Call for RAS Medals and Prizes

Nominations are invited for RAS Medals and Prizes to be awarded in January 2019. The deadline for nominations this year is 20 August 2018, with the exception of the Patrick Moore Medal and the Annie Maunder Medal for Outreach which have a deadline of 28 September 2018.

A list of the awards available this year is provided below. Some awards are made in two subject areas:

  • A – astronomy and astrophysics, broadly defined, including cosmology, astroparticle physics, astrobiology and astrochemistry
  • G – geophysics, solar physics, solar-terrestrial physics, planetary science and meteoritics

Anyone may submit a nomination for an award, it is not necessary to be a Fellow of the RAS. All nominations are made in strict confidence; nominees should not be informed of submissions in order to avoid unnecessary disappointment. Unsuccessful nominations from the last two awards cycles are in some cases reconsidered. Repeat or duplicate submissions carry equal weight. Special conditions apply for nominations of current members of the RAS Council(contact awards@ras.ac.uk for details).

Full details on how to nominate are available, or follow the links below:

  • Medals and prizes:
    • Gold Medal (A) and Gold Medal (G), the Society’s highest honours for sustained contribution and success in the field of Astronomy or Geophysics respectively.
    • Chapman Medal (G) for investigations of outstanding merit in the science of the Sun, space and planetary environments or solar-terrestrial physics
    • Eddington Medal (A) for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics
    • Herschel Medal (A) for investigations of outstanding merit in observational astrophysics
    • Jackson-Gwilt Medal (A) for outstanding invention, improvement, or development of astronomical instrumentation or techniques
    • Patrick Moore Medal for outstanding contribution to teaching astronomy or geophysics
    • Annie Maunder Medal for outstanding contribution to outreach and public engagement for astronomy or geophysics
    • Price Medal (G) for investigations of outstanding merit into formation and composition of the Earth and/or planets (e.g. seismology, tectonics, geodesy, geomagnetism, solar system dynamics, meteoritics)
    • Fowler Award (A) and Fowler Award (G) for individuals who have made a particularly noteworthy contribution to these sciences at an early stage of their research career
    • Winton Award (A) and Winton Award (G) for the astronomy or geophysics postdoctoral research fellow in a UK institution whose career has shown the most promising development
    • Group Award (A) and Group Award (G) for outstanding achievement by large consortia
    • Service Award (A) and Service Award (G) for individuals who, through outstanding or exceptional work, has promoted, facilitated or encouraged the sciences of astronomy or geophysics and developed their role nationally or internationally
  • Named lectures:
    • George Darwin Lecture (A), given annually by a distinguished speaker on a suitable topic in astronomy (including astrochemistry, astrobiology, astroparticle physics, etc)
    • Harold Jeffreys Lecture (G), given annually by a distinguished speaker on a suitable topic in geophysics, and is generally reserved for topics concerning the interior structure, formation and composition of the Earth and/or planets (e.g. seismology, tectonics, geodesy, geomagnetism, solar system dynamics, meteoritics).
    • James Dungey Lecture (G), given annually by a distinguished speaker on a suitable topic in geophysics, including solar physics, solar-terrestrial physics or planetary sciences (the lecture normally covers topics concerning the science of the Sun, solar environment, planetary environments or solar- terrestrial science)
  • Honours: