Rumford Medal

Rumford Medal
Count Rumford (Sir Benjamin Thompson), for whom the award is named.
Awarded for	"outstanding contributions in the field of physics"
Date	1800 (1800)
Country	United Kingdom
Presented by	Britain's Royal Society
Website	https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/awards/rumford-medal
Precedence
Next (higher)	Royal Medal (Commonwealth or Irish citizens or residents only)

The Rumford Medal is an award bestowed by Britain's Royal Society every alternating year for "outstanding contributions in the field of physics". The award is named in honour of British scientist Benjamin Thompson, known as, Count Rumford, who is known for his works on thermodynamics, and for establishing the Royal Institution. The award was established in 1796 after Thompson transferred £1000 to the Royal Society as stocks, directing the organization to grant the interest of the fund as a premium to the awardee.^[1] Thompson was awarded the inaugural award in 1800.

The award consists of two medals, silver and gold, struck in the same die, and made of silver gilt.^[2] The medals are awarded with a cash prize of £2,000.^[3] The diameter of the medal is 3 inch (7.62 cm). British painter Robert Smirke created the original design of the medal. The obverse had a tripod altar with a flame upon it, circumscribed by a Latin inscription from Lucretius' poem De Rerum Natura ("Noscere quae vis et causa"). The reverse had the Latin inscription "Proemium optime merenti ex instituto Benj. a Rumford, S.R.I. Comitis: adjudicatum a Reg. Soc. Lond." surrounded by an ornamental border of leaves.^[4] This design was discontinued in 1863. Currently, the obverse of the medal has a portrait of Thompson, surrounded by the Latin inscription "Beniamin Ab Rvmford S. Rom. Imp. Comes Institvit", with the Roman numeral MDCCXCVI (1796) on the exergue. The reverse has the Latin inscription "Optime In Lvcis Caloqisqve Natvra Exqvirena Merenti Adivdicat Soc: Reg: Lond:" inscribed within a wreath of oak and laurel leaves bound with ribbons.^[5]

All citizens or residents of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth of Nations, or the Republic of Ireland for more than three years are eligible for the medal. Candidates for the medal are selected by the Royal Society Council on the recommendations of the Physical Sciences Awards Committee.^[6] For ten times during the early 19th century, no medals were awarded due to the unavailability of suitable candidates or political considerations of the Royal Society Council.^[1]

Since its inception, the medal has been granted to 107 scientists. It has been awarded to citizens of the United Kingdom sixty-one times^[a], France fourteen times, Germany eight times, the Netherlands seven times, Sweden four times, the United States three times, Italy twice and once each to citizens of Australia, Hungary, Belgium, Luxembourg and New Zealand. The medal has been awarded to multiple individuals twice: in 1896, to Phillip Lenard and Wilhelm Röntgen and in 1918, to Charles Fabry and Alfred Perot. From 1800 to 2018, the medal was awarded biennially; since then it is awarded annually. The most recent recipient is British engineer and academic Polina Bayvel, who received it in 2023. Bayvel is also the only female recipient.^[7]

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