The Prince Albert I Medal

Details

Last Updated on Thursday, 03 May 2012 08:32

Nomination for the 2013 Medal winner, to be presented at the IAHS, IAPSO and IASPEI Joint Assembly 22 - 26 July 2013, should be submitted to IAPSO Secretary General not later than October 22, 2012. (The previous deadline information was incorrect)

Prince Albert I Medal recipient 2011

Dr. Trevor McDougall, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart, Australia,  is the Prince Albert 1 Medal recipient 2011: "For his outstanding work on (1) important and fundamental problems of ocean fluid dynamics over the full range of ocean scales, and (2) the thermodynamic properties of seawater".

Dr Trevor McDougall is internationally known for his work on important and fundamental problems of oceanic fluid dynamics covering all ocean scales. These include many aspects of double-diffusive convection, the definition of neutral density surfaces in relation to the movement of mesoscale eddies, and the way in which mesoscale mixing processes should be represented in ocean models.  To faithfully represent the ocean in climate models, it is necessary to incorporate elements of ocean thermodynamics as described by McDougall’s work.  Most recently, he led a SCOR/IAPSO team of chemists, physical oceanographers and modelers in redefining the thermodynamic properties of seawater, an interest stemming from his own work on the accurate treatment of heat in the ocean-climate system. This recent work strengthens even further the brilliant and unique contributions Trevor McDougall has made to oceanic science.  He is a most worthy recipient of the Prince Albert I Medal.

The Award ceremony took place at the IUGG2011 General Assembly in Melbourne, 1 July, 10:30. This was followed by the Memorial Lecture by the Awardee.

As an update on the above biographical sketch of Dr. Trevor McDougall, the IAPSO Executive wishes to announce that in April 2012, Trevor was appointed Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, where he will lead a group of physical oceanographers lecturing in applied mathematics and statistics.  Also in April 2012, Trevor was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London (FRS), which is one of the highest honours a scientist from the UK or the British Commonwealth can be awarded.  Congratulations Trevor!

Previous Recipients of the Prince Albert I Medal

In partnership with the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans, Prince Rainier of Monaco has established the Prince Albert I Medal in the physical and chemical sciences of the oceans. This medal is named in honor of the late Prince Albert I of Monaco who, in 1919, organized the Oceanography Section of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. He also served as first president of that section. The medal is awarded biannually by IAPSO at its Assemblies. Recipients of the medal have been

• 2001 Dr. Walter Munk
• 2003 Dr. Klaus Wyrtki
• 2005 Prof. Dr. Friedrich Schott
• 2007 Dr. Russ Davis
• 2009 Prof. Harry L. Bryden

Background to the Award for Excellence in the Physical Sciences of the Oceans

The International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO) has a long and distinguished history, starting in 1919, the year when the Association was established thanks to the vision and passion for the oceans of His Most Serene Highness Prince Albert I of Monaco. On 28 July 1919, in fact, the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) was founded in Brussels, Belgium. At that meeting, a section for Physical Oceanography was formed with Prince Albert I as its first President. Since then, the Physical Oceanography section of IUGG has evolved, becoming first the Association for Physical Oceanography in 1929; the International Association of Physical Oceanography in 1945; and finally IAPSO in 1967

In September 2000, Paola Malanotte-Rizzoli, then the IAPSO President, wrote to HMSH Prince Rainier III of Monaco proposing the establishment of an award named for Prince Albert I to recognize his pioneering and extraordinary contributions to, and support of, Physical Oceanography. Prince Rainier III's answer was enthusiastic; he offered to present a most eminent scientist with the "Medal for Excellence in the Physical Sciences of the Oceans - IAPSO - Foundation Rainier III", engraved with this citation on one side and with the name of the laureate on the other. An official protocol was established and ratified by the Prince in February 2001. The Medal is awarded to a scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the enhancement and advancement of the physical and/or chemical sciences of the oceans. It is offered at every IAPSO General Assembly, every other year, to a most prominent scientist chosen by a specially appointed IAPSO Award Committee.

Protocol of Prince Albert I Medal

1. The Prince Albert I Medal shall be awarded to a scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the enhancement and advancement of the physical and/or chemical sciences of the oceans.
2. The Medal shall be awarded once every two years in conjunction with the IAPSO Assemblies starting in 2001 with the IAPSO Assembly in Argentina.
3. The Medal shall be awarded only once to the same scientist.
4. The Award Committee shall total six to eight members appointed by the IAPSO Executive Committee. Its responsibility is to select suitable candidates for the award. The Chair of the Award Committee shall be one of the IAPSO Vice Presidents.
5. The term of each Award Committee shall be for one award period. The membership of the Award Committee should change between one award and the next. The Committee shall include the Chair of the previous committee and the previous medalist as ex-officio members. Some members may serve for more than one period, provided that the majority is new members. If any member of the Committee is nominated for the award, he or she shall be excused as a member of the Committee and a substitute shall be found.
6. One year prior to each IAPSO Assembly, the Secretary General of IAPSO will call for nominations for the award. Nominations must be sent to the Secretary General within three months of the announcement and must be accompanied by substantive supporting documentation, consisting of a cover letter which states why the person should be considered to get the award (about 100 words - this is essentially a citation), a 2-3 page CV. A 2-3 page list of best publications, and three letters of support.
The Chair of the Award Committee shall prepare a list of candidates for the Medal from the nominations received. The Award Committee may not add its own nominations to the list.
7. The Award Committee shall select from the list of nominations a suitable candidate for the Medal on the basis of the significance of each nominee’s contributions as a whole to the enhancement and advancement of the physical and/or chemical sciences of the oceans.
Any unsuccessful in a given competition may be re-considered a second time for the medal in the next competition. The Secretary General should contact previous nominators to ask if they wish their unsuccessful candidate to be reconsidered. If so the nominator shall be given the opportunity to update the nomination.
8. The Chair of the Award Committee shall submit to the President of IAPSO its decision regarding the choice of the medalist. Only one candidate shall be recommended for the award at a time, as there is provision only for one Medal. However, a second choice could also be identified in case of difficulties.
It is the responsibility of the President to promptly notify the successful candidate and the proposer of the award. Once the award has been accepted the President shall promptly notify H.S.H Prince Albert II (ore his successor) and all nominators of the award. It is the responsibility of the Secretary General to promptly notify the Executive Committee and the scientific community of the award.
If, from the list of nominations, the Award Committee finds that there is no suitable candidate of sufficient high standard, it may, at its discretion, recommend that no award be made.
9. The Award Committee shall be responsible for preparing an appropriate citation to accompany the award of the Medal.
10. The Award Committee will conclude its work within three months of the reception of the nominations from the Secretary General.
11. The award ceremony shall be held at an IAPSO Assembly, where the recipient shall deliver a Prince Albert I Medal Memorial Lecture.
12. Changes to the above guidelines may only be made by the IAPSO Executive Committee. Any changes must then be ratified at the next Assembly, following which they will become effective.
The Protocol was established on February 8, 2001.
The revised Protocol was approved at the 2005 IAPSO Assembly in Australia.
The proposed revisions were approved at the 2007 IAPSO Assembly in Italy.
The revised Protocol was approved at the 2009 IAPSO Assembly in Canada.