/ Medals and awards

Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture

This award is made to support the promotion of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

  • Opening date

  • Closing date

  • Winners announcement

The award

The Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture is awarded for a project to promote women in STEM by an individual with an established track record of very high standing in any area of STEM. The award is supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and is named in honour of the biophysicist Rosalind Franklin, who made critical contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA. The first award was made in 2003. The lectureship is accompanied by a medal of silver gilt, a grant of £40,000 and a gift of £1,000.The recipient of the award is expected to spend a proportion of the grant on implementing a project to raise the profile of women in STEM.

The guidance notes (PDF) and terms and conditions of the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture (PDF) should be read before submitting a nomination.

Eligibility

The Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture is open to those who have been UK residents for three or more years. It is restricted to early career scientists with no more than 20 years since achieving their PhD (not including career breaks) and nominations will remain valid and shall be considered by the award selection committee throughout three nomination cycles.  

Nominations are closed

Nominations will reopen in November 2024.

 
 

2024 winner

  • Dr Jessica Wade

    Dr Jessica Wade

    The Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture 2024 winner is Dr Jessica Wade for her achievements in functional materials and outstanding project which will support early career women scientists to pursue academic careers in materials sciences.

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    Past winners

    • Karen Johnson
      Awarded in 2023

      Professor Karen Johnson

      For her achievements in environmental engineering and her impactful project explaining the importance and of soil health and how and why it should be conserved.
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      Awarded in 2022

      Professor Diane Saunders

      For her innovative mentoring and training project to support and empower undergraduates and early-career female researchers in plant sciences at postgraduate and postdoctoral levels.
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      Awarded in 2021

      Dr Suzanne Imber

      For her achievements in the field of planetary science and her well-considered project proposal which will support young girls to pursue physics with free-to-access space camps.
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      Awarded in 2020

      Professor Julia Gog

      For her achievements in the field of mathematics and her impactful project proposal with its potential for a long-term legacy.
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      Awarded in 2019

      Professor Nguyễn Thị Kim Thanh

      For her achievements in the field of nanomaterials and her impactful project proposal.
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      Awarded in 2018

      Tamsin Mather

      On the basis of her achievements in the field of volcanology, her ability to communicate with the public and her imaginative project proposal.
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      Awarded in 2017

      Essi Viding

      For her achievements in the field of experimental psychology, her ability to communicate with the public and her imaginative project proposal.
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      Awarded in 2016

      Jo Dunkley

      For her research in the cosmic microwave background and her innovative project to support and encourage girls studying physics.
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      Awarded in 2015

      Lucy Carpenter

      For her scientific achievement, her suitability as a role model and her project proposal to promote women in STEM.
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      Awarded in 2014

      Rachel McKendry

      For her scientific achievement, her suitability as a role model and her project proposal to promote women in STEM.
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      Awarded in 2013

      Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

      For her scientific achievements and her proposal to promote women in STEM.
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      Awarded in 2012

      Polly Arnold

      Used her award to promote the female role models at the University of Edinburgh.