Inaugural Prime Minister’s $1 million science prizes presented
Tuesday, 9 March, 2010
The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes, New Zealand’s most valuable science awards, have been presented to top achieving scientists in Auckland today.
The prizes were introduced in 2009 to raise the profile and prestige of science among New Zealanders. They combine recognition and reward, with total prize money of one million dollars.
A team of scientists at the forefront of new global power technology, which is projected to be worth $200 million to the New Zealand economy by the end of this decade, receives the inaugural Prime Minister’s Science Prize.
Dr Jeff Tallon and Dr Bob Buckley have made a string of discoveries in the field of high temperature superconductors (HTS) and used them as a platform to establish world-leading export businesses in HTS products.
They have led Industrial Research Limited’s (IRL) superconductor research and commercialisation activity for 20 years. Drs Buckley and Tallon receive prize money of $500,000, with $400,000 going to IRL for continued development of HTS technology.
High-temperature superconductors allow the flow of electricity without loss of energy, and can provide significant cost savings in areas ranging from power transmission to manufacturing.
Other prize winners are:
The Prime Minister’s 2009 Science Teacher Prize
The Prime Minister’s 2009 Science Teacher Prize has been awarded to Morrinsville College teacher, Dr Paul Lowe, for his creation of new teaching programmes which are turning science into a popular subject and improving learning attitudes among students. Dr Lowe receives $50,000 and Morrinsville College receives $100,000.
- Read more about Paul Lowe and the Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize
The Prime Minister’s 2009 Future Scientist Prize
The Prime Minister’s 2009 Future Scientist Prize has been presented to an 18-year-old student who has made ground breaking discoveries about the physics of light. Stanley Roache, a former student from Onslow College in Wellington, wins a scholarship worth $50,000 to help pay for his tertiary studies.
- Read more about Stanley Roache and the Prime Minister's Future Scientist Prize
The Prime Minister’s 2009 MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize
The Prime Minister’s 2009 MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist prize goes to Victoria University of Wellington PhD candidate John Watt, who was also the winner of the 2009 MacDiarmid Scientist of the Year title. John’s prize is worth $150,000, with $100,000 to be used to further research and commercialise his world-leading research into the growth of nanoparticles to improve air quality by reducing toxic vehicle exhaust emissions.
The Prime Minister’s Science 2009 Communication Prize
The Prime Minister’s Science 2009 Communication Prize will give Elizabeth Connor, Wellington, the opportunity to help change New Zealander’s attitudes to science and encourage a greater understanding of the contribution science makes to the country. Her prize provides $150,000 to further develop her knowledge of science media communication.
About the Prizes
In addition to a monetary award, recipients of Prime Minister’s Science Prizes receive a specially designed trophy.
The trophies are made from aluminium, chosen for the numerous advances New Zealand has made with aluminium alloys and for the frequency with which aluminium is used in New Zealand.
The trophy is designed to reflect scientific process in concept, form and production technology. Science and mathematics both rely on a cyclic process of observation, hypothesis, prediction and experiment. The design, based on the Helix or Möbius Strip, was the result of this thinking.