The Royal Society of Biology celebrated its highly anticipated annual awards ceremony last night as one of the flagship events of Biology Week. Held at the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington, London, the event was attended by over 100 guests.

Chief Executive of the RSB Dr Mark Downs CBiol CSci FRSB opened the ceremony for the 13^th Biology Week. He highlighted the importance and contribution of the biosciences, especially in today’s day and age where the answers to the biggest challenges we face – from the climate crisis to the global burden of disease – lie in biology. Mark emphasised the importance instilling a sense of curiosity in people everywhere, and inspiring our politicians to take meaningful action. With much to celebrate over the course of the evening and all of Biology Week – in the UK, online, and around the world – Mark also thanked our members for allowing the RSB to operate and the significant impact they have.

Chief Executive of the RSB Dr Mark Downs CBiol CSci FRSB opening the awards ceremony

Handing over to Max Smith, Founder and Managing Director at media production company Content With Purpose (CWP), Max unveiled a brand new video showcasing the RSB’s collaboration with CWP on a digital series ‘Biology for a Better Tomorrow’. The series is centred around the biosciences being key in bringing about a sustainable future and tackling the most pressing issues humanity faces today.

The first of the awards was then presented to Dr Ali Bune for winning School Biology Teacher of the Year. Mark emphasised the vital role that all teachers – at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels – play in inspiring the next generation and thanked Dr Bune for her amazing work. This award is kindly supported by Oxford University Press.

Four winners then received their awards for Apprentice of the Year, recognised for being outstanding in their fields with the award showcasing apprenticeship as a valuable technical career path.

• The Group 1 (Level 3 & 4) winner was Angel Branker, Apprentice Laboratory Technician at Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford
• Highly Commended in Group 1 was Lucy Brehaut, Laboratory Technician Apprentice at the University of Southampton
• The Group 2 (Level 5+) winning award was presented to Amy Smith, Oncology Scientific Apprentice at AstraZeneca
• Highly Commended in Group 2 was Emily Butterworth, Laboratory Scientist Apprentice, Microbiology at AstraZeneca

L-R: Dr Mark Downs CBiol CSci FRSB (Chief Executive of the RSB), Dr Ali Bune (winner of School Biology Teacher of the Year), Amy Smith (winner of Apprentice of the Year - Group 2), Emily Butterworth (Highly Commended for Apprentice of the Year - Group 2), Angel Branker (winner of Apprentice of the Year - Group 1), Jenny Yufei Wang (winner of the Nancy Rothwell Prize in the 12-14 age category), and Professor Sir Ian Boyd FRSB (President of the RSB)

The awards for Photographer of the Year and Young Photographer of the Year were then presented with the images displayed – a range of micro, macro, and large-scale images depicting the effects of forest fires to the wonders of pollination.

Following this, the awards for the BioArtAttack (2D) competition and Nancy Rothwell Prize were given – an international art competition for young people age 7-18. It was wonderful to have some of the young winners present, including one winner of who flew in from Hong Kong with her family for the ceremony. London-based winner Saleah Pera from Harris Academy, Sutton was also in attendance to collect her much-deserved award for her Rock Dove drawing. With thanks to the Royal Veterinary College for their support of this award.

Congratulations were also given to Dr Carys Watts for winning the Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year (also supported by OUP), while the winner of the Primary Science Teacher of the Year, an RSB-endorsed award presented by the Primary Science Teaching Trust at their annual awards, will be announced in due course.

President of RSB, Professor Sir Ian Boyd FRSB, then took to the podium to present the President’s Medal. The President’s Medal is awarded to individuals who have supported the Royal Society of Biology in an exceptional way, going above and beyond the normal volunteer role and who have had a significant impact on not just the organisation but the sector and as a whole. This year’s citations were kindly read by Emeritus Professor Claire Wathes, Honorary Secretary of the RSB.

L-R: Dr Mark Downs CBiol CSci FRSB (RSB Chief Executive), Dr Richard Briggs MBE CBiol FRSB (winner of President's Medal), Dr Paul Brooker FRSB (winner of President's Medal), and Professor Sir Ian Boyd FRSB (President of the RSB)

The first recipient of this year’s medal was Dr Richard Briggs MBE CBiol FRSB. With a background in a number of government roles, he was responsible for input to statutory requirements of the Common Fisheries Policy. Having been associated with the Society for over 50 years, he became a Full Member in 1975 prior to being elected as a Fellow in 1995. Since 2011 he served in a variety of roles including Vice-Chair, Chair, and branch Honorary Treasurer in Northern Ireland. Key areas of focus of his contribution to the Society were publicity and outreach activities (with over 100 publications), both of which have resonated with the Society’s membership and global citizens. Dr Briggs’ devotion to biology and the Society is evident through his professional expertise and national and international contributions, making him a very worthy recipient of the RSB’s President’s Medal.

The second recipient was Dr Paul Brooker FRSB who stood out amongst sector trustees and leaders for his transformative contributions to bioscience. His work in improving the understanding of the rationale and requirement for animal testing for medicines contributed to the strengthening of the UK’s life sciences sector, which proved to be of critical value during the Covid-19 pandemic. During his 12 years at RSB in voluntary roles, most recently as Honorary Treasurer, he was instrumental in delivering a step-change in the Society’s capability. This included the establishment of major new services, shifting the RSB away from total reliance on membership income to a more diverse portfolio of activity. He helped steer the Society through several periods of financial challenge, including two building relocations and the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving the Society in a strong position. The RSB has benefitted significantly from his time and commitment over the years, rendering him highly deserving of this award.

Ian then gave heartfelt thanks to Mark who will be retiring next year. Ian emphasised the remarkable contribution Mark has made being at the helm of the RSB for the last 15 years, for its strong current condition, and for providing inspiration to current and future biologists.

After the awards ceremony, guests were welcome to network and view an exhibition of prints from this year’s Photography Competition and BioArtAttack (2D) Award.

RSB Chief Executive Dr Mark Downs CBiol CSci FRSB with BioArtAttack (2D) winner of the 12-14 category Saleah Pera

Many thanks to CWP for sponsoring the evening’s event, to the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) for hosting, to BBSRC for their ongoing support across Biology Week, to all the award winners for their hard work and dedication to the biosciences, and to all in attendance on the night.

CWP Founder and Managing Director Max Smith presents the content partners for RSB and CWP's new digital series 'Biology for a Better Tomorrow'