The Royal Society of Tasmania has six recognitions, some very long-standing. They are:
Royal Society of Tasmania Medal
Being awarded 2017, advertised in June.
Established May 9, 1927
Awarded to a scholar for substantial original research in any subject within the Society’s purview. A significant part of the research shall have been conducted while the recipient was a resident of Tasmania. The recipient must have been, in the view of Council, an active member of the Society for at least five years. The awardee will deliver ‘The Royal Society of Tasmania Lecture’.
M R Banks Medal
Being awarded 2017, advertised in June.
Established March, 1997
Awarded to a scholar of distinction in mid-career in any field within the Society’s purview with an age limit of 45 years.
Royal Society of Tasmania Annual Doctoral (PhD) Award
Awarded annually, advertised in October.
Established September, 1998
Two awards may be granted annually in any field within the Society’s purview. No more than three years shall have passed since the award of the PhD at the award nomination deadline. Each award shall attract a grant of $1,000 from the Society.
Clive Lord Memorial Medal
Being awarded 2019.
Established July, 1930
Awarded to a scholar distinguished for research in Tasmanian science or Tasmanian history. The award will alternate between the fields of science and history, unless particular circumstances dictate otherwise. The awardee will deliver the ‘Clive Lord Memorial Lecture’. If not a member of the Society, the awardee will be offered free membership for one year.
IMAGE: Museum Victoria
A quick study of the awards would have to include Clive Lord’s contributions to the descriptions of new species found in Tasmania culminating in an invaluable handbook called “The Vertebrate Species of Tasmania” and 30 papers published in the Society’s peer-reviewed journal. Along with L Rodway’s Botany and R M Johnston’s Geology of Tasmania the handbook is highly regarded. Clive Lord described the Nototherium Mitchelli, an extinct genus of marsupial, among other species including whales and seals. Clive Lord was closely interested in the problems of early Tasmanian history and the vanished records of the Tasmanian Aborigines (http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/29812760) This is why the award oscillates between the disciplines of science and history. The next Clive Errol Lord medal, 2019, will be awarded in the discipline of science.
R M Johnston Memorial Medal
Being awarded 2021.
Established March 9, 1920
Awarded to a scholar of great distinction in any field within the Society’s purview. The awardee will deliver the ‘R M Johnston Memorial Lecture’. If not a member of The Royal Society of Tasmania, the awardee will be offered free membership for one year. The Robert MacKenzie Johnston memorial medal is bestowed on a scholar of distinction in any field within the Society’s purview.
Peter Smith Medal
The 2018 Medal will be presented in early 2019
Established in 2017
The Peter Smith Medal is awarded biennially to an outstanding early career researcher in any field. The recipient will receive a medal and deliver “The Peter Smith Lecture” to the Society. To be eligible for nomination, the research and/orworks must be largely carried out in Tasmania or under the aegis of a Tasmanian-based organisation and within the Society’s purview. The Award is not restricted to Australian nationals.
For the purpose of the medal, “early career” means within the first seven years since the award of a PhD, at the time of the nomination deadline.
