/ 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.

  • Opening date

  • Closing date

  • Winners announcement

    Exact date TBC

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 are closed and will reopen in December 2025. 

2024 winner

  • Professor Tony Bell FRS

    Professor Tony Bell FRS

    The Rumford Medal 2024 is awarded to Professor Tony Bell FRS for his seminal contributions to theoretical developments of cosmic ray acceleration and origins.

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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.
  • Miles Padgett
    Awarded in 2019

    Professor Miles Padgett FRS

    For world leading research on optical orbital momentum including an angular form of the Einstein-Padolsky-Rosen paradox.
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    Awarded in 2018

    Professor Ian Walmsley CBE FRS

    For pioneering work in the quantum control of light and matter on ultrashort timescales, especially the invention and application of new techniques for characterization of quantum and classical light fields.
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    Awarded in 2016

    Professor Ortwin Hess

    For his pioneering work in active nano-plasmonics and optical metamaterials with quantum gain.
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    Awarded in 2014

    Professor Jeremy Baumberg FRS

    For his outstanding creativity in nanophotonics, investigating many ingenious nanostructures, both artificial and natural to support novel plasmonic phenomena relevant to Raman spectroscopy, solar cell performance and meta-materials applications.
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    Awarded in 2012

    Professor Roy Taylor FRS

    For his outstanding contributions to tunable ultrafast lasers and nonlinear fibre optics, including fibre Raman, soliton and supercontinuum laser sources, which translated fundamental discoveries to practical technology.
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    Awarded in 2010

    Professor Gilbert Lonzarich FRS

    For his outstanding work into novel types of quantum matter using innovative instrumentation and techniques.
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    Awarded in 2008

    Professor Edward Hinds FRS

    For his extensive and highly innovative work in ultra-cold matter.
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    Awarded in 2006

    Professor Jean-Pierre Hansen FRS

    For his pioneering work on molten salts and dense plasmas that has led the way to a quantative understanding of the structure and dynamics of strongly correlated ionic liquids.