The Royal Irish Academy/Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann champions research. We identify and recognise Ireland’s world class researchers. We support scholarship and promote awareness of how science and the humanities enrich our lives and benefit society. We believe that good research needs to be promoted, sustained and communicated. The Academy is run by a Council of its members. Membership is by election and considered the highest academic honour in Ireland.
Read more about the RIAThe Royal Irish Academy awards two RIA Gold Medals every year. The medals are awarded to individuals who have made a demonstrable and internationally recognised outstanding scholarly contribution in their fields.
The medals were established in 2005 to acclaim Ireland’s foremost thinkers in the humanities, social sciences, physical and mathematical sciences, life sciences, engineering sciences and the environment and geosciences.
The medals aim to identify and recognise inspirational figures – the stars of the knowledge economy – in order to celebrate the achievements of higher education in Ireland and to inspire future generations. In doing so, the Gold Medals have become recognised as a truly national expression of celebration for scholarly achievement in Ireland.
In 2021, the Academy will award a Gold Medal in the Social Sciences and a Gold Medal in the Environmental Sciences and Geosciences to individuals who has made a demonstrable and internationally recognised outstanding scholarly contribution to their field.
The Royal Irish Academy Gold Medals were presented to Richard English, MRIA, Professor of Politics and Vincent Fusco, MRIA, Professor of Electronic Engineering and Head of High Frequency Electronics Research at Queen’s University Belfast to honour their outstanding contributions to the Social Sciences and the Engineering Sciences, respectively.
Watch the 2018 Academy Gold Medals winners, Kathleen James-Chakraborty, MRIA and Stephen J. Smartt, MRIA sharing their views on what it means to receive their awards
All personal data supplied with a nomination for the Gold Medals is used for the purpose of peer-review and competitive assessment for this award please refer to the Privacy Notice for the 2021 Royal Irish Academy Gold Medals and the RIAs Privacy page.