Organic Chemistry Divisional Awards

A. J. Birch Medal

The premier award of the Organic Chemistry Division of The Royal Australian Chemical Institute is the A. J. Birch Medal for excellence in organic chemical research conducted in Australia by a member of The Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

One medal may be awarded at each National Meeting of the Division and the recipient shall normally be invited to present a paper to the National Meeting at which the award is made.

Nominations should include the following information:

• Name and Curriculum Vitae (up to 3 pages)
• A concise statement of the nominee's contribution to research in organic chemistry in Australia (up to 250 words)
• A list of published research papers for the past 10 years, and of other publications (e.g. books, review chapters, etc.) relevant to the advancement of organic chemistry, without time restriction.
• Nominations close in April and the recipient will be announced prior to the National Division Conference.

The recipient shall normally be invited to present a paper to the National Meeting at which the award is made.

Nominations are to be submitted online (link on this page).

Members will be advised when nominations are open for submission.

Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

Link here

Athel Beckwith Lectureship

The Organic Division of The Royal Australian Chemical Institute has established a funded lectureship to allow outstanding, recently appointed, organic chemists to travel Australia and present the results of their research work.

The successful applicant will have demonstrated leadership in organic chemistry research as an independent researcher, as evidenced by notable independent publications and involvement/advocacy within professional bodies. The objective of this award is to support the recipient in achieving broader recognition and exposure during the early stage of their career.

Eligibility
There is no age limit, however nominees must have been appointed to their first academic or industrial position (academic level B/C or equivalent) within the 7 years preceding the closing date of nominations. Nominees should not have been invited to present a plenary lecture at an RACI Divisional Conference. The eligibility period may be extended to take into account interruptions, consistent with Australian Research Council (ARC) guidelines.

Nominations should include the following information:

• Curriculum Vitae (up to 5 pages), which includes a list of all published research with all research papers from their independent career marked clearly.
• A concise statement of the nominee's contribution to research in organic chemistry since commencing their independent career (up to 250 words).
• A statement regarding eligibility (if required, up to 150 words).

Requirements of lectureship

The Lecturer will be expected to present a lecture in at least six state/territory capitals and/or major regional centres during the year of the lectureship. A brief report of the lecture series will be required. The lecture program will be developed in consultation with the selection committee, with final approval by the Chair of the Organic Division. This price comes with a cash award of $1,000.

Nominations are to be submitted online (link on this page).

Members will be advised when nominations are open for submission.

Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

Link here

Lew Mander Best PhD Thesis in Organic Chemistry Award

The Lew Mander Best PhD Thesis in Organic Chemistry Award recognises outstanding achievement by a recent PhD graduate. The prize is awarded annually to an RACI member who is judged to have submitted the most outstanding PhD thesis in organic chemistry under the auspices of an Australian University and whose degree has been approved in the past two years. Outstanding is defined firstly as exemplary communication of the students PhD findings, and in addition as of having significant scientific merit.

Eligibility
The award is open to anyone working broadly in the field of organic chemistry. One prize will be awarded each year but can be shared if the judges deem two or more theses are of equal standard.

To be eligible for the award, the candidate must be a financial RACI member for at least 12 months and must have had the PhD degree approved by the governing body of an Australian University within the previous two years dating from the close of applications. The thesis should communicate excellent science and demonstrate the capacity of the candidate to communicate this effectively. In the case of thesis by publication a statement from the communicating author of any publications that precisely and honestly describes the authors contribution to the writing of the publication is required. No candidate may be nominated more than once for this award.

Nominations should include the following information:

• Name and Curriculum Vitae of the nominee (up to 2 pages).
• A concise nomination statement by the candidate’s supervisor(s) describing the significance of the work (up to 250 words). This includes the attribution statement described above for thesis by publication.
• All thesis examiners’ reports.
• PDF copies of all papers published by the candidate as part of their PhD studies.

This prize comes with a cash award of $500. 

Nominations are to be submitted online (link on this page).

Members will be advised when nominations are open for submission.

Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

Link here

New in 2024

Mary Garson Medal

The Mary Garson Medal is a new award by the Organic Chemistry Division of The Royal Australian Chemical Institute to recognise achievements of mid-career researchers in organic chemistry research in academia and/or industry, as evidenced by notable independent publications and involvement/advocacy within professional bodies. 

Eligibility

There is no age limit, however, nominees should be a financial member of the RACI, with no more than 15 years of professional experience since completing their most recent relevant qualification, for contributions to the development of organic chemistry. The eligibility period may be extended to take into account interruptions, consistent with Australian Research Council (ARC) guidelines. The contribution will be for research work published, or accepted for publication, including patents and industrial reports. The work covers the period of ten years immediately preceding the award, with the major proportion being carried out in Australia. The award is for any area of organic chemistry encompassing synthesis, structure, catalysis, environmental and industrial materials.

Nominations

Candidates may apply personally or be nominated by other members of the RACI. Proposals should contain the following information:

• a curriculum vitae (3 pages maximum); 

• a list of publications for the past ten years to the time of the application/nomination;

• reprints of no more than ten of the most significant of these publications;

• any supporting information that could be helpful to the Selection Committee; for example a brief statement (up to 150 words) regarding eligibility, if required.   

The prize comes with a medal and an invitation to present a keynote lecture at the next divisional conference, where the award is announced.

Nominations are to be submitted online (link on this page).

Members will be advised when nominations are open for submission.

Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

Link here

Organometallic Chemistry Award

The Organometallic Chemistry Award is jointly awarded by the Inorganic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Divisions of the RACI.

Eligibility
The award is given to a financial member of the RACI, with no more than 12 years of professional experience since completing their most recent relevant qualification, for contributions to the development of organometallic chemistry. The eligibility period may be extended, to take into account interruptions, consistent with Australian Research Council (ARC) guidelines.

The contribution will be for research work published, or accepted for publication, including patents and industrial reports. The work covers the period of ten years immediately preceding the award, with the major proportion being carried out in Australia.
The award is for any area of organometallic chemistry encompassing synthesis, structure, catalysis, environmental, industrial materials, main group, transition metal and f-block chemistry and bioorganometallics.

Nominations
Candidates may apply personally or be nominated by other members of the RACI.

Proposals should contain the following information:

• a brief curriculum vitae;
• a list of publications for the past 10 years (to the time of the nomination) for which there has been a significant contribution to the field of organometallic chemistry;
• reprints of no more than 10 of the most significant of these publications;
• any supporting information that could be helpful to the judging panel.

Nominees should also arrange for two independent testimonials to be included with their application.

It is the responsibility of the divisional committee to ensure that there is no conflict of interest (in terms of collaborative research involvement or institutional bias) between members of the judging panel and any of the applicants.

Nominations are to be submitted online (link on this page).

Members will be advised when nominations open for submission.

Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

Link here