NOMINATIONS FOR THE RSE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, SENIOR AND EARLY CAREER MEDALS GUIDANCE NOTES BACKGROUND TO THE MEDALS The RSE awards three categories of medal:- 1) Public Engagement (Senior medal and Innovator’s medal) 2) Early Career Medals (across all disciplines) 3) Senior Medals (across all disciplines) THE RSE MEDALS FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT With these awards, supported by the James Weir Foundation, the RSE seeks to recognise and promote excellence in the field of Public Engagement throughout Scotland. Through encouraging those who engage the public with research, the RSE is supporting the advancement of public discussion on significant matters. Rewarding those who are exemplary at communicating and facilitating this engagement is encouraging cultural change amongst research organizations, which is necessary to ensure that the public receives the greatest benefit from Scotland’s pioneering research and innovation. Please note that these medals are for public engagement work carried out primarily in Scotland. THE RSE SENIOR MEDALS These RSE medals consist of the:- Sir James Black medal – in life sciences Lord Kelvin medal – in physical, engineering and informatic sciences Sir Walter Scott medal – in arts, humanities and social sciences Adam Smith medal – in business, public service and public engagement THE RSE EARLY CAREER MEDALS These medals consist of the:- Patrick Neill medal – in life sciences Makdougall Brisbane medal – in physical, engineering and informatic sciences Thomas Reid medal - in arts, humanities and social sciences Henry Duncan medal – in business, public service and public engagement The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy is Scottish Charity No. SC000470 1. NOMINATION PROCESS New nominations will be accepted and updates for those nominated in the previous two rounds. Please note that the “case made by the proposer” has a weighting of 25% in the selection process, so it is important that updates are provided. Please send all nominations and updates by 31 January 2019 to: Mrs Anne Fraser, Awards Manager The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PQ E-mail: [email protected] Enquiries should be sent to [email protected] 1.1 Applicants nominated in previous rounds Nominations will be considered for three years after which time a new nomination will be required. A member of the RSE Awards team will contact the nominator to ask for updates which will be added to the nomination form. 1.2 New nominations • New nominations are invited from Fellows of the RSE only using the Nomination form provided on the RSE website. • A two-page CV of the nominee is required also, longer CVs will not be accepted. • A short (2 page) publication list highlighting the most recent publications and/or those most relevant to the award of a medal (not required for the Adam Smith or Henry Duncan medals). • Please submit the nomination form, publication list and two-page CV by e-mail to [email protected] by the deadline. • It is vital that sufficient information is provided for reasoned judgements to be made. Therefore, included in the nomination form is a one-page supporting statement which should include the following information:- a) evidence of the candidate’s standing in his/her field b) major projects undertaken c) transformational impact and outcomes/contribution to wider society d) innovative techniques used e) reach of engagement f) potential for further work in the field (if early career or innovator’s nomination only) g) the title and summary of the public engagement event or lecture to be delivered as part of this award (if the nomination is for PE Senior medal or other RSE Senior medal only). h) The candidate’s connection to Scotland • Nominations will be considered by the RSE Medals Committee in February each year. 2. Eligibility Criteria The eligibility criteria for the different medals are as follows: 2.1 Public Engagement Senior Medal recipient: . will demonstrate a sustained high quality track record of Public Engagement throughout Scotland . may or may not have been commissioned for TV . will demonstrate innovation in method of delivery The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy is Scottish Charity No. SC000470 . may or may not be a Fellow of the RSE . may be asked to deliver an RSE public event in relation to this Prize in their area of expertise . must be able to attract a wide audience as an effective communicator. 2.2 Public Engagement Innovator’s Medal recipient:- . will demonstrate an innovative approach to public engagement throughout Scotland . may or may not be a researcher, communicating their own work . will live and work some of the time in Scotland (at least three months per year) . will demonstrate originality . may or may not be a Fellow of the RSE or a Member of the Young Academy of Scotland . will demonstrate not only innovation, but that their innovation will help them develop their career 2.3 Senior Medal recipient: . will demonstrate a sustained high quality track record of academic achievement or business success throughout/in Scotland in his/her field . will have a strong national and international reputation (academic medal nominations only) . will be of high standing in his/her discipline . may or may not be a Fellow of the RSE . will have made a significant contribution to wider society (eg by accessible dissemination of research or the delivery of a product or service) . May be asked to deliver a presentation, talk or lecture to a public audience at an RSE event in relation to this award in their area of expertise. This is an important part of the award. must be able to attract a wide audience as an effective communicator. 2.4 Early Career Medal recipient:- . will demonstrate a strong track record through publication, public engagement or business activities . will be an academic within ten years of their PhD or an entrepreneur within thirteen years of first graduation who lives and works some, or all, of the time in Scotland (at least three months per year). [Consideration will be made for periods of maternity/paternity/adoption leave of up to 18 months per child. Periods of leave for other reasons will also be taken into consideration. Part-time working will be taken into consideration on a pro rata basis.] . will demonstrate originality . may or may not be a Fellow of the RSE or a Member of the Young Academy of Scotland . have strong future career prospects/is a potential high-flyer 3. Exclusion from making nominations The following are excluded from making nominations and from being nominated: • Current RSE Council Members • Medals Committee members • RSE staff • Organizations and companies The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy is Scottish Charity No. SC000470 4. Other information The situation may present itself where the Medals Committee agrees that a candidate may be a better fit for a different RSE Medal to the one they are nominated for. In this case, the RSE reserves the right to resubmit the candidate in the appropriate category. 5. All Nominations • the closing date for completed nominations is Thursday 31 January 2019 • nominations can only be made by Fellows of the RSE • a Fellow can make multiple nominations in any one year • nomination forms are available from the RSE website • electronic forms should be submitted with electronic signatures where possible • sufficient information must be provided for reasoned judgements to be made • it is the nominator’s responsibility to provide adequate information on the form • it is the nominator’s responsibility to ensure the referees submit their references to the RSE by the deadline. • incomplete forms will not be considered Recent RSE Medal Winners RSE Senior Medal for Public Engagement 2016 Professor Iain Stewart, Professor of Geosciences Communication, University of Plymouth 2017 Professor Daniele Faccio, Professor of Physics, Heriot-Watt University 2018 Professor Rory Duncan, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University RSE Innovator’s Medal for Public Engagement 2016 Dr Helen Bridle, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University 2017 Dr Sinead Rhodes, Department of Child Life and Health, University of Edinburgh 2018 Mr Lewis Hou, Founder and Director of the Science Ceilidh and Research Assistant, Clinical Research Imaging Centre, University of Edinburgh RSE Senior Medals Sir James Black medal 2017 Professor Neil Gow FRS FRSE, Professor of Microbiology, University of Aberdeen, for his outstanding contribution to the field of mycology. 2018 Professor Michael Heath, Professor of Fisheries Science, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde for his outstanding contribution to the field of Fisheries Science Lord Kelvin medal 2017 Professor Polly Arnold FRSE, The Crum Brown Chair, School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, for her outstanding contribution to the field of synthetic chemistry. 2018 Professor John Irvine FRSE, Professor of Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, for his outstanding contribution to the field of energy materials research. Sir Walter Scott medal 2017 Professor Robert Bartlett FBA FRSE, Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Medieval History, University of St Andrews, for his outstanding work as one of the world’s leading historians and his communication to a mass audience. The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy is Scottish Charity No.