Submit your nominations for prestigious UK rubber and plastics awards

Nominations are being invited for a prestigious award recognising personal achievement in the rubber and plastics sectors.

The IOM’s Polymer Society is accepting submissions for nominees for both the Hancock Medal and the Swinburne Medal and Prize 2016.

First awarded in 1951, the Hancock Medal is awarded to an individual for outstanding service to the rubber industry where such services have benefited the nation, government authorities or industry.

Open to members of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining, this award recognises the pioneering work of Thomas Hancock (1786-1865) in introducing the vulcanised rubber manufacturing process into Europe in 1857.

Previous winners of the Hancock Medal have been Dr Andrew Tinker and Mr. Manu M. Patel.

In addition, the Swinburne Medal and Prize, first awarded in 1960,  recognises the achievement of a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and knowledge of any field related to the science, engineering or technology of plastics.

It is a requirement of acceptance that the recipient shall prepare and deliver the Swinburne Lecture on an occasion selected by the Institute. The award consists of a gold medal and £250 honorarium.

This award commemorates the work carried out by Sir James Swinburne (1858-1958), often called the ‘Father of British Plastics’, who revolutionised the plastics industry throughout Europe with his introduction to the phenol-formaldehyde reaction and subsequent involvement in the Bakelite process.

Recent previous winners of the Swinburne Medal and Prize have been Prof Robert Young, Prof Ton Peijs, and Prof Phil Coates.

The closing date for nominations for both Awards is Wednesday 25th November 2015 and further information and nomination details can be found here.