The Prime Minister's Prizes for Science are annual Australian awards for outstanding achievements in scientific research, innovation, and teaching. The prizes have been awarded since 2000, when they replaced the Australia Prize for science.
The major awards are the Prime Minister's Prize for Science, regarded as the national award for the advancement of knowledge through science,[1] and the Prime Minister's Prize for Innovation (created in 2015), as the national award for translation of science into commercial outcomes. In 2016, an additional Prize for New Innovators was also created.
The Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year (previously known as the Science Minister's Prize for Science[2]) and the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year were also created in 2000. Prizes for excellence in science teaching at primary and secondary schools were added in 2002.
The recipient(s) of this prize can be an individual or jointly up to four individuals, if the achievement is the result of a collaborative team effort. The recipient receives AUD 250,000, an embossed solid gold medallion and lapel pin.
2022 – Trevor McDougall[4]For his discovery of four new ocean mixing processes and his work to define the thermodynamic properties of seawater
2021 – Edward C. HolmesFor his transformative role in the scientific response to COVID-19
2020 – David McClelland, Susan Scott, Peter Veitch and David Blair (OzGrav collaboration) For critical contributions to the first direct detection of gravitational waves
2019 – Cheryl PraegerFor her fundamental work in group theory and combinatorics
2018 – Kurt LambeckFor transforming our understanding of our living planet
2017 – Jenny GravesFor her pioneering investigations of the genetics of sex
2016 – Richard ShineFor his work using evolutionary principles to address conservation challenges
2015 – Graham FarquharFor modelling photosynthesis, the world’s most important biological reaction
2014 – Sam Berkovic and Ingrid Scheffer jointly For their contribution to the study of epilepsy, its diagnosis, management and treatment
2013 – Terry SpeedFor his contribution to making sense of genomics and related technologies (using statistics)
2012 – Ken FreemanFor his founding of [...] galactic archaeology
2006 – Mandyam Veerambudi SrinivasanFor research that has revealed the working of the insect mind, and helped redefine robotics research
2005 – David BogerFor a lifetime of pioneering work in fluid mechanics
2004 – Graeme ClarkFor the discoveries which led to the bionic ear
2003 – Jacques MillerFor discovery of the role of the thymus in the immune system; and discovery that mammals have two types of white bloods cells
2002 – Frank Fenner (deceased) For eradication of smallpox, and the trialling and release of the rabbit myxoma virus
2001 – Donald MetcalfFor discovery and development of hormones called “colony stimulating factors” which stimulate the formation of white blood cells
2000 – Jim Peacock and Liz DennisFor discovery of the Flowering Switch Gene, a key gene in determining when plants end their vegetative growth phase and begin flowering
The recipient(s) of this prize can be an individual or jointly up to four individuals, if the commercialisation is the result of a collaborative team effort. The recipient receives AUD 250,000, an embossed solid gold medallion and lapel pin.
2022 – Nick Cutmore, James Tickner and Dirk Treasure at Chrysos Corporation and CSIRO Forthe commercialisation of PhotonAssay[4][5]
2021 – Anthony Steven WeissFor his pioneering research and commercialisation of synthetic tropoelastin-based biomaterials, which can accelerate and improve the repair of human tissue
2020 – Thomas Maschmeyer – His work on translating fundamental research into two pioneering technologies
2018 – Dr Simon Poole, Andrew Bartos, Dr Glenn Baxter and Dr Steven Frisken For creating and commercialising technologies that underpin the global internet
2017 – Eric Reynolds For inventing and commercialising Recaldent
2016 – Michael AitkenFor creating and commercialising tools that are making markets fair and efficient
2015 – Graeme JamesonFor his development of floatation technologies that have added billions of dollars to the value of Australia’s mineral and energy industries
2021 – Michael Bowen For his work in the discovery and development of KNX100
2020 – Justin Chalker For inventing a new class of polymers
2019 – Dr Luke Campbell For inventing the nuraphone, headphones that adapt to an individual's unique sense of hearing
2018 – Dr Geoff Rogers For creating and commercialising his pioneering biomedical engineering
2016 – Colin Hall For his contribution to a new manufacturing technology
Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year[edit]
This award is for early to mid-career scientists, not more than ten years or full-time equivalent past the award of their highest degree (e.g. Master's or PhD), working in the life sciences. The recipient receives $50,000, a medal and a lapel pin.[7]
2021 – Sherene LoiFor translating scientific findings into innovative treatments that can improve the survival of breast cancer patients in Australia and around the world
2020 – Mark DawsonFor pioneering research in the field of epigenetics and its impact on human health and disease
2019 – Laura MackayFor her leadership in the field of immunological memory
2018 – Lee BergerFor solving the global mystery of disappearing frogs and challenging paradigms about wildlife health
2017 – Jian YangFor creating ways to understand inherited traits and the human genome
2016 – Kerrie Wilson For optimising the global allocation of scarce conservation resources
2015 – Jane ElithFor her contributions to environmental management worldwide
2014 – Ryan ListerFor his contribution to the understanding of gene regulation and its potential ability to change agriculture and the treatment of disease and mental health
2013 – Angela MolesFor transforming our understanding of the ecosystems and overturning some of the dogmas of ecology
2012 – Mark ShackletonFor identifying and isolating stem cells in the female mammary gland to develop a fully functional breast
2011 – Min ChenFor her contribution to our knowledge of chlorophyll and cyanobacteria
2010 – Benjamin KileFor his achievements in molecular genetics
2009 – Michael CowleyFor his contribution to our understanding of metabolism and obesity
2008 – Carola VinuesaFor her contributions to immunology
2006 – James WhisstockFor his discoveries of novel serpins, and his research leadership in protein biology
2005 – Harvey MillarFor his leadership in plant biochemistry
2004 – Jamie RossjohnFor his leadership in structural biology and X-ray crystallography
2003 – Christopher HelliwellFor isolating the genes that control the biosynthesis of gibberellin, a plant hormone that controls plant growth
2002 – Joel MackayFor his discovery of new methods of controlling DNA transcription to repair malfunctioning genes
2001 – Bostjan KobeFor research contributions that have increased our understanding of protein interaction and cellular processes
2000 – Una M. RyanFor DNA detection and characterisation methods for the parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia
Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year[edit]
This award is for early to mid-career scientists, not more than ten years or full-time equivalent past the award of their highest degree (e.g. Master's or PhD), working in the physical sciences. The recipient receives $50,000, a medal and a lapel pin.[9]
2021 – Keith BannisterFor his pioneering research into fast radio bursts
2020 – Xiaojing Hao For her research into solar cells made from 'sulphide kesterite'
2019 – Elizabeth NewFor pioneering new chemical imaging tools to observe healthy and diseased cells[10]
2018 – Jack Clegg For creating flexible crystals and new separation technologies[11]
2017 – Dayong Jin For creating new technologies to image the processes of life
2016 – Richard Payne For his revolutionary drug development technologies
2015 – Cyrille BoyerFor his contribution to polymer science, nanotechnology and nanomedicine
2014 – Matthew HillFor his work in the development of metal-organic frameworks for practical industrial applications
2013 – Andrea MorelloFor intellectual leadership in developing a trillion-dollar global industry, the building blocks of a quantum computer, a working prototype silicon component to make quantum computing possible
2012 – Eric MayFor significant research in the field of natural gas processing
2011 – Stuart WyitheFor his work on the physics of the formation of the Universe
2007 – Mark CassidyFor his leadership in offshore civil engineering
2006 – Naomi McClure-GriffithsFor her insight into the structure of our galaxy, and her research leadership
2005 – Cameron KepertFor his leadership in chemistry and molecular nanoscience
2004 – Ben EggletonFor pioneering research in photonics and optical physics
2003 – Howard WisemanFor advancing our understanding of the physical effect of observations in quantum system monitoring and measurement
2002 – Marcela BilekFor the design and fabrication of plasma processing devices and new materials using thin film lamination technology
2001 – Peter BartlettFor his research into artificial intelligence and discoveries in the area of machine learning and information processing
2000 – Brian SchmidtFor his leadership of an international team that uncovered evidence that the universe was expanding at an accelerating rate.
Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools[edit]
This prize is awarded to an individual who has made a significant contribution to teaching science at a primary school level. The recipient is awarded $50,000,a medal and lapel pin.
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools[edit]
This prize is awarded to an individual who has made a significant contribution to teaching science at a secondary school level. The recipient is awarded $50,000, a medal and lapel pin. Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
History of the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science[edit]
The Australia Prize was the predecessor award to the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science and was awarded annually from 1990 to 1999 (although no award was made in 1991). It was an international award, aimed at a worldwide audience for an outstanding specific achievement in a selected area of science and technology promoting human welfare. It achieved widespread recognition by individuals and organisations throughout the world, receiving nominations from 18 countries.
The Government awarded the Australia Prize to both Australian and international scientists. Of the 28 recipients, 18 were Australian, demonstrating Australia's strong international standing in many scientific fields.
The Australia Prize was replaced in 2000 by the current set of prizes.[12]
