Nominees are eligible if their work is, or has previously been, supported by MRC. This could be through grant funding or work being based within an MRC centre, unit or institute. MRC funding should have provided a significant contributing factor to the research for which they are nominated.
Nominations can be made for someone who:
- has made an outstanding contribution to MRC’s mission to improve human health through world-class medical research
- demonstrates scientific excellence and impact, and has international recognition in their field. Their achievements may have contributed towards breaking barriers in research, forging new fields of research, or enabling new frontiers for the way that science is conducted
- has improved the wider research environment by enabling national or global research capabilities. For example, through championing research integrity, development of infrastructure and influencing policy and practice
- has advanced research culture. For example, through training, advancing equality, diversity and inclusion in the research community, or fostering team science.
The research for which the individual is nominated for can be for basic, clinical or applied research (or any combination of these) that has made an outstanding contribution to MRC’s mission to improve health.
The work can be contemporary, showing clear potential to revolutionise the field, or work which has already had a major impact. A wide variety of research outputs and impacts will be considered, including the development of resources (such as datasets and reagents), and influence on policy and practice.
The prize recipient could be someone whose scientific achievements have already been well recognised in other ways. However, we particularly encourage nominations for those whose work or support for the research community has not gained the attention it merits outside their immediate research community.
There is a resubmission policy of one year, meaning individuals can only be nominated once every two years.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We especially encourage nominations for people who are currently under-represented in some sectors of the research and innovation community. This includes:
- women
- those with a disability
- members of minority ethnic groups.
Higher education institutions (HEIs) and independent research organisations (IROs) can nominate a maximum of three individuals and are strongly encouraged to consider the diversity of their nominations.
