Awards

Honorific awards

The Academy’s honorific awards are awarded annually to talented researchers in recognition of their significant contributions to furthering biomedical and health research in Australia. These awards are an important part of our role as an Academy to celebrate excellence in health and medical research and to promote diversity and inclusion within the sectors. 

We welcome nominations from all fields associated with furthering biomedical and health research. Nominators and nominees do not need to be AAHMS Fellows, and applications highlighting diverse nominees are strongly encouraged.

The Academy’s Outstanding First Nations Researcher Medal is awarded annually to an outstanding mid-career researcher of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent, who is an emerging research leader working and making an impactful contribution in the health and medical sciences in Australia.

The medal is designed by artist Teho Ropeyarn, using his work Unggoonggu (star), pictured left.

The Jian Zhou Medal recognises a rising star of Australian health and medical science – an individual within 15 years of completing their PhD (or equivalent first research higher degree) who is making a significant impact in translational medical science from work primarily conducted in or led from Australia.

The Outstanding Female Researcher Medal recognises a researcher who identifies as a woman, who will have made one or more exceptional and impactful contributions in the health and medical sciences from work primarily conducted in or led from Australia. 

Receiving this award is most humbling and a huge honour, particularly when I look around and see the women in science and the work they’re doing.

I hope that I can be a role model for women who come after me.”

– Professor Georgina Long, inaugural recipient of Outstanding Female Researcher Medal 

Key dates

Submission deadlines

Outstanding First Nations Researcher Medal - 1 March
Jian Zhou Medal - 30 April
Outstanding Female Researcher - 1 March

Results announced

October 2024

August 2024
September 2024

Award ceremony

October 2023 (Annual Meeting)
October 2023 (Annual Meeting) October 2023 (Annual Meeting)

Order of Australia

Supporting diversity through the Order of Australia

The Academy is working with the office of the Governor-General of Australia to raise awareness of the Order of Australia and to improve its diversity.

All award recipients are nominated by someone in the community. This means we all have the ability to recognise someone for their hard work and service. It also means that we can all play a role in ensuring our national awards system represents our diversity —across gender, cultural backgrounds and categories of endeavour.

Think about nominating someone today. It only takes a few moments of your time to nominate someone exceptional. 

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Acknowledgements

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Outstanding First Nations Researcher Medal has been has been made possible by a generous donation from the Gandevia Foundation, for which the Academy is most grateful. The associated travel grant has been generously sponsored by Bellberry. The medal has been designed by First Nations artist Teho Ropeyarn.

The Jian Zhou Medal has been made possible by a generous donation from the Frazer Family Foundation, for which the Academy is most grateful. The medal is designed by the Royal Australian Mint and includes an illustration of the virus-like particle Dr Zhou created.

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Outstanding Female Researcher Medal has been made possible by a generous donation from the Gandevia Foundation, for which the Academy is most grateful. The medal is designed by the Royal Australian Mint.

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