Bakerian Medal and Lecture
This prize lecture is the premier lecture in the physical sciences.
Opening date
Closing date
Winners announcement
Exact date TBC
The award
The Bakerian Medal and Lecture is the premier lecture in physical sciences. The lectureship was established through a bequest byHenry Baker FRS (PDF) of £100 for 'an oration or discourse on such part of natural history or experimental philosophy, at such time and in such manner as the President and Council of the Society for the time being shall please to order and appoint'. The lecture series began in 1775. The medal is of silver gilt, is awarded annually and is accompanied by a gift of £10,000.
Eligibility
The Bakerian medal and lecture is open to international citizens. It is restricted to senior scientists and nominations will remain valid and shall be considered by the award selection committee throughout three nomination cycles. Teams or groups may now be nominated for this award.
Bakerian Prize Lecture 2025
Join us at the Royal Society or online for Professor Ingrid Daubechies FRS prize lecture on 2 June 2025.Find out how to register for this event.
Nominations are closed
Nominations are closed and will reopen in December 2025.
2025 winner
Professor Ingrid Daubechies
The Bakerian Medal and Lecture 2025 is awarded to Professor Ingrid Daubechies for her outstanding work on wavelets and image compression and her exceptional contributions to a wide spectrum of physical, technological, and mathematical applications.
Past winners
Awarded in2024Professor Michele Dougherty CBE FRS
For her scientific leadership of the Cassini magnetic field instrument at Saturn, seminal research findings on potential life support on Enceladus and leadership of forthcoming missions to probe Jupiter’s icy moons.
Awarded in2023Professor Andrew Zisserman FRS
For research on computational theory and commercial systems for geometrical analysis of images, and for being a pioneer and leading scientist in machine learning for vision, especially image recognition.
Awarded in2022Professor Michelle Simons AO FRS
For seminal contributions to our understanding of nature at the atomic-scale by creating a sequence of world-first quantum electronic devices in which individual atoms control device behaviour.
Awarded in2021Professor Victoria Kaspi CC FRS
Delivered lecture: ‘Fast Radio Bursts’.
Awarded in2020Sir James Hough OBE FRS
Delivered lecture: ‘Ripples from the Dark Side of the Universe - a bright future ahead’.
Awarded in2019Professor Edward Hinds FRS
Delivered lecture: ‘The Quantum Revolution in Science and Technology’.- Awarded in2018
Professor Susan Solomon ForMemRS
Delivered lecture: ‘Meeting the scientific and policy challenges of the Antarctic ozone hole: a global success story’. - Awarded in2017
Sir Andrew Hopper CBE FREng FRS
For his outstanding research in computer technology. - Awarded in2016
Professor Andrea Ghez
Delivered lecture: 'The monster at the heart of our galaxy'. - Awarded in2015
Professor John Ellis FRS
Delivered lecture: 'The Long Road to the Higgs Boson - and Beyond'. - Awarded in2014
Dame Lynn Gladden DBE FRS
Delivered lecture: 'It’s magnetic resonance – but not as you know it'. - Awarded in2013
Professor David Leigh FRS
Delivered lecture: 'Making the tiniest machines'.