Institute of Physics Awards

"Recognising and rewarding distinguished contributions to physics"

Recognising excellence in physics, the annual IOP awards confer a number of medals and prizes to mark achievement at all career stages. The Institute of Physics also features 4 awards named after Johnians: The Paul Dirac Medal is amongst the 6 Gold Medals awarded, whilst Nevill Mott, Edward Appleton and Fred Hoyle all have Silver medals named in their honour.

  • Paul Dirac Medal and Prize

Roger Penrose (1989)

Rudolf Ernst Peierls (1991)

  • Max Born Medal and Prize

Robin Devenish (2009) “For his key role in determining the structure function of the proton and thereby extracting quark and gluon density distributions, which has led to substantial progress in the understanding of quantum chromodynamics.”

  • Richard Glazebrook Medal and Prize

John Currie Gunn (1985)

  • Katharine Burr Blodgett Medal and Prize

Richard Friend (2009) (jointly)

  • William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize

Charles Jenkins (2007)

  • John William Strutt, Lord Rayleigh Medal and Prize

Owen Saxton (2018)

  • Sam Edwards Medal and Prize

Wilson Poon (2019)

  • Rosalind Franklin Medal and Prize

Ben Simons (2014)

  • Nevill Mott Medal and Prize

Laura Herz (2018)

  • Charles Chree Medal

Edward Appleton 1947

Frederick John Vine (1977) (jointly)

  • Thomas Young Medal and Prize

John David Lawson (1985)

Mete Atatüre (2020)

  • Ernest Rutherford Medal and Prize (Rutherford Memorial Lecture pre 1966)

Rudolf Ernst Peierls (1952)

  • Duddell Medal and Prize

J Ambrose Fleming (1930)

George William Hutchinson (1959) (jointly)

Charles William Oatley (1969)

Richard Nelmes (2007)

  • James Clerk Maxwell Medal and Prize

Abdus Salam (1962)

Alan John Bray (1985) (jointly)

Ben Simons (2001)

  • Henry Moseley Medal and Prize

John J L Morton (2013), “For his contributions to experimental quantum control of electron and nuclear spins towards applications in quantum technologies.”

Akshay Rao (2017) “For groundbreaking studies in the electronic properties of organic semiconductors, particularly the roles of electron spin in the operation of solar cells.”

  • Boys Medal and Prize

Roger John Cashmore (1983)

Richard  Friend (1988)

  • Clifford Paterson Medal and Prize

Russell Cowburn (2008) “For outstanding contributions to nano-magnetism and nano-photonics, and his internationally recognised success in commercially exploiting his research through spin-out companies.”

Find out more: https://www.iop.org/about/awards