Chemistry professor honoured with science diplomacy award

He has been awarded the AAAS David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy jointly with Sir Martyn Poliakoff from the University of Nottingham, with whom he has worked over many years to promote international collaboration in chemistry. It is the first time that two UK scientists have won this award together.

In its announcement, AAAS said the two men were being “recognised for decades of transformative science diplomacy”. The pair both served as Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society, Sir Martyn from 2011 to 2016 and Sir Richard from 2016 to 2021. Sir Richard then served as Co-President of the Inter Academy Partnership (IAP), a global network of science academies, from 2021 to 2022.

AAAS said the two men had “built unprecedented coalitions” during this time, “from the Mount Paektu project linking North Korean, British and US scientists to initiatives strengthening African research and rebuilding European ties post-Brexit”.

“Together they have nurtured early career researchers worldwide and used science communication to bridge cultures and engage global audiences,” the AAAS said. “Their complementary skills, vision and persistence have built durable networks promoting scientific collaboration and global understanding.”

Sir Richard, a Professor of Material Catalytic and Computational Chemistry at UCL, has worked in the field of computational and experimental studies of complex inorganic materials for more than 40 years. He served as Head of UCL Chemistry from 2002 to 2007 and Dean of the UCL Faculty of Mathematical & Physical Sciences from 2007 to 2014.

He said: “I am delighted that Martyn and I have been honoured with this award which recognises the importance of international scientific collaboration and of the key role of science as a bridge between nations and communities with different cultures and politics. I have engaged with the scientific community in the global north and global south throughout my career and it has been an enriching experience. I am also pleased that the award recognises the roles that Martyn and I played as Royal Society Foreign Secretary, as the society has since its foundation over 360 years ago promoted science as an international endeavour.”

The AAAS is a United Stated-based international non-profit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the betterment of all humanity. It is the world's largest general scientific society, with over 120,000 members, and is the publisher of the journal Science.

Links

• AAAS story
• Professor Sir Richard Catlow’s academic profile
• UCL Chemistry
• UCL Mathematical & Physical Sciences

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• Professor Sir Richard Catlow