/ Medals and awards

Rumford Medal

This medal is awarded for important discoveries in the field of thermal or optical properties of matter and their applications

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The award

The Rumford Medal is awarded for outstanding contributions in the field of physics. The award was established following a donation by Benjamin Thompson FRS (PDF), Count Rumford of the Holy Roman Empire, an American-born former soldier, spy, statesman and scientist who would go on to found the Royal Institution. The first award was made in 1800. The medal is of silver gilt, is awarded annually and is accompanied by a gift of £2,000.

Eligibility

The Rumford medal 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 closed

Nominations will reopen in November 2024.

2023 winner

  • Professor Polina Bayvel CBE FREng FRS

    Professor Polina Bayvel CBE FREng FRS

    The Rumford Medal 2023 is awarded to Professor Polina Bayvel CBE FREng FRS for pioneering contributions to the fundamental physics and nonlinear optics, enabling the realization of high capacity, broad bandwidth, multi-wavelength, optical communication systems that have underpinned the information technology revolution.

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    Past winners

    • Polina Bayvel
      Awarded in 2023

      Professor Polina Bayvel CBE FREng FRS

      For pioneering contributions to the fundamental physics and nonlinear optics, enabling the realization of high capacity, broad bandwidth, multi-wavelength, optical communication systems that have underpinned the information technology revolution.
    • Raymond Pierrehumbert
      Awarded in 2022

      Professor Raymond Pierrehumbert FRS

      For his wide ranging contributions to atmospheric physics, employing fundamental principles of physics to elucidate phenomena across the spectrum of planetary atmospheres.
    • Carlos Frenk
      Awarded in 2021

      Professor Carlos Frenk CBE FRS

      For revealing via elaborate computer simulations, how small fluctuations in the early universe develop into today’s galaxies.
    • Patrick Gill
      Awarded in 2020

      Professor Patrick Gill MBE FRS

      For his development of optical atomic clocks of exquisite precision, of ultra-stable lasers and of frequency standards for fundamental physics, quantum information processing, space science, satellite navigation and Earth observation.