Discussion meetings
Each year at the Royal Society, we host up to twelve interdisciplinary scientific discussion meetings. These focus on new or rapidly changing research fields in science, engineering and technology. Over two days the meetings bring together hundreds of delegates to discuss papers presented by leading researchers in the field.
The Society is holding a series of discussion meetings in 2010 to raise and address the major scientific questions of the 21st century. These meetings bring together hundreds of world-leading researchers to tackle interdisciplinary topics and problems with global impact. They will reach broadly, both to map out the future of the most vital research fields and to bring home their growing importance to a wider audience. The topics include:
The detection of extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society - 25-26 January 2010
Greenhouse gases in the Earth system: Setting the agenda for 2030 - 22-23 February 2010
Handling uncertainty in science - 22-23 March 2010
Biological diversity in a changing world - 19-20 April 2010
The new science of ageing - 10-11 May 2010
Culture evolves - 28-30 June 2010 (to be held at the Southbank Centre as part of the Summer of Science)
Web science: A new frontier - 27-28 September 2010
Direct control of cell phenotype for research and therapy - 18-19 October 2010
Geoengineering – taking control of our planet’s climate - 8-9 November 2010
New vaccines for global health - 22-23 November 2010
These meetings will provide the scientific backbone to the 350th anniversary celebrations and help to set the agenda in various key areas over the next 20-30 years.
Awards, Medals, Prizes and Prize Lectures
The Society's medals, awards, prizes and prize lectures exist to reward those who have made outstanding achievements. They are a crucial part of our work in recognising excellence in science across the disciplines.
In 2010, we will be awarding all of our medals and prize lectures. Typically, these are awarded variously, either annually, biennially or triennially, according to the terms of reference for each award.
The Society is also making many new research appointments over the course of the year. Scientific events to mark these appointments are taking place both in the UK and internationally.
Scientific journals
Special issues of our scientific journals, Philosophical Transactions A and Philosophical Transactions B, as well as special contributions to Proceedings A, will be published in support of our 2010 scientific programme.