The Prime Minister's Future Scientist

This prize is worth $50,000. The Prize will be awarded to either a Year 12 or Year 13 student who has undertaken an outstanding science, technology, mathematics or engineering project.

The Prime Minister's Science Teacher

This Prize is worth $150,000. The Prize will be awarded to a registered primary, intermediate or secondary school teacher who is teaching science, mathematics, technology, pūtaiao, hangarau or pāngarau learning areas of the New Zealand curriculum. Teachers must be teaching in a registered New Zealand school.

The Prime Minister's MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist

This Prize is worth $200,000. This Prize will be awarded to an outstanding emerging scientist who has had their PhD or an equivalent qualification conferred within the past eight years.

The Prime Minister's Science Communicator

This Prize is worth $75,000. The Prize will be awarded to either a practising scientist who can demonstrate an interest, passion and aptitude for science communication and public engagement, or to a person who has developed expertise in public engagement with, or communication of complex scientific or technological information to the public.

The Prime Minister's Science Prize

This Prize is worth $500,000. The Prize is for a transformative scientific 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.

Applications for 2021 will open in July (date to be confirmed)

The Trophies

The design for the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes reflects scientific process in concept, form and production technology.

Science and mathematics both rely on a cyclical process of observation, hypothesis, prediction and experiment. This design – based on the Helix, or Mӧbius Strip – was the result of this thinking.

Aluminium was the chosen medium – for the numerous advances New Zealand has made with aluminium alloys, and for the frequency with which we use the metal as a nation.

The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes Secretariat is very appreciative to Callaghan Innovation and their advanced engineering protoshop who design and produce these trophies each year.

Reflections from past winners Ngā Toa

News Te Karere

2020 Prime Minister’s Science Prizes

The 2020 Prime Minister’s Science Prizes application process will open midday Monday 3 August 2020 and will close on Friday 9 October 2020. We look forward to receiving your application. If you have any questions please make contact with Debbie at pmscienceprizes@royalsociety.org.nz … Read More

Robot that takes your wheelie bin to the kerb wins Prime Minister’s Future Scientist prize

A robot that’s designed to take wheelie bins to and from the kerb for the elderly and people with disabilities has won a 17-year-old Christchurch school student the $50,000 Prime Minister’s Future Scientist Prize for 2019. Thomas James, a Year 13 student at Burnside High School, designed “Wheelie Drive” after … Read More

New Zealand scientists who made climate change sea level rise discovery win Prime Minister’s Science Prize 2019

The New Zealand scientists behind the break-through discovery that Antarctica’s ice sheets melted rapidly in the past, and could have a significant impact on global sea level rise over the next 80 years, have won the 2019 Prime Minister’s Science Prize. The group of more than 20 geologists, glaciologists, climate … Read More