Information for Applicants

Aims

The aims of the award are to promote excellence in research in Physics in Australia and to perpetuate the name of Walter Boas.

Nominations are invited for the award of the Walter Boas Medal of the Australian Institute of Physics and should reach the Honorary Secretary by normal mail at the address below, or by email.

The Medal was established in 1984 to promote excellence in research in Physics and to perpetuate the name of Walter Boas. The award is for physics research carried out in the five years prior to the date of the award, as demonstrated by both published papers and unpublished papers prepared for publication, a list of which should accompany the nomination.

Any AIP member may make nominations or may self nominate for the award. Nominees should be members of the AIP and be Australian citizens and should have been residents of Australia for at least five of the seven years preceding the closing date for nominations. The Medal shall not be awarded more than once to any person.

Previous Medal Winners

• 1984 Professor Jim Piper, Macquarie University
• 1985 Dr Peter Hannaford, CSIRO Division of Materials Technology
• 1986 Professor Don Melrose, Sydney University
• 1987 Professor Tony Thomas, University of Adelaide
• 1988 Professor Robert Delbourgo, University of Tasmania
• 1989 Professor Jim Williams, University of Western Australia
• 1990 Professor Geoff Opat, University of Melbourne
• 1990 Professor Tony Klein, University of Melbourne
• 1991 Dr P. Hariharan, CSIRO Division of Applied Physics
• 1992 Professor B.H.J. McKellar, University of Melbourne
• 1993 Professor Jim Williams, Australian National University
• 1994 no medal awarded
• 1995 A/Professor David Blair, University of Western Australia
• 1996 Professor Andris Stelbovics, Murdoch University
• 1996 Dr Igor Bray, Flinders University
• 1997 Professor Keith Nugent, University of Melbourne
• 1997 Dr Stephen Wilkins, CSIRO
• 1998 Professor Robert Clark, University of NSW
• 1999 No award
• 2000 Professor Hans Bachor, Australian National University
• 2001 A/Professor Tony Williams, University of Adelaide
• 2002 Professor Peter Robinson, University of Sydney
• 2003 Professor Gerard Milburn, University of Queensland
• 2004 Prof. George Dracoulis, Australian National University
• 2005 Prof. Yuri Kivshar, Australian National University
• 2006 Prof. Michael Edmund Tobar, The University of Western Australia
• 2007 Assoc. Prof. Derek Leinweber, University of Adelaide
• 2008 Professor Peter Drummond, Swinburne University of Technology
• 2009 Professor Victor Flambaum, University of New South Wales

General Conditions

The award consists of a medal and is open to competition in any year among persons resident in Australia for at least five out of the seven years preceding the closing date of the entry for the award. The award shall be given for original research making, in the opinion of the examiners, the most important contribution to physics. This will be judged in papers published during the four years immediately preceding the date on which entries for the award close, supported where appropriate by unpublished papers or reports on work carried out during that period.

If a candidate considers that knowledge of work carried out prior to the four year period is necessary for the correct evaluation of the record of work submitted for the award, reference may be made to the work where published, or an unpublished account of such previous work may be submitted. The Medal shall not be awarded more than once to the same person.

Supporting Information

Candidates for the award should provide the following:

1. A brief curriculum vitae covering personal details, academic and professional qualifications, outline professional career history, and honours and distinguished awards. A full CV is not necessary.
2. A short account of the research achievements of the candidate (or candidates if there is a joint submission) setting out the achievements on which the application rests and drawing attention to those articles that are important.
3. A list of relevant publications, patents and reports by descriptive title and reference related to the achievements on which the application is based. Where heavy reliance is placed upon material not reasonably available, a copy of this material may also be submitted.

Candidates are invited to provided the names of up to three internationally known referees who have the appropriate expertise to offer a critical appraisal of the candidate's achievements.

Presentation of the Award

The award is conditional on the recipient delivering a seminar on the subject of the award at a meeting of the Victorian Branch of the AIP in November. The recipient is also expected to provide a manuscript based on the seminar for publication in Australian Physics.

Further information and application submission

A call for nominations will be made in Australian Physics each year but further information about this award can be obtained from the AIP Special Projects Officer at the email address given below.

Applications and nominations should be sent by email or mail to:

AIP Special Projects Officer,

Olivia Samardzic,

205 Labs, EWRD,

DSTO,

P.O. Box 1500,

Edinburgh, SA 5111.

Email: Special Projects Officer