Applied Research Award

The Applied Research Medal is awarded annually to a RACI member who has contributed significantly towards the development of, or innovation through, applied research, or in industrial fields. The work will cover the period of 10 years preceding the award, with the major proportion of the work having been done in Australia or its Territories.

Professor Sébastien Perrier

A distinguished Professor of Chemistry, ARC Future Fellow and contributor to polymer research

Professor Sébastien Perrier is a Professor in Chemistry at the University of Sydney, and an ARC Future Fellow. Despite having graduated with his PhD only ten years ago, he is now recognised internationally for his work in polymer chemistry, and for the excellence of his applied chemistry research, which has been commercialised or is on track for commercialisation.

He was the key player in the formation of start-up company, Designer Polymers, which was based on his patented technology and merged with Chamelic in 2007. The technology is now used to produce polymers for smart coating, including applications for self-cleaning outdoor surfaces.

His research has also led to important commercial contributions to medicinal chemistry, personal care products and new and greener technologies for the manufacture of commercial polymer products.

Professor Perrier has published six book chapters and around 130 articles, which have received nearly 4000 citations, and supervised 20 PhD students who have furthered their academic career in chemistry, both in academia and in industry. He has made strong contributions to his discipline, as an editorial member of six international journals, Chair of the RACI Polymer Division (2011), and member of the IUPAC Polymer group, and he was appointed in 2011 as a member of the panel Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences or the Australian Research Council College of Experts.

The quality, quantity and commercial outputs of his research make him an extremely worthy recipient of this prestigious award.