Search for leading scientists

The next Boyle Medal award-winner will get a cash prize of €20,000. A new online nomination procedure will help to identify the best researchers

THE SEARCH IS now underway across Ireland for a leading scientist with a world-beating record for research strong enough to receive the 2009 Boyle Medal Award for Scientific Excellence. The next Boyle laureate will also benefit from a new €20,000 cash prize to be presented to the winner.

Originated in 1899 by the Royal Dublin Society and awarded since 1999 as a joint undertaking by the RDS and The Irish Times, nominations are now invited from authorised nominators using a new web-based system that will streamline applications.

A formal launch to announce the new €20,000 cash prize took place last Tuesday at the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin. Attended by about 30 leading figures in academic research including deans and vice-presidents for research, and representatives of research-based companies, RDS president Dr Tony Scott encouraged those present to seek out their most accomplished researchers for consideration as a Boyle Medal recipient.

"As Ireland's premier science award, the Boyle Medal continues to recognise our distinguished scientists who have made major contributions in their respective research fields," Dr Scott said.

"We are all aware of the names of scientists working in Ireland who would merit this award and make an honourable addition to the list of Boyle Medal laureates. Therefore, I would encourage every president, head of college, school or research institute as well as the heads of research and development in industry to ensure that the leading scientific minds in Ireland are nominated for this award."

The Boyle Medal Award for Scientific Excellence has honoured the research efforts of Irish scientists since its origins in 1899. In that year the award went to George Johnstone Stoney, the scientist who coined the term "electron".

Since then a succession of great Irish scientists have been likewise honoured by winning the medal. All have important discoveries and world-class research accomplishments to validate their selection as Boyle Medal Laureates.

Sir Howard Grubb (1844-1931) for example, the 1912 recipient of the award was one of the world's leading designers and developers of telescopes and optical equipment. John Joly (1857- 1933), the third recipient in 1911 is another name well known to world science. From Co Offaly, he was involved in advances as varied as the first practical application of colour photography and an explanation with Henry Dixon (the 1916 Boyle recipient) of how sap rises in trees.

More recently there was John L Synge (1897-1995) the 1972 Boyle Medal winner. A leading mathematician of his time, he advanced studies of general relativity and also conducted some of the earliest work on the gravitational phenomena later named Black Holes.

Professor of animal genetics at Trinity College Dublin Patrick Cunningham conducted ground- breaking studies into genetic selection in efforts to improve the national cattle herd, and won the Boyle Medal in 1996. He now also serves as the Government's chief scientific adviser and is leading Ireland's international campaign to have Dublin designated as the European City of Science for 2012.

The biennial award is alternatively presented to a researcher of any nationality working anywhere in Ireland and an Irish-born researcher (no matter what passport they currently hold) working outside of Ireland.

This approach was adopted given the substantial number of Irish scientists who sought career advancement overseas during the 1980s and early 1990s given a paucity of research funding. Many have progressed to senior positions, holding research chairs and heading research departments in institutions abroad.

Whether for work at home or away, the award programme is about identifying and rewarding scientific excellence. As a consequence it is also about highlighting the important research work being done here and helping it to be better understood by the general public.

Promoting a better public understanding of science is an ambition of both the RDS and The Irish Timesand is a key reason for the collaboration. The two organisations regularly organise public lectures on science topics and actively seek to inform the public on issues related to scientific discovery.

The advancement of scientific excellence and endeavour is one of the foundation activities defined by the RDS when founded back in 1731.

Nominators must follow specific nomination procedures so that only the strongest candidates are brought forward for consideration. For this reason a new on-line nomination form has been introduced.

An initial six-person judging panel chaired by Prof Dervilla Donnelly will produce a short list of up to five finalists. These will then be invited to discuss their research with an external panel of up to five international judges who will choose the overall winner.