Inaugurated in 1899, the Boyle Medal continues to recognise scientific research of exceptional merit and remains to this day Ireland's premier science award.

Since its inception, the Medal has been awarded to39 distinguished scientists including George Johnstone Stoney (1899), John Joly (1911), Edward Conway (1967), Patrick Cunningham (1996), Garret A. FitzGerald (2005), Luke O’Neill (2009); Margaret Murnane (2011) and Seamus Martin (2014).

In 1999 the awarding of the Boyle Medal became a joint venture between the RDS and The Irish Times. It is now awarded biennially - alternating between a scientist based in Ireland and an Irish scientist based abroad. It also carries with it a cash prize of €20,000. 

Seamus J. Martin, Smurfit Professor of Medical Genetics, Trinity College Dublin was awarded the 2014 RDS Irish Times Boyle Medal for Scientific Excellence for his pioneering work in molecular biology and immunology. Professor Martin has made outstanding contributions to the understanding of programmed cell death, a process that underpins numerous aspects of human biology and which has significant implications for the treatment of major diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and autoimmunity.

To watch Professor Martin's lecture 'The Secret Life of Cells', from his March 2015 conferral ceremony at the RDS, please clickhere. 

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.

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