The Council has two prizes within its gift, which are normally awarded annually.
The prize nominaiton proceedure can be found here
British Vacuum Council Senior Prize
Each year the Council seeks nominations for the British Vacuum Council Senior Prize, with which is associated the John Yarwood Memorial Medal. The prize is awarded for distinguished contributions to British scientific research in the fields of vacuum science, surface science, thin films or any related topic in which vacuum science and engineering play an important role.
The John Yarwood Memorial Medal, established to honour the memory of Professor John Yarwood (an international figure in the field of vacuum physics and a founder member of the British Vacuum Council).
The prize winner may be invited to deliver the BVC Annual Address at a suitable conference or meeting.
British Vacuum Council Junior Prize
The Council seeks to encourage scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers who carry out outstanding work in the field of vacuum science, surface science, thin films, or any related topic in which vacuum science and engineering play in important role.
Nominees should be within ten years of receiving their first degree at the end of the calendar year in which the nomination is made. Awards may be made to non graduates whom the prize committee considers to be at an equivalent stage of their career. Candidates should normally be resident in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland
Prize winners are awarded the Junior Prize which comprises the C R Burch Prize and the BVC Medal.
Prize Nomination Procedure
To nominate an individual for either of the above awards, please complete the nomination form opposite. The completed form will be sent to the current BVC secretariat.
Note that nomination can be done at any time and nominations will be considered at the next meeting of the Prize Committee. Prize Committee meetings are scheduled in the February of the year of the award to ensure that awards can be made at conferences in the year of the award. The Prize Committee will be appointed by the BVC and the decision of the judges shall be final: no correspondence can be entered into regarding the decisions of the Committee.
Past recipients of these prizes, together with presenters of the annual address, can be viewed below.
Senior Prize Winners
Recipients of the BVC Senior Prize and John Yarwood Medal
| Year | Award Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Dr William Allison |
| 2017 | Prof. Morgan Alexander |
| 2016 | Prof. Martin Castell |
| 2015 | Prof. John Colligon |
| 2014 | Prof. Geoffrey Thornton |
| 2013 | Prof. Richard Palmer |
| 2012 | No Prize Awarded |
| 2011 | Prof. Peter Weightman |
| 2010 | No Prize Awarded |
| 2009 | Prof. John Watts |
| 2008 | Prof. Chris McConville |
Junior Prize Winners
Recipients of the BVC Junior Prize and the BVC Medal and C R Burch Award
| Year | Award Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2014 | No Prize Awarded |
| 2013 | Dr Philip King |
| 2012 | No Prize Awarded |
| 2011 | Dr Felicia Green & Dr Peter Carrington |
| 2010 | No Prize Awarded |
| 2009 | Dr Timothy David Veal |
Previous Awards
| Year | Recipients of the BVC Medal and Prize | Previous winners of the John Yarwood Medal | Previous winners of the C R Burch Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | No prize awarded | ||
| 2007 | No prize awarded | ||
| 2006 | No prize awarded | ||
| 2005 | Professor Richard Lambert | Dr Gavin Bell | |
| 2004 | Professor Ian Boyd | No prize awarded | |
| 2003 | No prize awarded | No prize awarded | |
| 2002 | No prize awarded | No prize awarded | |
| 2001 | No prize awarded | No prize awarded | |
| 2000 | Professor Michael Bowker | Dr Mike Lee | |
| 1999 | Professor M Wyn Roberts | Professor M Wyn Roberts | Dr Christopher Baddeley & Dr Philip Moriaty |
| 1998 | Professor David Phillip Woodruff | Professor D Philip Woodruff | No prize awarded |
| 1997 | John Henry Leck | Dr Bo Persson | Dr Stephen Patrick Wilks |
| 1996 | Neville Vincent Richardson | Professor Alex Bradshaw | No prize awarded |
| 1995 | Martin Pengton Seah | Professor G Magaritondo | Dr Jas Pal Badyal |
| 1994 | John Brian Pendry | Professor D Wayne Goodman | Dr Dermot Monaghan |
| 1993 | Michael Hitchman | Professor L Shohet and Dr D E Aspnes | Dr Robert Short |
| 1992 | John Pritchard | Dr John Haw | No prize awarded |
| 1991 | David Anthony King | Dr Bruce Kay and Dr F van der Veen | No prize awarded |
| 1990 | Martin Prutton | Dr Joachim Roth | Dr T S Jones |
| 1989 | John Cecil Riviere | Professor C T Campbell | Dr Karen Reeson & Dr Alfred Cerezo |
| 1988 | Robin Hughes Williams | Dr Elaine McCash | |
| 1987 | No prize awarded | ||
| 1986 | No prize awarded | ||
| 1985 | No prize awarded | ||
| 1984 | No prize awarded | ||
| 1983 | Mr D C Peacock | ||
| 1982 | No prize awarded | ||
| 1981 | Mr David Kingham |
Annual Address Speakers
| Year | Speaker | Topic (Where Recorded) |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Professor Richard Lambert, University of Cambridge | Application of Surface Science to Heterogeneous Catalysis |
| 2004 | Professor Ian Boyd, University College London | |
| 2003 | No annual address given | |
| 2002 | No annual address given | |
| 2001 | No annual address given | |
| 2000 | Professor Michael Bowker, University of Reading | |
| 1999 | Professor M Wyn Roberts, Cardiff University | |
| 1998 | Professor D Philip Woodruff, University of Warwick, UK | |
| 1997 | Dr Bo Persson | |
| 1996 | Professor Alex Bradshaw, Fritz-Haber-Institute, Berlin | Molecules on Metal Surfaces: Structure and Bonding |
| 1995 | Professor G Magaritondo, EPFL Lausanne | Photoelectron Spectromicroscopy with Ultra-bright Synchrotron Radiation |
| 1994 | Professor D Wayne Goodman, Texas A&M University | |
| 1993 | Professor L Shohet, Madison-Wisconsin & Dr D E Aspnes, North Carolina State University | Recent Progress in Plasma-Aided Manufacturing Real-time Optical Diagnostics for Epitaxial Growth |
| 1992 | Dr John Haw, Texas A&M University | |
| 1991 | Dr Bruce Kay,Sandia Laboratories, New Mexico & Dr F van der Veen, Philips Research Laboratories, Eindhoven | |
| 1990 | Dr Joachim Roth, Max-Planck Institt fr Plasmaphysik, Garching | |
| 1989 | Professor C T Campbell, University of Indiana | Studies of Catalytic Kinetics and Mechanisms Over Well-Defined Model Catalysts Based Upon Single Crystal Surfaces |
| 1988 | Professor T Madey, NBS Washington, DC | Electron and Photon Stimulated Desorption of Ions From Surfaces: Benefits and Pitfalls |
| 1987 | Professor R J Madix, Stanford University | Reaction Kinetics and Dynamics at Surfaces |
| 1986 | Dr H Biederman, Charles University, Prague | Polymer Films Prepared by Plasma Polymerization and Their Potential Application |
| 1985 | Dr R Tait, SERC Daresbury | Electrons, Photons and Ions at Daresbury |
| 1984 | Dr E Kay, IBM San Jose | The Role of Ion Laser-Induced Processing in Contemporary Dry Processing Techniques |
| 1983 | Dr A Luntz, IBM San Jose | Laser Probes of Molecular-Surface Dynamics |
| 1982 | Sir Alec Merrison,Vice-Chancellor, University of Bristol | Science and Technology: Is There a Difference? |
| 1981 | Dr J T Yates,NBS Washington, DC | Structural Factors in Chemisorption and Heterogeneous Catalysis |
| 1980 | R N Jackson, Philips Research Laboratories, Redhill | Television: the Widening Horizon |
| 1979 | Sir Arthur Vick, Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University of Belfast | Physics in Education |
| 1978 | Dr D Eckhardt, Culham Laboratory | The Vacuum System of the Proposed JET Experiment |
| 1977 | Professor G Carter, University of Salford | The Interaction Between Atomic Collisions in Solids and Vacuum |
| 1976 | Professor Boyd | Studies in Nature’s Most Abundant Vacuum |
| 1975 | Dr E Jones, CERN, Geneva | The Design and Production of UHV Chambers, with particular reference to the CERN ISR |
| 1974 | No annual address given | |
| 1973 | Professor Tedford, University of Strathclyde | Vacuum Insulation in the Service of Industry |
| 1972 | No annual address given | |
| 1971 | Mr K C Barraclough, Firth Brown Ltd | Vacuum Technology in Steel Making |
| 1970 | Dr L Holland, Edwards High Vacuum | A Review of Some Recent Vacuum Studies |