Caius Copley Medallists
is the Royal Society鈥檚 oldest and most prestigious award. The medal is awarded for outstanding achievements in research in any branch of science.
The Copley Medal is thought to be the world's oldest scientific prize and it was awarded 170 years before the first Nobel Prize. First awarded in 1731, the annual prize is awarded for 鈥渙utstanding achievements in research in any branch of science鈥, on an alternating basis between the physical sciences (odd years) and the biological sciences (even years).
1802, William Hyde Wollaston: 鈥淔or his various Papers printed in the Philosophical Transactions (discovering platinum and rhodium).鈥
1824, John Brinkley: 鈥淔or his various communications to the Royal Society (Astronomy).鈥
1927, Charles Sherrington: 鈥淔or his distinguished work on neurology.鈥
1950, James Chadwick: 鈥淔or his outstanding work in nuclear physics and in the development of atomic energy, especially for his discovery of the neutron.鈥
1955, Ronald Fisher: 鈥淚n recognition of his numerous and distinguished contributions to developing the theory and application of statistics for making quantitative a vast field of biology.鈥
1957, Howard Florey: "In recognition of his distinguished contributions to experimental pathology and medicine (penicillin).鈥
1972, Nevill Mott: "In recognition of his original contributions over a long period to atomic and solid state physics."
1975, Francis Crick: "In recognition of his elucidation of the structure of DNA and his continuing contribution to molecular biology."
2006, Stephen Hawking: "For his outstanding contribution to theoretical physics and theoretical cosmology."
2020, : "He has developed and applied the methods of protein engineering to provide descriptions of protein folding pathways at atomic resolution, revolutionising our understanding of these processes.鈥
With thanks to Professor Sir Alan Fersht for contributing the photographs of the Copley Medal.