Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS, has been named as the 2021 winner of the world’s oldest scientific prize, the Royal Society’s prestigious Copley Medal.
She is one of 26 medal and award winners, who are recognised for their exceptional research and outstanding contributions, from advancing quantum computing, revolutionising prenatal testing, and challenging racist pseudoscience.
Dame Jocelyn is recognised for her work on the discovery of pulsars, one of the major astronomical advances of the 20th century.
She becomes the second woman to be awarded the Copley Medal, joining past winners including Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin.
Dame Jocelyn said: “I am delighted to be the recipient of this year’s Copley Medal, a prize which has been awarded to so many incredible scientists.
“With many more women having successful careers in science, and gaining recognition for their transformational work, I hope there will be many more female Copley winners in the near future.
“My career has not fitted a conventional – male – pattern. Being the first person to identify pulsars would be the highlight of any career; but I have also swung sledgehammers and built radio telescopes; set up a successful group of my own studying binary stars; and was the first female president of the Institute of Physics and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
“I hope that my work and presence as a senior woman in science continues to encourage more women to pursue scientific careers”.
The award includes a £25,000 gift which Dame Jocelyn will add to Institute of Physics’ Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund, providing grants to graduate students from under-represented groups in physics.
This year also sees the awarding of a new prize, the Royal Society Rising Star Africa Prize, in memory of Paul O’Brien FRS.
The prize recognises early-career research scientists based in Africa who are making an innovative contribution to the physical, mathematical and engineering sciences and includes a £14,000 research grant as well as a cash gift.
Dr Nowsheen Goonoo was awarded the inaugural prize for her work developing new biomaterials. Based at the University of Mauritius her work makes use of locally available resources, such as biodegradable dressings for diabetic foot ulcers derived from seaweed.
Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said: “Through its medals and awards the Royal Society recognises those researchers and science communicators who have played a critical part in expanding our understanding of the world around us.”
“From advancing vaccine development to catching the first glimpses of distant pulsars, these discoveries shape our societies, answer fundamental questions and open new avenues for exploration.
“On behalf of the Royal Society I congratulate each of our award winners and thank them for their work.”
Read the full story at https://royalsociety.org/news/2021/08/medals-awards-2021/