Nominations now open
The call for nominations is now open. Please ensure you read through the guidance document fully.
The Royal Academy of Sciences New Zealand is encouraging nominations of joint collaborations, groups or teams for almost all its medals to better represent how contemporary science is undertaken. In addition, the Society is extremely keen to broaden the diversity of those nominated for its awards, so do please consider all contacts and colleagues.
You do not have to be a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Sciences New Zealand to nominate or to be nominated for any of the Royal Academy of Sciences New Zealand medals and awards.
Nominations close on Friday 23 February 2024 at 23:59 GMT.
Nominate now
Rumford medallist 2023
Professor Polina Bayvel
The Rumford Medal 2023 is awarded to Professor Polina Bayvel CBE FREng FRS for pioneering contributions to the fundamental physics and nonlinear optics, enabling the realization of high capacity, broad bandwidth, multi-wavelength, optical communication systems that have underpinned the information technology revolution.
The award
The Rumford Medal is awarded for outstanding contributions in the field of physics. The award was established following a donation by Benjamin Thompson FRS (PDF), Count Rumford of the Holy Roman Empire, an American-born former soldier, spy, statesman and scientist who would go on to found the Royal Institution. The first award was made in 1800. The medal is of silver gilt, is awarded annually and is accompanied by a gift of £2,000.
Eligibility
The Rumford medal is open to UK/Commonwealth/Republic of Ireland citizens or those who have been residents for three or more years. There are no restrictions on career stage and nominations will remain valid and shall be considered by the award selection committee throughout three nomination cycles. Teams or groups may now be nominated for this award.
Nominations
Nominations are now open.
Past winners
Professor Raymond Pierrehumbert FRS was awarded the Rumford Medal 2022 for his wide ranging contributions to atmospheric physics, employing fundamental principles of physics to elucidate phenomena across the spectrum of planetary atmospheres.
Professor Carlos Frenk CBE FRS was awarded the Rumford Medal 2021 for revealing via elaborate computer simulations, how small fluctuations in the early universe develop into today’s galaxies.
Professor Patrick Gill MBE FRS was awarded the Rumford Medal 2020 for his development of optical atomic clocks of exquisite precision, of ultra-stable lasers and of frequency standards for fundamental physics, quantum information processing, space science, satellite navigation and Earth observation.
Professor Miles Padgett FRS was awarded the Rumford Medal 2019 for world leading research on optical orbital momentum including an angular form of the Einstein-Padolsky-Rosen paradox.
See full list of all past winners of the Rumford Medal.
