Prime Minister’s $1 million science prizes presented

EMBARGOED until 3.30pm, Tuesday 12 November 2013

Media Release: Tuesday 12 November 2013
Prime Minister’s $1 million science prizes presented

The 2013 Prime Minister’s Science Prizes, which provide a total of $1 million across five categories, have been presented in Wellington today.

The prizes recognise the impact of science of New Zealanders’ lives, celebrate the achievements of current scientists and encourage those of the future.

The top prize of $500,000 has been awarded to Distinguished Professor John Boys and Professor Grant Covic of the University of Auckland’s Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) team. The two engineers have developed and commercialised wireless or inductive power transfer technology which enables high power to be delivered without electrical contact.

Examples include electric vehicle charging, automatically guided vehicles, wireless lighting systems and at least 70 percent of the world’s LCD screens are built on systems using their prize-winning technology.

Covic and Boys, who are recognised as global leaders in wireless power research, plan to use their prize money to develop inroad power charging systems so that electric vehicles can recharge as they travel the highways.

Other prize winners are:
The Prime Minister’s 2013 MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize of $200,000 goes to Dr Benjamin O’Brien, who has pioneered the development of small, light and soft, stretchy sensors that measure movement of the human body and transmit the information to a smart phone app. He is CEO at StretchSense Limited, where he is commercialising his cutting-edge research, and is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Auckland’s Bioengineering Institute.

The Prime Minister’s 2013 Science Teacher Prize has been won by Fenella Colyer, Head of Physics at South Auckland’s Manurewa High School. She is the driving force behind a 30 percent increase in the past two years in the number of Maori and Pasifika students studying physics, with their pass rate rising to 81 percent and exceeding the national average. Fenella demystifies science by tailoring teaching programmes to individual student abilities and interests, embedding literacy skills into each module. Fenella receives $50,000 and Manurewa High School receives $100,000.

The Prime Minister’s 2013 Future Scientist Prize has been won by Thomas Morgan of Marlborough Boys’ College, Blenheim. The Year 13 student completed a detailed project showing oyster mushrooms have the potential to be enriched with Vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. His study could help address Vitamin D deficiency, which is linked to osteoporosis, a major cause of suffering and disability. Tom receives a scholarship of $50,000 to help pay for tertiary studies.

The Prime Minister’s 2013 Science Media Communication Prize has been presented to Dr Siouxsie Wiles, a microbiologist at the University of Auckland where she is a Senior Research Fellow and leads the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab. Dr Wiles is researching the uses of bioluminescence, or the production of light by living organisms, to help understand and combat infectious diseases. She has become a regular science media commentator and newspaper contributor, blogger and creator of YouTube videos. She wins $50,000, with a further $50,000 allocated for development of her science media communication skills.

The 2013 Prime Minister’s Science Prizes were presented to winners on Tuesday 12 November at the Royal Society of New Zealand, Wellington.

To find out more about the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes visit:
www.pmscienceprizes.org.nz

ENDS

About the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes:
The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes combine recognition and reward, with total prize money of $1 million. Presented annually, they are New Zealand’s most valuable science awards and were introduced to raise the profile and prestige of science. The prizes celebrate scientific achievement, highlight the impact science has on New Zealanders’ lives and aim to attract more young people into science careers. The Prime Minister awards five prizes with the top award, valued at $500,000, recognising a transformational science discovery or achievement which has had a significant impact on New Zealand or internationally.
The prizes are:
• The Prime Minister’s Science Prize: $500,000
• The Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize: $200,000
• The Prime Minister’s Science Teacher Prize: $150,000
• The Prime Minister’s Future Scientist Prize: $50,000
• The Prime Minister’s Science Media Communication Prize: $100,000

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