undertaking impactful education activities within a botanic garden.
- Ecology: recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions to the science of ecology.
- Ecology Book of the Year: presented to the author of the best written work on ecology during the year.
- Climate Change Research: awarded for an outstanding contribution to climate change research.
- Botany: recognizes an individual’s lifetime achievement and outstanding contribution in the field of botanical research and conservation.
- Horticultural Science: recognizes the work of and encourages new postgraduate scientists to develop careers in horticultural science.
NEW PHYTOLOGIST TANSLEY MEDAL
The New Phytologist Tansley Medal is a global competition, awarded annually in recognition of an outstanding contribution to research in plant science by an individual in the early stages of their career (including students and any researcher with up to five years’ experience since gaining/defending their PhD). Selection will include a two-stage process that is based on the scientific achievements of the candidate and a Minireview article intended for publication. The subject areas considered must therefore conform to the aims and scope of the journal New Phytologist; falling within four broad sections – Physiology & Development, Environment, Interaction, and Evolution – articles cover topics that range from intracellular processes through to global environmental change. Award: £2000 GBP Website: https://www.newphytologist.org/grants/tansleymedal
NORMAN BORLAUG AWARD FOR FIELD RESEARCH AND APPLICATION
The Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation, will be presented every October in Des Moines, Iowa, by the World Food Prize Foundation. This award will recognize exceptional, science-based achievement in international agriculture and food production by an individual under 40 who has clearly demonstrated intellectual courage, stamina, and determination in the fight to eliminate global hunger and poverty. The award will honor an individual who is working closely and directly “in the field” or at the production or processing level with farmers, animal herders, fishers or others in rural communities, in any discipline or enterprise across the entire food production, processing, and distribution chain. Award: $10,000 USD Website: https://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/nominations/norman_borlaug_field_award/the_borlaug_field_award_nomination_procedure/
RANK PRIZE NUTRITION FUND NEW LECTURER AWARD
Newly appointed lecturers or independent fellows face the difficult situation of needing to bring in their own funding, often for the first time. It may be difficult for them to even begin experiments that would lead to pilot data for a grant application, and also they face the ‘Catch 22’ situation that the lack of any existing funding makes a grant application look weak. There are a number of ‘New Lecturer Grant’ schemes to tackle this difficulty. The Rank Prize Funds Nutrition Committee has expressed a desire to help newly independent scientists by making their own grants available in this area. Award: £20,000 GBP Website: http://www.rankprize.org/index.php/news/new-investigator-awards
The Transform Nutrition Research Programme Consortium in partnership with Save the Children invites nominations to recognize any individual who has had significant success in transforming thinking or action on nutrition. We are looking for more individuals who are innovating or influencing and whose work has started to make a real difference in their locality in recent years for improved nutrition. This includes by:
- Influencing the government, local authorities or an organization to take nutrition on board as a development priority
- Improving the quality and/or scale of nutrition programs or interventions,
- Effectively promoting nutritional considerations within other sectors e.g. agriculture, social protection, water and sanitation
- Influencing the formulation or implementation of policies or strategies so as to benefit nutrition
- Building consensus and/or coalitions within the national or local nutrition community around a clear and consistent agenda for change
- Mobilizing communities and/or supporting women to play an active role in influencing the policies, programs and actions to scale up nutrition. Website – http://www.transformnutrition.org/
WOLF PRIZE IN AGRICULTURE
Since 1978, five or six prizes have been awarded annually in the Sciences. Prize fields comprise: Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine and Physics. Prizes are awarded to outstanding scientists for their achievements for the benefit of mankind and brotherly relations among peoples, regardless of nationality, race, color, religion, sex or political views. In the event of co-recipients sharing one prize, the honorarium is equally divided among them. The selection is made by an international Prize Committee of three experts in each field. Award: $10,000 USD Website: http://www.wolffund.org.il/
WORLD AGRICULTURE PRIZE
The World Agriculture Prize of the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences aims to encourage the global development of the mission of higher education institutions in education, research and innovation in the agricultural and life sciences by recognizing the distinguished contribution of an individual to this mission. This $50,000 USD prize is awarded annually to an academic/faculty member from a higher education institution working in the disciplines relating to the agricultural and life sciences.. Award – $50,000 Website – http://www.gchera-wap.org/
WORLD FOOD PRIZE
The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing – without regard to race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs – the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The Prize recognizes contributions in any field involved in the world food supply — food and agriculture science and technology, manufacturing, marketing, nutrition, economics, poverty alleviation, political leadership and the social sciences. The World Food Prize emphasizes the importance of a nutritious and sustainable food supply for all people. By honoring those who have worked successfully toward this goal, The Prize calls attention to what has been done to improve global food security and to what can be accomplished in the future. Award – $250,000 Website – http://www.worldfoodprize.org/
