/ Medals and awards

Royal Society Mullard Award

This award is made to individuals whose work has the potential to make a contribution to national prosperity.

Nominate here Nomination guidance (PDF)

  • Opening date

  • Closing date

  • Winners announcement

    Exact date TBC

The award

The Royal Society Mullard Award was provided by a gift to the Society by the Board of Directors of Mullard Ltd. The Mullard Award is awarded to those who have an outstanding academic record in any area of natural science, engineering or technology and to individuals or teams whose work has the potential to make a contribution to national prosperity. The medal is of silver gilt medal, is awarded on the occasion of a suitable candidate being identified by the award's selection committee, and is accompanied by a travel grant of £1,500 and a gift of £2,000.

Eligibility

The Royal Society Mullard award is open to UK/Commonwealth/Republic of Ireland citizens or those who have been residents for three or more years. There are no restrictions on career stage and nominations will remain valid and shall be considered by the award selection committee throughout three nomination cycles. Teams or groups may now be nominated for this award.

Nominations are now open

Nominations are now open and will close on 21 February 2025. 

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Past winners

  • Awarded in 2022

    Professor Graeme Milligan

    For his global leadership in pharmacological and translational studies, his successful "spinning-out" of academic research and his longstanding underpinning support for the bio-pharmaceutical industry.
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    Awarded in 2021

    Professor Stephen Davies

    For his long and successful record in converting brilliant academic ideas to commercial successes with world impact in the biotech sector.
  • Stephen Jackson
    Awarded in 2020

    Professor Stephen Jackson FMedSci FRS

    For pioneering research on DNA repair mechanisms and synthetic lethality that led to the discovery of olaparib, which has reached blockbuster status for the treatment of ovarian and breast cancers.
  • Hagan Bayley
    Awarded in 2019

    Professor Hagan Bayley FRS

    For the invention of stochastic nanosensing, a generalised sequencing method for biopolymers which has delivered ultrarapid, distributable, wide-scale, 'long-read' genome sequencing.
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    Awarded in 2018

    Professor Florin Udrea FREng and Professor Julian Gardner FREng FRS

    for their work as renowned academics and serial entrepreneurs who together founded and led the most successful Cambridge University spin-off in the physical sciences, active in environmental and air quality sensors.
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    Awarded in 2016

    Professor Stephen Furber CBE FREng FRS and Dr Sophie Wilson CBE FREng FRS

    For their distinguished contributions to the design and analysis of the Acorn RISC Machine (ARM), the most successful embedded processor architecture in the world.
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    Awarded in 2014

    Sir Demis Hassabis CBE FREng FRS

    For his pioneering use of machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful general-purpose learning algorithms, delivering a significant contribution to national prosperity.
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    Awarded in 2009

    Sir Shankar Balasubramanian FMedSci FRS

    For his inventive new approach to DNA sequencing.
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    Awarded in 2007

    Professor Christopher Freeman

    For his research into the 'enzymic latch' mechanism, a potential carbon sequestration technique.
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    Awarded in 2005

    Professor Benjamin Davis FMedSci FRS

    For his pioneering research into the structure of carbohydrates.
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    Awarded in 2004

    Professor Jeremy Baumberg FRS

    For his work on the properties of meso- and nano-scale physics and technology and his contributions to the national prosperity of the UK through the spin out company Mesophotonics Ltd.
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    Awarded in 2003

    Professor Henning Sirringhaus FRS

    For his work on plastic semi-conductors and his contributions to the national prosperity of the UK through the spin out company Plastic Logic Ltd.