Green & Sustainable Chemistry Divisional Awards

• Open to all career stages
• Open across academia, industry, government and the broader community
• Career interruptions (such as parental leave, illness or caring responsibilities) are recognised

Applicants must:

• Be based at an Australian university, research organisation, or industry
• Be a current RACI member (for a minimum of 12 months when applying)
• Refer to work that has been completed within the last 5 years  

Exclusions:

• Work submitted must not have been previously recognised by another RACI award

Reapplying:

• Previous recipients may be considered again after five years.

• Self-nominations and third-party nominations are welcome
  • Nominations may be submitted by any RACI member in good standing, and the Division committee may also directly identify and invite exceptional candidates.
  • Nominators must provide supporting documentation and a statement justifying the nomination. 
• Nominations are submitted via the online RACI awards form
• All supporting documents must be combined into a single PDF file and submitted as one attachment

Key dates are available at the top of this page.

Members will be advised when nominations are open for submission.

Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered. 

Supporting Documents

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A statement addressing the award criteria

Applications will be assessed against the following four criteria.

1. Sustainable Outcomes (30%)

• Development of sustainable technologies, systems, or principles/guidelines
• Clear advancement of sustainability in practice
• Evidence that outcomes align with recognised global sustainability objectives (e.g., United Nations sustainability priorities)

2. Demonstrated Benefits (30%)

• Measurable environmental, social, or economic benefits
• Positive impact on communities, productivity, or quality of life
• Clear articulation of how benefits align with United Nations–defined sustainability outcomes

3. Tangible and Ongoing Impact (20%)

• Evidence that contributions have led to meaningful sustainability development
• Demonstrated implementation, adoption, or scale-up
• Potential for sustained or expanded long-term impact

4. Policy, Economic and Community Influence (20%)

• Influence on policy, regulation, standards, or guidelines
• Demonstrated economic value, industry uptake, or commercialisation
• Effective outreach, engagement, or public communication

• Applications are assessed on the intrinsic quality and significance of contributions.
• Journal-based metrics (e.g., impact factor, h-index, citation counts) are not primary assessment measures.
• Assessment is contextual and takes into account career stage, opportunity, resources, and field norms.
• Diverse outputs are valued equally to traditional publications, including datasets, software, methodologies, preprints, patents, policy contributions, and translational outcomes.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

Applicants may demonstrate their contributions through:

• Key publications with a narrative explanation of significance
• Development of new technologies, methodologies, or practical frameworks
• Patents, commercial translation, or industry partnerships
• Policy influence or contributions to standards and guidelines
• Measurable sustainability metrics or impact data
• Adoption or implementation by industry, government, or community groups
• Invited keynote presentations, reviews, or expert commentary
• Open datasets, software tools, or adherence to open science practices
• Sustained research or innovation programs
• Leadership roles, community engagement, or professional service

• Award: Certificate
• Presentation: RACI GASC division conference Awards Presentation Session
• Recipients are required to attend the conference to accept the award (or at RACI Congress in the relevant year)

Award outcomes are kept under embargo until the official presentation.

Supporting Documents

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A statement addressing the award criteria

• Open to postgraduate students
• Open across academia, industry, government and the broader community

Applicants must:

• Hold a position at an Australian university, research organisation, or industry
• Be a current RACI member (for a minimum of 12 months when applying)

Exclusions:

• Work submitted must not have been previously recognised by another RACI award

• Self-nominations and third-party nominations are welcome
  
  • Nominations may be submitted by any RACI member in good standing, and the Division committee may also directly identify and invite exceptional candidates.
  • Nominators must provide supporting documentation and a statement justifying the nomination. 
• Nominations are submitted via the online RACI awards form
• All supporting documents must be combined into a single PDF file and submitted as one attachmen

Key dates are available at the top of this page.

Members will be advised when nominations are open for submission.

Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered. 

Supporting Documents

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A statement addressing the award criteria

Applications will be assessed against the following three criteria.

1. Research Originality and Advancement of Green & Sustainable Chemistry (40%)

• Demonstrated originality, creativity, and innovation
• Clear contribution to advancing green and sustainable chemistry
• Potential to shape future research, industry practice, or sustainability outcomes

2. Quality and Impact of Contributions (30%)

• Scientific rigour and excellence of outputs
• Significance of contributions to the field
• Demonstrated or emerging impact within academia, industry, or the broader community

3. Alignment with Green Chemistry Principles (30%)

• Strong and explicit alignment with recognised green chemistry principles
• Contribution to areas such as waste reduction, safer chemical design, renewable feedstocks, energy efficiency, or life cycle assessment
• Demonstrated commitment to sustainability in research design and outcomes

• Applications are assessed on the intrinsic quality and significance of contributions.
• Journal-based metrics (e.g., impact factor, h-index, citation counts) are not primary assessment measures.
• Assessment is contextual and takes into account career stage, opportunity, resources, and field norms.
• Diverse outputs are valued equally to traditional publications, including datasets, software, methodologies, preprints, patents, and translational outcomes.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

• Key publications with a narrative explanation of significance
• Development of new methodologies or theoretical frameworks
• Patents or evidence of commercial translation
• Recognition from scientific or professional bodies

• Award: Certificate
• Presentation: RACI GASC division conference Awards Presentation Session
• Recipients are required to attend the conference to accept the award (or at RACI Congress in the relevant year)

Award outcomes are kept under embargo until the official presentation.

• Open to early career applicants (typically 0–10 years post-PhD) 
• Open across academia, industry, government and the broader community
• Career interruptions (such as parental leave, illness or caring responsibilities) are recognised

Applicants must:

• Hold a position at an Australian university, research organisation, or industry
• Be a current RACI member (for a minimum of 12 months when applying)

Exclusions:

• Work submitted must not have been previously recognised by another RACI award

Reapplying:

• Previous recipients may be considered again after five years.

• Self-nominations and third-party nominations are welcome
  
  • Nominations may be submitted by any RACI member in good standing, and the Division committee may also directly identify and invite exceptional candidates.
  • Nominators must provide supporting documentation and a statement justifying the nomination. 
• Nominations are submitted via the online RACI awards form
• All supporting documents must be combined into a single PDF file and submitted as one attachmen

• Key dates are available at the top of this page.
• Members will be advised when nominations are open for submission.
• Following the deadline, no additional applications or nominations for the award will be considered. 

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A statement addressing the award criteria

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

1. Research Originality and Advancement of Green & Sustainable Chemistry (30%)

• Demonstrated originality and innovation
• Clear contribution to advancing green and sustainable chemistry
• Potential to shape future research, policy, or practice

2. Quality and Impact of Contributions (25%)

• Scientific rigour and excellence
• Significance of contributions to the field
• Demonstrated or emerging impact

3. Alignment with Green Chemistry Principles (25%)

• Strong and explicit alignment with recognised green chemistry principles
• Evidence of advancing sustainability in chemical research or application

4. Collaborative Spirit and Community Contribution (20%)

• Meaningful collaboration across disciplines, sectors, or institutions
• Contribution to knowledge sharing, mentorship, or leadership within the community

• Applications are assessed on the intrinsic quality and significance of contributions.
• Journal-based metrics (e.g., impact factor, h-index, citation counts) are not primary assessment measures.
• Assessment is contextual and takes into account career stage, opportunity, resources, and field norms.
• Diverse research outputs are valued, including datasets, software, methodologies, patents, and translational outcomes.

If the selection committee determines that no candidate demonstrates adequate merit, they reserve the right to abstain from granting the award.

Applicants may demonstrate their contributions through:

• Key publications with a narrative explanation of significance
• Development of new methodologies or theoretical frameworks
• Patents or commercial translation
• Invited presentations, reviews, or commentaries
• Adoption of methods by other researchers or industry
• Open datasets, software tools, or open science practices
• Sustained research programs
• Editorial roles, society service, or community engagement
• Demonstrated application of green chemistry principles in research design and outcomes

• Award: Certificate
• Presentation: RACI GASC division conference Awards Presentation Session
• Recipients are required to attend the conference to accept the award (or at RACI Congress in the relevant year)

Award outcomes are kept under embargo until the official presentation.