Eileen Guppy Technicians’ Award
© Photograph of Eileen Guppy courtesy of the British Geological Survey (image no. p810156)
This is a new award of the Mineralogical Society with the first award to be made in 2027.
Nominations/applications are sought for the award of this prize which was founded 2025 and named in honour of Dr Eileen Mary Guppy (1903–1980), a geologist, petrologist and analytical chemist. She was the first female geologist appointed by the organization now known as the British Geological Survey, working as a technical assistant. This award has been established by the Council of the Mineralogical Society of the UK and Ireland.
The advanced practical and technical knowledge of technicians and experimental officers is an asset to every university and research institute. To celebrate and create recognition of their contributions we are delighted to introduce the first award that specifically focusses on the contributions of technicians. Thereby we also aim to address some of the lack of visibility and recognition that the technical community has experienced.
Purpose
The award aims to showcase the vital role of technicians in enabling and delivering high-quality research. Technicians and experimental officers form a key part of almost all research teams delivering a wide variety of technical and analytical expertise. This award focuses specifically on the contributions of technicians in the fields of Mineralogy and Earth Sciences, and aims to showcase the leading contributions of individuals and teams in the delivery of world class research and development.
In addition to individuals from universities and research institutes, this award is also open to technical teams, as work from technicians in labs is often collaborative. This would particularly benefit the collaborative team work at national facilities. Awards will be made to individuals in odd years, e.g. 2027 and to teams in even years, i.e. the following year, 2028.
The Award will consist of a Certificate and a Plaque to be awarded at an appropriate scientific event of the Society.
How to apply/nominate
Complete this nomination form and submit it, along with a copy of the applicant’s/nominee’s (short) CV. Note that each of the criteria listed below as evidence of excellence, will be considered by the Awards Team when they vote. Please ensure that your nomination refers to as many of these categories as possible.
TECHNICAL
- Data generation/analytical skills
- Contributing to method design and validation
- Supporting or leading on the installation or design of new equipment or infrastructure to advance analytical research aspects and for fieldwork
- Introducing or driving novel or practical approach in research and teaching
- Evidence of introducing, maintaining or leading concepts towards more sustainable research and laboratory environment (e.g. reducing environmental impact, energy usage, waste, etc.)
- Sustained excellence in supporting of daily labs tasks and processes
TEACHING/TRAINING/SAFETY
- Providing support or creative input of experimental techniques and equipment for teaching
- Ensuring a safe laboratory environment for researchers/students
- Developing laboratory-specific training.
- Participating in knowledge-exchange activities which provide scientific and technical perspective in the outreach activities
RESEARCH
- Generating or supporting research income
- Generating or supporting publication of research articles
COMMUNITY & EDI
- Contributing to lab-based or departmental EDI initiatives
- Mentoring of colleagues and students
- Fostering an inclusive and supportive atmosphere and culture in the laboratory
- Contributions to the wider scientific community (e.g. by supporting the work of a learned Society)
OTHER
- Skills or achievements that are not covered in any of the above categories
Nominations will remain on the table for three years. Previous recipients of the award, Society Officers, members of Council and members of the Committee (at the time of nomination and adjudication) will not be eligible for the award.
Nominations are now sought for the 2027 award
Nominations for the 2027 medal should be sent to the Chair of the Awards Committee, at the Society’s office, to arrive not later than 18th April 2026. The nomination should be attached to an e-mail with a title which identifies the name of the award and the name of the nominee. The e-mail address to use is kevin@minersoc.org
The nominations will be considered, and recommendations to Council will be made, by the Society’s Awards Committee.