About the award
The Faraday Medal is awarded annually by the Electrochemistry Group of the RSC to an electrochemist working outside the UK and Ireland in recognition of outstanding original contributions and innovation in any field of electrochemistry.
The award is designed to honour scientists in the middle of their independent scientific careers and, therefore, eligible candidates should be within 10 and 25 years of the date of award of their PhD. Allowances will be made for career breaks and non-standard career pathways and candidates' CVs should state clearly if such allowance is sought.
The medal itself is made from sterling silver. It is 2 inches in diameter and the front face depicts a bust of Michael Faraday. On the obverse face there is a cyclic voltammogram with the winner's name engraved underneath. The medal was first awarded in 1977 but in the early years it was not awarded every year.
The winner of the Faraday medal will be invited to give a plenary lecture (at which they will be presented with their medal) at the annual Electrochem meeting, normally held in the UK or Ireland in September. The winner’s registration fees for Electrochem and a contribution to their travel and accommodation are covered as part of the award.
The nomination and selection process
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The nominee should be within 10 and 25 years of the date of award of their PhD. Allowances will be made for career breaks and non-standard career pathways and candidates' CVs should state clearly if such allowance is sought
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Please note that self-nominations are not permitted
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The nominator must be a member of the RSC
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Current members of the Electrochemistry Group committee may not act as nominators for this award
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Current members of the Electrochemistry Group committee are not eligible for this award. Similarly, anyone who has been a member of the Electrochemistry Group committee during the two years prior to the consideration of the award are also ineligible.
We welcome and encourage nominations from all who are eligible, regardless of career route, and particularly from traditionally under-represented groups.
Nominations for the Faraday Medal normally open in October/November and, in this round, nominations will close at 17:00 GMT on 31 January 2025.
Suggestions for nominations are invited from all RSC members via the group Newsletter and other publicising channels. Nominations should be made to the RSC Electrochemistry Group committee Secretary (Professor Petra Cameron, University of Bath).
Each nomination should consist only of the following document. No other documentation (including cover letters, an additional list of publications or formal letters of nomination) will be considered by the awards committee.
A single pdf file of no more than three A4 pages, which contains:
- A CV for the nominated candidate of no more than two A4 pages (single-line spacing, Arial 11pt or equivalent), including the ten most significant research papers in the context of the nomination (plus a brief justification), and a list of previously won awards and medals, if applicable
- A statement of not more than one A4 page (single-line spacing, Arial 11pt or equivalent) describing the most significant contributions of the nominee and their originality and novelty, in comparison with the state of the field at the time
The committee reserves the right to reject any submissions that do not adhere to the guidelines above.
Our selection committees base their evaluations on the overall quality of relevant contributions and achievements by nominees, in relation to the selection criteria listed below.
The scientific content of any supporting publications, as described in the supporting statement, is much more important than publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which it is published.
The selection committee will consider the following aspects of nominations for this prize:
- Originality and novelty of research
- Significance and impact of research
- Contribution to collaborations
- Support for the wider electrochemistry community
- Other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominator/referee
In an instance where multiple nominees are judged equally meritorious in relation to the above criteria, judging panels have the flexibility to use information provided by the nominator on the nominee’s broader contribution to the chemistry community as an additional criterion.
Examples of relevant contributions could include, but are not limited to:
- Involvement with learned societies
- Teaching and mentorship
- Service on boards, committees or panels
- Leadership in the scientific community
- Promotion of diversity and inclusion
- Advocacy for chemistry
- Public engagement and outreach
The winner of the award is normally announced in late February.
Judging Panel
The selection process is carried out by a group of RSC Electrochemistry Group committee members. This group consists of at least five members of the RSC Electrochemistry Group committee (avoiding conflict of interest).