In 1899 the Society inaugurated a medal for scientific research of exceptional merit carried out in Ireland. It is now awarded biennially - alternating between a scientist based in Ireland and an Irish scientist based abroad. It remains to this day Ireland's premier science award.

The RDS is delighted to announce that the 2009 Boyle Medal Laureate is Luke O’Neill, Professor of Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin.

The Medal is named after the acclaimed 'father of chemistry', Robert Boyle (1627-1691), who in 1661 not only introduced the concept of elements and compounds, but also propounded the experimental method upon which all modern science is based.

The first recipient of the Medal was George Johnstone Stoney who is best remembered in the history of science for introducing the term electron, which he did in a paper in the Scientific Transactions of the Royal Dublin Society in 1891. Since then the Medal has been awarded to thirty-seven eminent scientists including John Joly, Sir Howard Grubb, the current Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government, Paddy Cunningham, and in 2005, Garret FitzGerald.

Since 1999 the awarding of the Boyle Medal for Scientific Excellence has been a joint venture between the Royal Dublin Society and The Irish Times. This successful collaboration has invigorated the award and refocuses attention on the Irish tradition of excellence in scientific initiative and innovation.

The Medal is awarded every two years and carries with it a cash prize of €20,000. In 2011 the Medal will be awarded to any Irish-born scientist, or pure mathematician, working abroad whose research has attracted international acclaim.  In 2013 the Medal will be awarded to any scientist, or pure mathematician, ordinarily resident in Ireland whose research has made an internationally recognized contribution to their field of study.

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