Awards and recognition received by MRC researchers
- Overview
- Involvement in the publication of research
- Membership of learned societies
- Prize Lectures
- Poster Prizes
- Other Honors
Overview
A number of research organisations regularly highlight “measures of esteem” for their faculty. It has been proposed that these details could be used in addition to other information when assessing research excellence. The MRC is interested in examining the validity of such measures and understanding the ways in which researchers are recognised for their contribution to academia and wider society.
We sought brief details of the prizes, awards, and other types of recognition received by MRC funded researchers. The emphasis was on collecting details of recognition that had an element of peer review and award on the basis of merit.
MRC e-Val gathered 2243 reports of awards gained by MRC researchers in recognition of their work. In this section we were seeking details of how researchers were recognised outside of their host institution, and so we removed a small number of reports of internal promotions from the dataset.
The results demonstrated a wide variety of ways in which scientists are recognised. Around 800 individual researchers reported such awards/recognition. These reports highlighted the very significant contribution that UK researchers have made and continue to make to international science. These contributions could be categorised into five broad groupings; involvement in the publication of research (such as the editor of a journal), membership of learned societies (for example the Royal Society), prize lectures, poster prizes, and other honours (e.g. Order of the British Empire).
Involvement in the publication of research
428 reports were collected of “appointed to the editorial board of a journal or book series”, this included reports of joining the editorial boards of prestigious journals such as the Lancet and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. The impacts of such recognition were partly in terms of an increase in profile for the scientist involved, and for their research organisation or group. Such an increase in awareness led to opportunities for new collaboration, invitations to produce review articles, and contributed to further career progression for group members. Researchers also noted that such positions helped them keep at the cutting edge of developments in the field, and many reported that it was their aim to ensure the journal achieved the highest standards of dissemination and accelerated progress in their field of study.
Membership of learned societies
334 reports were collected of “awarded membership or fellowship to a learned society”. This included 46 researchers elected as fellows of the academy of medical sciences (FMedSci), and 32 elected as fellows of the royal society (FRS) or fellows of the royal society of Edinburgh (FRSE), as well as 31 researchers elected as members of the European Molecular Biology Organisation. Researchers reported that this recognition provided them with excellent networking opportunities, but also with enhanced opportunities to influence their discipline or profession by serving on policy committees either directly through the learned society, or through invitations to serve on policy/advisory groups of other organisations. Researchers also highlighted the benefits of membership of some organisations including travel awards or other financial support for their work.
It is interesting to note that in the case of the European Molecular Biology Organisation, an organisation with the aim of recognising and fostering talented research leaders and a membership that includes the most eminent researchers, representation from the UK is very high. In 2009 of the 1400 EMBO members, 300 were from the UK, around 200 from Germany, and around 160 from France.
Prize Lectures
141 examples of researchers asked to give a prestigious lecture were reported. These lectures could be accompanied by a prize, either financial or symbolic (such as a medal). The advantages of this recognition were noted as the opportunity to address a particularly influential audience, the attention that reports of the lecture generated for their work, or the opportunities for collaboration that followed. For example:
Example |
Link to MRC Research |
Professor Peter Somogyi (MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit) was invited to give two Feldberg Lectures in 2009 "Neuronal diversity and spike timing: the chronocircuitry of the hippocampus" at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research and the second lecture at the University of Freiburg entitled "Diversity of cortical neurons and rhythmic cooperation in the hippocampus". This led to Professor Somogyi being invited to provide advice to the University of Freiburg and enhanced UK-German collaborations in the field. |
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Professor Francis Creed (University of Manchester) reported that he had received the Hackett Award of the American Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine in 2009. This life-time achievement award recognised Professor Creed’s contributions to psychosomatic medicine, including the impact on international classification of complex somatic symptom disorder. |
Professor Creed held MRC funding in 2007 |
Poster Prizes
132 poster prizes were reported, emphasising the quality of presentations being made from MRC funded research groups at meetings all over the world. For example:
Example |
Link to MRC Research |
Dr Sam Janes (UCL) won the American Thoracic Society Best Abstract in Cell Biology in 2009. This was judged in competition with 1000 other entries and the award led to an interview and TV appearance on a Californian news channel. Dr Janes reports that this led to discussions with Yale University about the research and possible future collaboration. |
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Dr Thamarai Schneiders (University of Edinburgh) presented three abstracts at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in 2009, two were selected for oral presentations and the third as a poster presentation. Of over 6,000 presentations Dr Schneiders received one of 30 conference awards. The work has subsequently been published. |
Other Honors
The award of 112 medals in total to MRC researchers were reported. These reports included recognition in the Queens honours list (4 CBEs, 10 OBEs and 1 Knighthood). A wide variety of research prizes with accompanying medals were also described. Researchers noted impacts, similar to those being invited to give a prestigious lecture, that these medals enhanced awareness of their research and the profile of their work and research group.