On this page:
- Eligibility
- Selection Criteria
- Entry Process
- Confidentiality of application material
- Judging Panel
- Expectations
- Checklist for entering for The Prime Minister’s Science Prize
- Starting the Entry Process
Eligibility
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This Prize is for a transformative science discovery or achievement, which has had a significant economic, health, social, and/or environmental impact on New Zealand, or internationally. 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 or internationally 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 applicant or nominated Team Representative must be either a New Zealand citizen or a New Zealand permanent resident and be 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.
Re-application by Individuals or Teams from previous years is encouraged as long as the eligibility criteria continue to be met. However, past winners of the Prize will not be eligible to enter a second time.
Selection Criteria
Selection for The Prime Minister’s Science Prize will be based on evidence of the following judging criteria.
The Judging Criteria are:
- The discovery or achievement has led to an economic, health, social and/or environmental impact on New Zealand, or internationally
- The science behind the discovery or achievement is transformative
Entry Process
All entries must be completed and received by 5pm, 29th July 2011
The on-line entry form for The Prime Minister’s Science Prize will be completed by the Individual applicant or the Team Representative.
The entry must be endorsed by two referees. The first referee will be able to give expert opinion about the impact of the discovery or achievement on New Zealand, or internationally.The second will be an international referee able to give expert opinion on the transformative science behind the discovery or achievement. (Referee’s cannot be part of the team submitting an entry).
These two referees will be required to fill in an on-line form which addresses each of the selection 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 (maximum of 1 page) to demonstrate that they are able to comment on the entry.
Entrants must also include the contact details for three other referees, who could be contacted by the Judging panel for further information on the discovery or achievement.
Applicants 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 interviews to help inform their decision.
Please note that information submitted on the entry form may be subject to the Official Information Act.
A further condition of entry is that the Judging Panel may contact outside parties to verify information if needed.
If you applied last year we can send you a copy of your 2010 application in a Word document. However you must check the 2011 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.
Confidentiality of application material
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.
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 such knowledge and conflicts of interest. In cases where an applicant is the colleague of a Panellist, 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
Expectations
$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 (though this is not part of the judging criteria).
$100,000 of the Prize money is available to the successful individual or team, 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.
Checklist for entering for The Prime Minister’s Science Prize
- Your transformative science discovery or achievement has led to an economic, health, social and/or environmental impact on New Zealand, or internationally
- 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 their field of science
- You have nominated two referees including one international referee. (The referees cannot be part of the team submitting the entry)
- You have listed the contact details for three other referees.
- The team has agreed on a plan for the use of the $400,000. (This is not part of the Judging process)
Starting the Entry Process
The individual or Team Representative can apply through the online entry form. The entry form will become available on Monday, 16th May 2011.