This medal is the Society's oldest award. It is given annually for outstanding achievements in research in any branch of science, and alternates between the physical sciences and the biological sciences.
The medal is of silver gilt and a gift of £5000 accompanies it.
The Copley medal was first awarded in 1731, and during its long history it has been awarded to such luminaries as Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Léon Foucault.
Nominations
To celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Society in 2010, two Copley Medals will be awarded in 2010 - one in biological sciences, one in physical sciences. Nominations for the Copley Medals 2010 are now closed. The closing date for nominations was 25 January 2010. For reference, the nomination form can be found at the right of the page.
Selection
Nominations are reviewed by a Committee, this is chosen in alternate years by the A-side and B-side Medals and Awards Committees.
Most recent winner
The 2009 Copley Medal has been awarded to Sir Martin Evans FRS for his seminal work on embryonic stem cells in mice, which revolutionised the field of genetics.
"I am deeply honoured and extremely gratified to be awarded the Copley Medal - the premier medal of the Royal Society. The previous winners of the Copley Medal ever since 1731 represent a history of scientific fame, of heroes of accomplishment and exemplars of excellence. To have my name added to this list is both a humbling and uplifting experience."
Sir Martin Evans FRS (Winner, 2009)
"The award of the Royal Society's Copley Medal came as a complete surprise to me. It is an extraordinary honour, this being the Royal Society's oldest and most distinguished award, first given just 200 years before I was born. I feel most humbled for my name to be added to that enormously distinguished list of previous recipients."
Sir Roger Penrose OM FRS (Winner, 2008)
"I am delighted to have won this award. I have been privileged to have had an immensely rewarding career in science, as a researcher, as chief scientific adviser to the UK Government and as a president of the Royal Society. Perhaps my only regret is that my research on species extinction is unfortunately even more relevant today than when I began."
Lord May FRS (Winner, 2007)
"It is hard to come to personal terms with the fact that this award was given to an almost endless list of such amazing people as Harrison, Mendeleev, Faraday and Darwin in earlier years and to Dirac, Crick and Cornforth more recently. I am not sure I measure up to any of them however Captain Cook also received it and I hope I do not end up the same way."
Harry Kroto (Winner, 2004)