The award
The Prize was established with support from the Worshipful Company of Armourers & Brasiers', a livery company originally comprised of armourers and brass workers. The first award was made in 1985.
The Royal Society Armourers & Brasiers' Company Prize is awarded biennially (in even years), for excellence in basic research in functional or structural materials where the research is clearly motivated by use of these materials.
The concept of 'use-inspired basic research' describes research seeking fundamental understanding that is motivated or inspired by considerations of practical use.
Past winners
Professor Steve Armes FRS was awarded the 2018 Royal Society Armourers & Brasiers' Company Prize for his pioneering development of colloidal nanocomposite particles. He has demonstrated many applications; his fruitful collaborations with companies has inspired three successful commercial products
Professor Neil Alford MBE FREng was awarded the 2016 Armourers & Brasiers' Company Prize for his outstanding contributions to materials research with benefit to society, especially the development of ultra-low-loss microwave dielectrics for communications.
Professor Ivan Parkin was awarded the 2014 Royal Society Armourers & Brasiers' Company Prize in recognition of his insight, synthesis, development and commercialisation of coatings. In particular inorganic-oxide self-cleaning coatings for windows and anti-microbial coatings to combat hospital acquired infections.
See full list of all past winners of the Royal Society Armourers & Brasiers' Company Prize.