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David Syme Research Prize Application

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David Syme Research Prize

Award Details

Value: $9000 (approx.)

Closing Date: 5:00 pm, Wednesday 28 April 2021

For enquiries please contact science-awards@unimelb.edu.au

Background

The prize was established following a donation from Mr David Syme in 1904 to the University of Melbourne. The annual prize rewards the best original research in Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Geology produced* in Australia during the preceding two years. Preference will be given to original research of value in the industrial and commercial interests of Australia (ie. impact of the research on the discipline and more broadly). The David Syme Research Prize was first awarded in 1906.

* produced - for example published, received patents etc.

 

The David Syme Research Prize is awarded by nomination only. Applicants must provide a letter of nomination along with details as outlined in the following form. 

 

a) Research period:

The research described in the nomination must have been published in Australia during the past TWO years (1 January 2019 - 31 December 2020). However, the nomination may include research results or publications accepted up to the award closing date of 28 April 2021 if this is considered vital to the nomination.

b) Eligibility:

Researchers associated with any Australian university and researchers in Australia without university connections are eligible for nomination, noting that the following are not eligible for nomination:

  • Professors or researchers who will have attained the position of professor at the time the award is made;
  • Researchers outside universities who will have attained a level of seniority comparable to a university professor at the time the award is made (LEVEL E);
  • Researchers who have not spent the equivalent of at least 5 full years of the last 7 in Australia

 

c) Nomination Process:

Senior members of the academic or research community such as co-authors or co-researchers, heads of department or deputy vice-chancellors (research) are invited to nominate eligible colleagues who they believe would make worthy recipients of the award. The award is made on the basis of the research quality within the discipline and its likely impact and value in the industrial and commercial interests of Australia.

  • Joint research - If a nomination is being made for two or more people who are eligible in respect of research that is wholly their joint work, they will be judged as one candidate. If the prize is awarded for joint work, the nominees will each receive a medal and will equally share in the prize money.
  • Early career researchers who can display research excellence in the preceding two years may be nominated but will not receive special consideration because of a relatively short research career. They will be assessed on the strength of their research and publications during the two years relevant to the award. Researchers with interrupted careers during the previous two years, for example those who have had periods of parental or carer leave, may be nominated on the strength of their research and  publications,however,the nomination must include a brief description of the length and origin of the career interruption. The research presented must have been published during the previous two years.
  • If two or more records of original research of equal merit are submitted and the examiners are unable to determine which of them constitutes the most important contribution to the relevant branch of Science, the prize may be shared.

 

Nomination

The nomination form, which includes all of the below, can be completed on the following page. Read these instructions carefully before commencing your application.

The complete nomination must comprise:

  1. A 1-page letter of nomination, on relevant letterhead, from a senior member of the academic or research community. The letter of nomination must clearly frame the value of the case and describe why the nominated candidate would be a deserving winner of the David Syme Research Prize in Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Geology. Note: Letters of nomination are not simply letters of endorsement. The letter should attest to the information provided in items 2-10 below, particularly item 7 (a description of the contribution made by the nominee to the work presented, including research leadership). Self-nominations will NOT be accepted. The committee reserves the right to approach co-authors / researchers / nominators for evidence of the nominee’s research leadership;
  2. A completed nomination form
  3. A plain English summary of the work (please ensure the description is comprehensible and accessible for the general public as this summary may be used for public release) max 100 words;
  4. A statement describing the main purpose and trend of the research – max 500 words;
  5. A statement describing the scientific and commercial impact of the work max – 1500 words (Reference to article and journal metrics, including citations (appropriately justified) conference invitations, patents and consultancies should be made in this section. This may also include evidence, or a description of the likelihood, that the research could lead to an application of relevance to industry or commercialisation. Please note that the University of Melbourne is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (SFDORA) https://sfdora.org/ and will consider any use by the candidate of article and journal metrics in accordance with the SFDORA guidelines.)
  6. Originality of the work: a statement clearly describing the originality and importance of the work undertaken during the two-year award period, including ‘breakthrough’ aspects of the research that have occurred during this period – max 500 words;
  7. Contribution to the work: the submitted research record may be in whole, or in part, the embodiment of work carried out in collaboration with others, whether or not the collaborators are nominees for the prize. The examiners require evidence of the nominated candidate’s role in the totality of the research presented and in leading research ideas and analysis, as detailed: a) a statement that clearly maps the nominee’s role in the totality of the work presented (this is especially important if the research is in collaboration with established senior researchers who are not joint nominees for the award). The nominee’s contribution to the totality of the research should be presented as a percentage and include a summary of the nominee’s role in leading research ideas and analysis of results; b) if more than one researcher is being nominated, please outline the reasons why a joint nomination is being submitted and include a statement that clearly maps the role of each nominee in the totality of the research presented, as above;
  8. Published work completed during the last two years – up to 3 published works only. Note: Scholarly reviews will not be held in the same regard as original refereed articles;
  9. A summary CV of no more than 3 pages emphasizing aspects relevant to the work, ie. items 1-6 on the CV guidelines) followed by the list of publications.
  10. Optional – if nominees consider that knowledge of the research program’s development is considered necessary for the correct evaluation of the two-year record under assessment, the nomination may include a description of the research development period over the previous ten years (ie. prior to 1 January 2019). Please do not attach any published papers with the description.

Curriculum Vitae

Focusing on the assessment period (two years: 1 January 2019 - 31 December 2020), with supporting material from the previous 10 years provided where relevant (up to the closing date of 28 April 2021), the following headings should be included in the accompanying curriculum vitae - maximum 3 pages in 12 point font. The CV comprises items 1-6 below (up to 3 pages), followed by the list of publications (item 7). There is no specified page limit for the publications listing.

  1. Full name
  2. Full details of education, present and past appointments
  3. Seminar/conference presentations (invited talks only)
  4. Peer recognition of research - awards or prizes (include $ amount where applicable)
  5. Outreach activities e.g. public events, media
  6. Nationally competitive grants and other research income
  7. Details of published works organised in the following categories (please do not list works submitted, under review or in preparation):
    • Original refereed journal articles (the date of acceptance should be provided for papers not yet published) – please include journal ranking within discipline (not impact factor) and citations
    • Reviews
    • Books, chapters and monographs
    • Full published conference proceedings (do not include conference abstracts)
    • Patents
    • Other publications, e.g. popular articles, periodicals, submissions to government reviews, policies

 8. Optional – a URL link may be provided for one manuscript suitable for publication that embodies unpublished results of work carried out during the award period provided that knowledge of the previous work is necessary to the correct evaluation of the research.

Written statements will be accepted in the form of file uploads - please review the form before beginning your application.