On this page:
- Eligibility
- Selection Criteria
- Entry Process
- Confidentiality of application material
- Judging Panel
- Checklist
Eligibility
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The Prize is given in recognition of an outstanding emerging scientist who is undertaking research for their PhD, or has completed their PhD within the past 5 years.
The applicant must be either a New Zealand citizen or a New Zealand permanent resident and currently domiciled in New Zealand.
The recipient of the Prize is expected to remain active in science research in New Zealand for at least the year following the presentation of the Prize.
The research can encompass the physical, chemical, biological, social and technological sciences, mathematics and engineering.
Re-application by candidates from previous years is encouraged, as long as the eligibility criteria continue to be met. Past winners of the Prize will not be eligible to enter a second time.
Selection Criteria
The selection for The Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize will be based on evidence of the following judging criteria.
The judging criteria are:
- The research is leading edge science
- The research is likely to result in the generation of valuable new knowledge
- The applicant is able to effectively communicate their research
Entry Process
All entries must be received by 5pm, Friday 29th July 2011.
You must complete an on-line entry form for the Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize. This asks for your name, organisation, research title and contact details.
You will be asked to upload a Summary of your research written for an academic audience, up to a maximum of 1000 words. This summary is used to assess the scientific merit of your research in terms of the three judging criteria.
- Provide details of your research question(s), methodology and conclusions. You must have some results, so if your research is at an early stage, please enter in a later year.
- If you are working as part of a research team, you need to make it clear how your research contributes to the team’s objectives.
- You may include diagrams or pictures to help explain your research. Please keep the number of these small as this is a summary – not a full dissertation.
Upload your Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages) including information on published papers, patents or patents pending, and any other measures of professional achievement that you have gained.
The two-page limit for C.V’s must be strictly adhered to, and C.V’s over this limit will not be considered.
The entry must be endorsed by two referees: one of whom will be able to comment on your research, and the other who can comment on your ability to effectively communicate your research.
The referees will be required to fill in a confidential on-line form which addresses the criteria. A link will be emailed to the Referees once the entry section has been completed. They will also need to include a short CV to demonstrate that they are able to comment on the entry.
Post or fax your signed Declaration of Assurance to:
Secretariat
The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes
PO Box 90-040
Auckland 1142
Fax: (09) 360-1242
After the closing date, the Judging Panel will identify the finalists and invite them to an interview which will include a 10 minute presentation of their research and questions from the Judging Panel. If you are successful as a finalist we will arrange for you to be present on judging day, or find a suitable communication method to be able to see your presentation and ask you questions.
Entrants will be asked to agree that any information on the entry form may be used in publicity for the Prizes (see Confidentiality).
If you applied last year we can send you a copy of your application in a Word document. However you must check the 2012 criteria carefully to ensure your entry meets all the eligibility criteria before you resubmit it.
You can contact us on pmscienceprizes@tcc.co.nz if you would like your copy of last year’s application.
Please note that information submitted on the entry form may be subject to the Official Information Act.
A condition of entry is that the Judging Panel may contact outside parties to verify information if needed.
Confidentiality of application material
The Secretariat gives no undertaking to keep confidential any information that is provided in this application unless this is identified as information that should be treated as such. It may, for example, be used to prepare promotional material for the prize in future years.
Judging Panel
The Prime Minister’s decision to present the Prize will have regard to the advice of the Judging Panel.
It is recognised that occasionally members of the Judging Panel will know applicants, or have other conflicts of interest. They will be expected to declare all conflicts of interest when these situations arise. In the case of knowing an applicant, the Chair of the Judging Panel will rule if this is significant enough for the judge to be stood down from the committee for that applicant. (In the case of the Chair having a conflict of interest the decision will be made by another member of the Panel who has been identified in this role at the beginning of the process).
The Judging Panel will not enter into any correspondence concerning its deliberations. All inquiries should be directed to the Secretariat. The Secretariat will not disclose information on matters such as ranking, or names of nominees.
The Secretariat for The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes is the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Secretariat
The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes
PO Box 90-040
Auckland 1142
Phone: (09) 360 1240
Fax: (09) 360-1242
Email: pmscienceprizes@tcc.co.nz
Checklist
- Fully completed entry form
- Attached Research Summary (maximum 1000 words)
- Attached Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages)
- Given details of your two referees so they can be sent their referral forms.
- Read and signed the Terms and Conditions of this prize.
- Signed and posted Declaration of Assurance