The
Prime
Minister’s
Science
Prizes

The Prize is for a discovery or achievement, which has had a significant economic, health, social, and/or environmental impact on New Zealand. It will be awarded to an individual or team instrumental in creating the impact.

While the research behind the discovery or achievement may have occurred over any time-period, to be eligible there must be a clear indication that the impact on New Zealand has taken place in the last 5 years.

$100,000 of the Prize will go directly to the individual or team and $400,000 will be to support their on-going work.

Individuals or teams are invited to enter for this Prize. For a team entry, one person must be designated as the ‘Team Representative’. This person will need to be prepared to be the public face of the discovery or achievement. This will include receiving the Prize, speaking with the media and carrying out tasks appropriate for a recipient of The Prime Minister’s Science Prize.

The individual or nominated Team Representative must be either a New Zealand citizen or a New Zealand permanent resident and active in their field of science.

The research behind the discovery or achievement must have met current standards of ethical practice and have been carried out largely in New Zealand.

In the subsequent years of this Prize, no person or team who has already received the Prize will be eligible to enter again in a similar area.

Selection for The Prime Minister’s Science Prize will be based on evidence of an outstanding science discovery or achievement which has resulted in an economic, health, social and/or environmental impact on New Zealand.

The Judging Criteria are:

• How the discovery or achievement has led to an economic, health, social and/or environmental impact on New Zealand
• The intellectual excellence and rigour of the discovery or achievement
• The significance of the impact on New Zealand

All entries must be completed and received by 18 December 2009.

The on-line entry form for The Prime Minister’s Science Prize will need to be completed by the individual or the Team Representative.

The entry will need to be endorsed by two Supporters who are also able to give expert opinion about the discovery or achievement and its impact on New Zealand. (The Supporter cannot be part of the team submitting an entry).

Supporters will be required to fill in an on-line form which addresses each of the selection criteria. A link will be emailed to the Supporters once the entry section has been completed. They will also need to prepare a short CV to demonstrate that they are able to comment on the entry.

Entrants will be asked to agree to a declaration that any information on the entry form may be used in publicity for the Prize (see Confidentiality).

The Judging Panel reserves the right to hold an interview with the entrant to help inform their decision.

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.

The Secretariat gives no undertaking to keep confidential any information provided in the on-line entry form unless this is identified as information that should be treated as such. Information may, for example, be used to prepare promotional material for the Prize in future years.

The Prime Minister’s decision to present the Prize will have regard to the advice of the Judging Panel. The Judging Panel will comprise an eminent New Zealand scientist, an international eminent scientist, and an eminent New Zealander.

It is recognised that on occasion members of the Judging Panel will know applicants or have other conflicts of interest. They will be expected to declare all such knowledge and conflicts of interest. In cases where an applicant is colleague of a Panelist, the Chair of the Judging Panel will rule if this conflict is significant enough for the judge to be stood down from the Panel for that entry. (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. Note that information on matters such as ranking, or names of unsuccessful entrants, will not be disclosed.

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

Tel: (09) 360 1240
Fax: (09) 360 1242
Email: pmscienceprizes@tcc.co.nz

$400,000 of the Prize is to be used to support the on-going work of the individual or team. A plan for the use of this funding must be included in the on-line form.

$100,000 of the Prize money is available to the successful individual or team and with no expectations on its use.

The individual or Team Representative receiving the Prize will be expected to be involved in promotional opportunities appropriate for a recipient of The Prime Minister’s Science Prize.

• Your discovery or achievement has led to an economic, health, social and/or environmental impact on New Zealand
• This impact has taken place in the last 5 years
• For a team entry one person is designated as the ‘Team Representative’
• You or, for a Team, the nominated Team Representative, is either a New Zealand citizen or a New Zealand permanent resident and active in his/her field of science and/or technology
• You have nominated two Supporters who have a solid understanding of, and are able to give expert opinion, about the discovery or achievement and its impact on New Zealand. (The Supporters cannot be part of the team submitting the entry)
• The team has agreed on a plan for the use of the $400,000. (This is not part of the Judging process)

The individual or Team Representative can apply through the online entry form. The entry form will become available on Monday, 2nd November 2009.