The award
The Darwin Medal is awarded for work of distinction in evolution, biological diversity and developmental, population and organismal biology. The Darwin Medal was created in memory of Charles Darwin FRS (PDF) and was first awarded in 1890 to noted biologist and naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace FRS 'for his independent origination of the theory of the origin of species by natural selection.' The medal is of silver gilt, was awarded biennially until 2018 and is now awarded annually, and is accompanied by a gift of £2,000.
Eligibility
The Darwin Medal is open to UK/Commonwealth/Republic of Ireland citizens or those who have been residents for three or more years. There are no restrictions on career stage and nominations will remain valid and shall be considered by the award selection committee throughout three nomination cycles. Teams or groups may now be nominated for this award.
Nominations are open
Nominations are now open and will close on 20 February 2026.
Spotlight on 2025 winner
Professor Andrew Rambaut FRS was awarded the Darwin Medal in 2025. He is an evolutionary biologist at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, where he holds the Chair of Molecular Evolution at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution.
Professor Rambaut’s research has focused on the evolution, epidemiology and origins of RNA viruses. RNA viruses are characterised by their unrivalled rate of evolution. Andrew's work harnesses this feature to reconstruct the history of transmission and spread recorded in their genomes, through the accumulation of mutations.
He has created some of the core analytical tools used in the field of genomic epidemiology, allowing rapid insights into newly discovered epidemics and, in the era of rapid genomic sequencing, the real-time tracking of their spread and evolution. He has also made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the origins of many of the major epidemics of the last 100 years.
