Measurement awards

The Barry Inglis Medal is named after Dr Barry Inglis, the NMI’s first CEO and Chief Metrologist and is intended for professionals with a sustained record of achievement.

The NMI Prize is intended for early to mid-career professionals.

Each recipient receives $2,000 in prize money and a trophy.

The People’s Choice Award is being offered for the first time in 2022. This winner receives $500 in prize money and is chosen on the basis of audience response.

2022 Metrology Awards

We held the annual Metrology Awards online on Tuesday, 16 August 2022 to recognise outstanding achievements in measurement. Finalists, including the award winners, were invited to give a presentation for a People’s Choice Award at this special public National Science Week event.

Application process

Individuals or groups who have made one or more significant measurement-related achievements can apply for the awards.

These achievements can be in any scientific or technical field, as long as the measurement of something tangible is central to the achievement.

Examples could include:

• designing a new measurement method
• improving our understanding of measurement science
• applying measurements in a new way to address an industry challenge or societal concern.

Applications should be based on an activity conducted in Australia or for which the primary applicant is an Australian citizen. 

The NMI Prize is intended for early to mid-career professionals. Applicants should be aged 35 years or under at the date applications close.

Employees of NMI and their immediate family members cannot be included in an application for these awards.

Shortlisted applicants

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted once applications have closed. These applicants will then have an in-depth phone discussion via with a panel member.

Following the discussion, the panel may request an applicant nominated referee for additional input. The referee should be an individual with a professional connection to the applicant. The referee will need to talk to the work described in the application. They will need to comment on how it addresses the award assessment criteria.

Assessment criteria

Applications will be assessed by a panel against the following equally weighted criteria:

• degree and significance of impact, for example, whether the achievement had a local, national or international effect
• benefit to Australia, in particular Australian science, Australian industry or the Australian community
• scientific or technical novelty.

The NMI Prize and Barry Inglis Medal may not be awarded in years where no applications of sufficient quality are received.