The award
The Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture is awarded for a project to support the promotion of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by an individual with an established track record of very high standing in any area of STEM. The award is supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and is named in honour of the biophysicist Rosalind
Franklin, who made critical contributions to the understanding of the
fine molecular structures of DNA. The first award was made in 2003. The lectureship is accompanied by a medal of silver gilt, a grant of £40,000 and a gift of £1,000.
The recipient of the award is expected to spend a proportion of the
grant on implementing a project to raise the profile of women in STEM.
The guidance notes (pdf) and terms and conditions of the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture (pdf) should be read before submitting a nomination. Please note that nominees should start the nomination.
Eligibility
The Rosalind Franklin award and lecture is open to UK/Commonwealth/Irish Republic citizens or those who have been residents for three or more years. It is restricted to early career scientists with no more than 20 years since achieving their PhD (not including career breaks) and nominations will remain valid and shall be considered by the award selection committee throughout three nomination cycles.
Past winners
Dr Suzanne Imber will be awarded the Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture 2021 for her achievements in the field of planetary science and her well-considered project proposal with a potential for a high impact.
Professor Julia Gog was awarded the Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture 2020 for her achievements in the field of mathematics and her impactful project proposal with its potential for a long-term legacy.
Professor Nguyễn Thị Kim Thanh was awarded the Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture 2019 for her achievements in the field of nanomaterials and her impactful project proposal.
See full list of all past winners of the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture.