The winners of the Australian Academy of Science 2012 awards for scientific excellence have been announced.

 

Honorific awards of a medal and monetary prize are presented to career researchers for life-long achievements and outstanding early-career researchers under the age of 40. In addition, the Academy gives a number of awards for research support.

 

In 2012, the Academy will award a total of $218 000 in honorific medals and research support. Most of the award winners will receive their medals at the Academy's annual conference being held from 2 to 4 May 2012:


2012 Career research awards

  • Professor Max Crossley FAA, The University of Sydney – David Craig Medal for research in chemistry.
  • Professor Gordon Lister, The Australian National University – Mawson Medal and Lecture for research into the earth sciences
  • Professor Kevin Galvin, The University of Newcastle – Ian Wark Medal and Lecture for contributions to Australian science in applied science.
  • Professor Shunso Ishihara, Geological Survey of Japan and Professor Tony Naldrett, The University of the Witwatersand, Johannesburg – Haddon Forrester King Medal for mineral exploration.

Professor Kenneth Freeman FAA, from The Australian National University has been awarded the 2013 Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture for research in the physical sciences.

 

2012 Early-career research awards

  • Professor Harvey Millar, The University of Western Australia – Fenner Medal for research in biology (excluding the biomedical sciences).
  • Dr Manuel Ferreira, Queensland Institution of Medical Research– Ruth Stephens Gani Medal for research in human genetics.
  • Associate Professor Katharina Gaus, The University of New South Wales – Gottschalk Medal for research in the medical sciences.
  • Dr Todd Lane, The University of Melbourne – Anton Hales Medal for research in earth sciences.
  • Dr Josef Dick, The University of New South Wales – Christopher Heyde Medal for applied, computational and financial mathematics.
  • Dr Karen Black, The University of New South Wales – Dorothy Hill Award for female researchers in the earth sciences including reef science, ocean drilling, marine science and taxonomy.
  • Dr Pall Thordarson, The University of New South Wales – Le Fèvre Memorial Prize for research in basic chemistry.
  • Professor Andrew Hogg, The Australian National University – Frederick White Prize for physical, terrestrial and planetary science.
  • Professor Tanya Monro, The University of Adelaide – Pawsey Medal for research in physics.


2012 Research support awards

The following researchers will receive research support under the Margaret Middleton Fund for endangered Australian native vertebrate animals:

  • Professor Ross Alford, James Cook University
    Project – Understanding and Managing Threats to Wet Tropics Amphibians: Improving Management Prioritisation and Using Novel Techniques to Protect Frogs.
  • Ms Jasmine Ferguson, University of Melbourne
    Project – Investigating release success and optimal release timing for translocation of captive-bred Mountain Pygmy Possums (Burramys parvus)
  • Ms Kellie Leigh, Conservation Ecology
    Project – Finding the endangered spotted-tail quoll; new detection methods for declining and low density species.
  • Ms Teagan Marzullo, University of New South Wales
    Project – Estuarine fidelity, home-range, habitat use and energetics of stingrays
  • Mr Ben Scheele, Australian National University
    Project – Northern corroboree frog disease dynamics and recovery
  • Ms Rebecca West, University of Adelaide
    Project - Returning warru (black-footed rock-wallabies) to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands of South Australia

2012 Travelling Fellowships


Professor Richard de Grijs, Peking University has also been awarded the Selby Travelling Fellowship for excellence in science.


Dr Andrea Bryom, Landcare Research, New Zealand, has been awarded the Graeme Caughley Travelling Scholarship for ecology.


Professor Peter Jones, University of Southern California School of Medicine, has been awarded the Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship for the biological sciences.