Prize lecture details announced

SMALL PRINT:EXCELLENCE IN nanotechnology research is to the fore once again as nominations open for the RDS/Intel Prize Lecture for Nanoscience.

The 2012 award is open to scientists in the early stages of their research careers, specifically those who completed their PhDs within the last eight years.

Supported by The Irish Times, the medal award and the winner’s lecture which accompanies it was introduced to highlight the accomplishments being made by researchers here in nanotechnology and advanced-materials science.

The main requirement is that the researcher must have delivered excellent research, backed up by skills in being able to communicate important findings to a general audience.

This is because the recipient will be expected to give a public lecture organised by and held at the RDS at which the medal will be presented.

The inaugural award last year went to senior research scientist Prof Michael Coey of Trinity College Dublin. This year the award will be targeted at early career researchers to encourage them to continue their pursuit of science. Applicants should be ordinarily resident in Ireland.

Nominations for the prize lecture are now open, with the closing date for the receipt of nominations set for Tuesday, May 22nd. The prize lecturer will be announced later this year in September.

While the award focuses on nanoscience, this represents a very wide field.

Nominations could come from those working in advanced materials, photonics, electronics and biology, and this is not a complete list.

Full details and online nominations are available at rds.ie/nanoscience.