Royal Society 2023 Africa Prize for African Researchers – Call for Nominations

This year, the Society 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 Society to nominate or be nominated for any of the Royal Society medals and awards.

About Royal Society

The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences. Founded on 28 November 1660, it was granted a royal charter by King Charles II as The Royal Society. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, recognizing excellence in science, supporting outstanding science, providing scientific advice for policy, fostering international and global co-operation, education and public engagement.

The society is governed by its Council, which is chaired by the Society’s President, according to a set of statutes and standing orders. The members of Council and the President are elected from and by its Fellows, the basic members of the society, who are themselves elected by existing Fellows. As of 2016, there are about 1,600 fellows, allowed to use the postnominal title FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society), with up to 52 new fellows appointed each year. There are also royal fellows, honorary fellows and foreign members, the last of which are allowed to use the postnominal title ForMemRS (Foreign Member of the Royal Society). The Royal Society President is Adrian Smith, who took up the post and started his 5 year term on 30 November 2020, replacing the previous president Venki Ramakrishnan

Royal Society Africa Prize

• Type: College School

Aim and Benefits of Royal Society Africa Prize

• The winner will receive a bronze medal, accompanied by a gift of £2,000.

Requirements for Royal Society Africa Prize Qualification

• The Royal Society Africa Prize will be made to an individual for an outstanding, innovative contribution to biological science, including basic medical science, which contributes significantly to capacity building in Africa.
• The Prize is intended for researchers at an early stage of their research career (usually having received their PhD within the last 10-15 years) with the potential to build a research project to follow on from the prize.
• The research must be based in Africa.
• Nominations can be made by senior academics and members of the national academies of science.
• The project and nominee should be linked with an African center of excellence, which would normally be a university, or equivalent research center.
• Normally the Prize is given to an individual who has not yet reached full Professorship status.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Royal Society Africa Prize

Timeline

• 30 November 2022: Call for Nominations
• 24 February 2023: Call for Nominations
• 27 February – mid May: Royal Society contacts suggested referees where required. Premier Awards, Physical and Biological Committees shortlist nominations and seek independent referees.
• By end June: All committees score the nominations
• By end July: Council reviews and approves winners recommended by award committees
• By end August: Winners announced

Application Deadline

February 24, 2023

How to Apply