Members of the public look at chemicals with an Imperial researcher

If you're looking for recognition for your engagement activities, then you may be interested in some of the following awards. The categories, eligibility criteria and timelines will vary, for which more specific information for applicants can be found on the relevant organisations' websites.

If your organisation or institution offers an award that you think should be included here, get in touch.

Awards for public engagement activities

The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE)

Engage Competition
Are you involved in public engagement with research? Have you worked on a brilliant project that you want to share? The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) are running this national competition to find and celebrate high quality public engagement with research projects. Across the UK researchers are engaging the public in lots of different ways and for lots of different reasons.

NCCPE want to recognise and reward high quality examples of public engagement in practice, and want you to get involved. They are interested in applications covering projects from all disciplines, of any size, length and cost. Whether you are new to public engagement, or have been engaging with the public for years, they are keen to hear from you.

The next round of Awards will open in 2019.

The British Academy

Rising Star Engagement Awards
The British Academy’s Rising Star Engagement Awards (BARSEAs) are designed to enable established early career academics to actively engage in the work of the Academy and to enhance their own skills and career development through the organisation of events, training, and mentoring activities for a wide range of other early career researchers.

Keep an eye out for the 2019 Awards.

Royal Society of Biology

Outreach and Engagement Awards
The Awards are intended to reward outreach work carried out by young scientists and established researchers to inform, enthuse and engage the public. The competition is open to all researchers working in any sector of UK biosciences, from universities, institutes or industry. Apply for the Awards.

British Ecological Society

Public Engagement Awards
The Public Engagement Award recognises students and Early Career Researchers, who have made an outstanding contribution to the delivery of the Society’s public engagement programme. These are members who have contributed to the programme, above and beyond our expectations, and have shown leadership in the delivery of training and activities.

Institute of Physics

William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize
This award was instituted by the Council of the Institute of Physics in October 1994 in recognition of the importance of promoting public awareness of the place of physics in the world. In 2016 the award was elevated to the Gold Medals to recognise the importance of outreach within the physics community. The award shall be made for outstanding and sustained contributions to public engagement within physics. The medal will be gold and will be accompanied by a prize of £1000 and a certificate.

Marie Curie-Sklodowska Medal and Prize
In 2016, the Council established the Marie Curie-Sklodowska Medal and Prize for distinguished contributions to physics education and to widening participation within it. The medal will be silver and will be accompanied by a prize of £1,000 and a certificate.

Lise Meitner Medal and Prize
For distinguished contributions to public engagement within physics. The medal will be silver and will be accompanied by a prize of £1,000 and a certificate. Find out more.

Daphne Jackson Medal and Prize
For exceptional early career contributions to physics education and to widening participation within it. The medal will be bronze and will be accompanied by a prize of £1,000 and a certificate.

Mary Somerville Medal and Prize
For exceptional early career contributions to public engagement within physics. The medal will be bronze and will be accompanied by a prize of £1,000 and a certificate.

London Mathematical Society

Christopher Zeeman Medal
The Christopher Zeeman Medal has been created to recognise and acknowledge the contributions of mathematicians involved in promoting mathematics to the public and engaging with the public in mathematics in the UK, and demonstrate that such activities are valued by the societies and the mathematical community at large and are a part of a mathematician’s roles and responsibilities. Keep and eye out for the 2019 Medal applications.

London Astronomical Society

Annie Maunder Medal
The Annie Maunder Medal is awarded by the Royal Astronomical Society Awarded for an outstanding contribution to outreach and public engagement for astronomy or geophysics. This award is normally presented at the next National Astronomy Meeting, or if this is not possible, at one of the Society’s A&G meetings.

The Medal is open to all involved in outreach or public engagement for astronomy and geophysics, as well as those whose main occupation is outreach or public engagement, and open to nominees from anywhere in the world. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to provide additional information. Find out how to apply.

Natural Environment Research Council

NERC Impact Awards

The awards will celebrate and reward NERC-funded researchers, as individuals or teams, whose work has had substantial impact on the economy and society either in the UK or abroad in the following three categories:

  • Economic Impact Award - Recognising research that has led to demonstrable economic benefit.
  • Societal Impact Award - Recognising research that has led to demonstrable social, cultural, public policy or service, health, environmental or quality of life benefits.
  • Early Career Impact Award - Recognising an early career researcher who has achieved demonstrable economic and/or societal impact.

Find out more.

Science Communications Prizes

Max Perutz Science Writing Award

The Max Perutz Science Writing Award aims to support the career development of our current MRC PhD students, helping them build their skills to become tomorrow’s leaders in discovery science. It also aims to encourage and recognise outstanding written communication. Find out more about the Award, how to enter and previous winners.

BSCB Science Writing Prize

Communicating science in words that are engaging and understandable is vital at many levels. The BSCB Science Writing Prize was launched in 2009 to encourage and reward high quality writing on topics of key relevance to cell biology. Entrants have either communicated their own research projects or science stories in the literature, in a clear and concise way aimed at a non-specialist audience, or written essays that were not be limited to research per se, but tackled a bioethical or science policy issue.

The Royal Society's Writing Prizes

Science book prizes form an important part of the Society’s public engagement programme. The Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize is the only major international prize that celebrates science writing for a non-specialist audience. In 2013 the award was increased to £25,000 to recognise the important contribution of popular science writing.

The Royal Society Young People's Book Prize awards the best book that communicates science to young people. The prize aims to inspire young people to read about science and promotes the best science writing for the under-14s.

The Josh Award

The Josh Award is the UK’s national award in science communication, established to recognise and support up-and-coming talent in science communication. The award provides the opportunity to become the science communicator in residence at the Manchester Science Festival, developing and delivering a new project or event while showcasing best practice in the field of science communication.

The winner receives support to nurture their development in the field and their involvement in the Manchester Science Festival from the Festival team, the University of Salford’s Science Communication cluster, and the BIG STEM Communicators Network. Find out more about The Josh Award.