The Geological Society has conferred awards since 1831, when its senior medal, the Wollaston, was first awarded to William Smith. Recipients of our Awards, Medals and Funds are selected based upon criteria that includes making a significant contribution to scientific research or to applied and economic geology, or eminent contributions to any branch of geology or distinction in the practice of geology.
The following is a list of our Society Awards, Medals and Funds. A full description and a list of past winners since 1831 can be found by clicking on the name of each award.
Career Achievement Awards
Service and/or Outreach Awards
Mid-Career Awards
Early Career Funds
- Wollaston Fund: noteworthy published research in either or both 'pure' and 'applied' aspects of the science
- Lyell Fund: noteworthy published research in soft rock studies
- Murchison Fund: noteworthy published research in hard rock studies
- William Smith Fund: excellence in contributions to applied and economic aspects of geoscience
- President's Awards: significant early career promise and future leader potential
Nominations for Society Awards 2025
Nominations for our 2025 Society Awards are now closed.
Award Winners 2024
The full list of our 2024 Award Winners can be found here.
Our 2024 Awards were presented at our annual President's Day. Read about the day here.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility in our Awards, Medals and Funds
We are committed to supporting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA) across the Society, and since 2020 have made it a priority to help encourage and celebrate equity and inclusion through our awards programme.
We have been taking steps to review and amend our procedures and regulations to support this priority. In 2022, our Council approved a new working group with the aim of generating best practice recommendations to ensure that the Society's values and recognition process delivers maximum impact for the Earth Sciences community and wider society.
The working group is tasked with reflecting on various aspects of our awards process and recommending changes where necessary. In 2023, a Chair was appointed to work alongside our Higher Education and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Lead, our Vice President (EDI), and our Director of Science & Engagement to move this project forward.
Anyone who is interested in finding out more, contributing to the aims of the working group, or being part of our Awards & Grants Committee should contact [email protected].
Award citations and replies