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Bakerian Medal and Lecture

This prize lecture is the premier lecture in the physical sciences.

  • Opening date

  • Closing date

  • Winners announcement

The award

The Bakerian Medal and Lecture is the premier lecture in physical sciences. The lectureship was established through a bequest by  of £100 for 'an oration or discourse on such part of natural history or experimental philosophy, at such time and in such manner as the President and Council of the Society for the time being shall please to order and appoint'. The lecture series began in 1775. The medal is of bronze, is awarded annually and is accompanied by a gift of £10,000.

Eligibility

The Bakerian Medal and Lecture is open to international citizens. It is restricted to senior scientists and nominations will remain valid and shall be considered by the award selection committee throughout three nomination cycles. Teams or groups may now be nominated for this award.

Nominations are closed

Nominations are closed and will reopen on 30 November 2026.

Royal Society Bakerian Prize Lecture

91TV Bakerian Prize Lecture by the 2026 winner, Professor John Rogers FRS, took place on Tuesday 12 May 2026. .

2027 winner

  • Professor Karen J Heywood OBE FRS

    Professor Karen J Heywood OBE FRS

    The Bakerian Medal and Lecture 2027 is awarded to Professor Karen J Heywood OBE FRS for her outstanding contributions as a physical oceanographer who has documented how the Southern Ocean interacts with the Antarctic continent.

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Past winners

  • Professor John Rogers ForMemRS
    Awarded in 2026

    Professor John Ashley Rogers FRS

    For his foundational scientific and engineering contributions to the field of bioelectronics.
  • Professor Ingrid Daubechies
    Awarded in 2025

    Professor Ingrid Daubechies

    For her outstanding work on wavelets and image compression and her exceptional contributions to a wide spectrum of physical, technological, and mathematical applications.
  • Michele Doughtery
    Awarded in 2024

    Professor Michele Dougherty CBE FRS

    For her scientific leadership of the Cassini magnetic field instrument at Saturn, seminal research findings on potential life support on Enceladus and leadership of forthcoming missions to probe Jupiter’s icy moons.
  • Andrew Zisserman
    Awarded in 2023

    Professor Andrew Zisserman FRS

    For research on computational theory and commercial systems for geometrical analysis of images, and for being a pioneer and leading scientist in machine learning for vision, especially image recognition.
  • Michelle Simmons
    Awarded in 2022

    Professor Michelle Simmons AO FRS

    For seminal contributions to our understanding of nature at the atomic-scale by creating a sequence of world-first quantum electronic devices in which individual atoms control device behaviour.
  • Victoria Kaspi
    Awarded in 2021

    Professor Victoria Kaspi CC FRS

    Delivered lecture: ‘Fast Radio Bursts’.
  • James Hough
    Awarded in 2020

    Sir James Hough OBE FRS

    Delivered lecture: ‘Ripples from the Dark Side of the Universe - a bright future ahead’.
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    Awarded in 2019

    Professor Edward Hinds FRS

    Delivered lecture: ‘The Quantum Revolution in Science and Technology’.
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    Awarded in 2018

    Professor Susan Solomon ForMemRS

    Delivered lecture: ‘Meeting the scientific and policy challenges of the Antarctic ozone hole: a global success story’.
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    Awarded in 2017

    Sir Andrew Hopper CBE FREng FRS

    For his outstanding research in computer technology.
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    Awarded in 2016

    Professor Andrea Ghez

    Delivered lecture: 'The monster at the heart of our galaxy'.
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    Awarded in 2015

    Professor John Ellis FRS

    Delivered lecture: 'The Long Road to the Higgs Boson - and Beyond'.