Three scientists - two from Trinity College Dublin and one from University College Cork - are in contention for the new £30,000 research bursary to be presented with the 1999 Boyle Medal. The bursary is co-funded by the Royal Dublin Society and by The Irish Times and is to be presented this autumn to the winner of the Boyle Medal, which is given as an acknowledgment of scientific excellence.
The medal was devised by the RDS and was first presented 100 years ago to mark "scientific research of exceptional merit carried out in Ireland". Since then, 30 Boyle Medals have been presented to some of Ireland's greatest scientific thinkers.
The award now begins its second century with the new bursary, which is supported by two of Ireland's leading institutions. This first jointly-awarded medal will provide much-needed funding for Ireland's research effort, but more particularly for a graduate or postgraduate student to work under the winning scientist.
The bursary covers the full cost of maintaining a research student during a three-year period of study. The successful scientist will select a student and direct his or her research during this time, with the student benefiting from working under an Irish-based scientist, acknowledged by international peers to be contributing at the very highest level to the advancement of scientific knowledge.
The international dimension of research and review by peers is essential to scientific endeavour, and this is reflected in the way in which the Boyle Medal finalist is selected. An initial analysis by a 10-strong judging panel chooses a number of worthy finalists, who then move forward to the next round of judging. A final panel, which includes scientists from home and abroad who have an international reputation in research, is then assembled, and these peers interview the shortlisted candidates.
The three finalists selected during the initial judging round include some of Ireland's best scientists, who are carrying out worldclass research. Proof of their individual excellence is seen in the volume of their peerreviewed published scientific papers, which together count in the hundreds for these candidates.
The three finalists, in alphabetical order, are:
Prof Michael Coey, professor of experimental physics at Trinity College Dublin. Prof Coey is one of the world's leading researchers in the area of permanent magnets and the development of new magnetic materials.
Prof Tom Cotter is professor of biochemistry and head of the Biochemistry Department at University College Cork. His research focuses on how cells are programmed to die and the mechanisms which make cell death occur.
Dr Luke O'Neill is director of the Biotechnology Institute at Trinity College Dublin. He is studying diseases such as arthritis and how the inflammation associated with arthritis occurs at the level of individual cells.
These three, who have been shortlisted from several dozen applicants, now go forward for the final judging on Thursday, October 21st. The new judging panel, which is detailed below, will interview each candidate, make its selection and then announce the winner that evening.
The bursary is new, but so, too, is the awarding procedure for the Boyle Medal. The medal will now be given once every two years. The first new joint award will be granted to a research scientist working in Ireland.
However, in recognition of the very many Irish scientists who choose to further their careers by taking up research positions abroad, the Boyle Medal for 2001 is reserved for an Irish-born scientist working outside the State.
THE Medals thereafter will alternate between a researcher working here and an Irish-born researcher working abroad. The £30,000 bursary is only made available to the scientist working in Ireland, and there is no requirement that the Irish-based researcher must be Irish-born. The object of the bursary is to assist the further study of a student working in this State under an acknowledged leader in science.
The medal award to an Irish scientist working abroad is only granted to an Irish-born researcher. The very many scientific "Wild Geese" are a credit to Ireland and help to spread our intellectual reputation overseas, and their work and contribution deserve credit.
The quality and integrity of the Boyle Medal award is protected through the application system devised for it. Scientists may not enter themselves for the award, but must be nominated by the president or head of a college, faculty or research institute. The managing director or head of R&D within a company may also apply on behalf of an employee, while the secretary of a professional body may also nominate candidates. Peers in two judging panels then assess the merits of each candidate before making decisions either for the shortlist or for the final Boyle Medal selection.
The medal award and bursary demonstrate the commitment made by both The Irish Times and the RDS to further the important work done by Irish scientists. It is a celebration of a famous Irish scientist of the past, Robert Boyle, but more importantly a recognition of the quality work being done by the Irish scientists of today.
