Early Career Prize for Excellence in Higher Education

Nominations are open now until 17:00 GMT Tuesday 17 June 2025.

• The prize is open to nominees working in the higher education sector in the UK or Ireland
• Nominees should be within 5 years of starting their career in education (inclusive of any training year) at the closing date for nominations Consideration will also be given to those who have taken career breaks, changed to a career in education or followed different career paths
• Nominees do not need to be members of the RSC
• Nominators do not need to be members of the RSC
• Nominees may not nominate themselves
• We will not consider nominations of deceased individuals.
• Nominees can only be considered for one of our individual Excellence in Education prizes in any given year. In the case where an individual is nominated for more than one prize independently, RSC staff will ask the nominee which prize they would like to be considered for
• Individuals named in any of the following roles during the nomination and judging period are not eligible to nominate or be nominated:
  • Education Prize Committee members
  • RSC Subject Community Presidents
  • RSC Prize Committee members
  • Trustees of the Royal Society of Chemistry
  • Royal Society of Chemistry staff
• When nominating previous RSC prize winners, please remember that a person cannot be awarded twice for substantially the same body of work
• Nominees should only be nominated once for this prize in any given prize cycle. In cases where we receive more than one nomination for the same nominee, only one nomination will go forward to judging
• Since 2023, we have been trialling a process where all unsuccessful nominations will automatically rollover once, to be considered for the next round of the prize, unless the nominee's circumstances have changed to make them ineligible. This means that:
  • All nominations submitted for the first time for a 2024 prize will be considered for a 2025 prize. We strongly encourage nominators to update their nomination between cycles when the nomination window is open
  • The RSC Prize Committee will review the outcomes from the trial in July 2025

To make a nomination, please use our online nominations system to submit the following information:

• Your name and contact details
• Your nominee's name and contact details
• A short citation describing what the nominee should be awarded for. This must be no longer than 250 characters (including spaces) and no longer than one sentence
• A supporting statement (up to 750 words) addressing the selection criteria
• References are not required for this prize and will not be accepted 

The RSC reserves the right to rescind any prize if there are reasonable grounds to do so. All nominators will be asked to confirm that, to the best of their knowledge, their nominee's professional standing is such that there is no confirmed or potential impediment to them receiving this prize. All winners will be asked to sign the RSC's Code of Conduct Declaration for Recognition.

Our selection committees base their evaluations primarily on the overall quality of relevant contributions made by nominees and not on quantitative measures. In your nomination, you should show how the nominee demonstrates emerging impact in one or more of the selection criteria below. While nominees for this prize should be working in higher education, they may demonstrate evidence of the criteria within any stage of education. Nominees do not have to demonstrate all of the selection criteria to be considered for the prize.

The selection committee will consider the following aspects of nominations for this prize:

• Demonstrating effectiveness in delivering or supporting teaching and/or assessment of chemistry
• Contributing to the design of an innovative and effective chemistry curriculum
• Enthusing students through practical chemistry
• Raising the profile of chemistry in the curriculum and through extracurricular activities so that students are inspired to become more aware of chemistry and its relevance to society
• Inspiring and encouraging students to take chemistry further, in study or in their career choice
• Championing inclusion and diversity in chemistry education.
• A commitment to continuing professional development
• Other indicators of esteem indicated by the nominee/nominator

Education Prize Committee

• Chair - Niki Kaiser, Notre Dame High School
• Genevieve Adukpo, University of Cape Coast
• Amir Ali, London Nautical School
• Emma Bickerstaffe, Horizon Community College
• James Cairney, Cumbernauld Academy
• Alison Hill - University of Exeter
• Amie Langford, Manchester Metropolitan University
• Colin McGill, Edinburgh Napier University
• Stuart Naismith, Gartcosh Primary School
• Gita Sedghi, University of Liverpool

This prize was created in 2020, as part of a series of changes introduced following an independent review of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s recognition programmes.