A record $220,000 will be awarded to outstanding Australian science achievements in the 2004 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes. The 2004 series has 22 prizes rewarding outstanding Australian science, research, industry, innovation, education and science communication.
The promotion of science prize, one of the three original Eureka Prizes launched in 1990,is this year sponsored by the federal Minister for Science through the Department of Education, Science and Training. The prize rewards individuals or groups for outstanding works of science communication that promote interest and enthusiasm about science in the general community AND enhance the public’s ability to assimilate public information on scientific issues in an informed and accurate manner.
The Australian Government Eureka Prize for Science Journalism, also sponsored by the Minister for Science, will now consider entries based on a “body of work” over the past year as well as individual stories.
Other prizes include:
The $10,000 Holmes à Court Eureka Prize for Science Teaching, for a secondary science teacher with a proven capacity to inspire students to pursue curiosity-driven learning in science. Sponsored by Peter and Divonne Holmes à Court, this new prize compliments the three existing Eureka student prizes.
The $10,000 Land and Water Australia Eureka Prize for Water Research, for highly innovative research that has made or has the potential to make an outstanding contribution to the protection, sustainable use and management of Australia’s water resources and water-dependent ecosystems.
The $10,000 Reed New Holland Eureka Science Book Prize becomes a prize for an unpublished manuscript or book proposal, rather than for a published work. The winning author receives $10,000 PLUS a contract with Reed New Holland for publication of their winning manuscript or book proposal.
Candidates for Eureka Prizes can enter themselves or be nominated by others. Details from the Australian Museum’s website below. Entries close Friday 14 May 2004, with winners to be announced at a gala award dinner in Sydney’s on 10 August 2004.