We are pleased to announce a series of new prizes celebrating the achievements of biological physicists in the UK. These prizes reflect our commitment to nurturing talent at various career stages and promoting the impact of Biological Physics in academia and society.
These prizes will be in addition to the IoP Rosalind Franklin Medal and Prize awarded annual for distinguished contributions to physics applied to the life sciences including biological physics.
Tom McLeish Prize - Honouring outstanding contributions to raising the public profile and vitality of Biological Physics.
The winner for 2025 is Prof Lorna Dougan, University of Leeds.
Frequency of award: Annually
Value of the Prize: £100
Criteria and eligibility: No eligibility constraints
Nominations: Both self-nomination and nomination by others accepted
Selection process: Winner selected by a sub-set of the group committee after review of all submitted nominations
Application submission: All applications should be sent to the Secretary of the Biological Physics Group
Biological Physics Group Early Career Prize 2025 - Celebrating achievements of those who have completed their PhD within the last 10 years.
The winner for 2025 is Dr Jaime Agudo-Canalejo, University College London.
Frequency of award: Annually
Value of the Prize: £100
Criteria and eligibility: Recipient must have completed their PhD within 10 years of 1st January of the year in which the award is made (excluding career breaks)
Nominations: Both self-nomination and nomination by others accepted. The CV of the nominee (6 sides of A4, maximum) and letter of recommendation from the nominator are required.
Selection process: Winner selected by a sub-set of the group committee after review of all submitted nominations
Application submission: All applications should be sent to the Secretary of the Biological Physics Group
Biological Physics Thesis Prize - Recognizing outstanding postgraduate work by a UK student who has completed their thesis in the last two years.
The winner for 2025 is Dr Laura Wiggins, University of Sheffield.
Frequency of award: Annually
Value of the Prize: £250
Criteria and eligibility: Any student from the UK having completed their thesis in the last two years
Nominations: A nomination and summary of the work by the student’s supervisor or another established academic in the UK
Selection process: Winner selected by a sub-set of the group committee after review of all submitted nominations
Application submission: All applications should be sent to the Secretary of the Biological Physics Group
Biological Physics Communications Prize 2025 - Awarding the best contribution to communicating biological physics to the wider public.
The winner for 2025 is Prof Paul Beales, University of Leeds.
Frequency of award: Annually
Value of the Prize: £100
Criteria and eligibility: No eligibility constraints
Nominations: Both self-nomination and nomination by others accepted
Selection process: Winner selected by a sub-set of the group committee after review of all submitted nominations
Application submission: All applications should be sent to the Secretary of the Biological Physics Group