The Australian and New Zealand Optical Society (ANZOS) is seeking nominations for the next award of this medal, which is for an outstanding career contribution to the field of optics in Australia or New Zealand by a member of ANZOS.

The W.H. (Beattie) Steel Medal, named in honour of the Society's first Chair and a distinguished member of the Australian optics community, is the most prestigious award of the Australian and New Zealand Optical Society. It would normally be presented only to a nominee at an advanced stage of their professional career and with a strong and sustained record of authority, enterprise and innovation in the field of optics in Australia or New Zealand.

Nominations may be made either by or on behalf of any eligible candidate. The selection panel reserves the option to seek additional information about candidates for the award.

It is hoped that the awarded person will be able to receive the medal and present an invited talk at the next ANZOS Conference following the announcement of the award.

Selection criteria for the award

Nominees should

1. have demonstrated a significant and sustained research contribution to the field of optics and photonics in Australia and/or New Zealand;
2. have demonstrated significant support and contribution to the optics and photonics communities in Australia and/or New Zealand. This may include for example the promotion of learning and understanding of optics in Australia and/or New Zealand.
3. normally be at a senior stage of their career or may be already retired.

The nomination should include

1. A nomination letter of up to 3 pages describing the main contributions made by the nominee to Australian and/or New Zealand optics.
2. Curriculum vitae
3. List of publications
4. Two letters of support from established members of the community. Where the nomination is submitted by the candidate themselves, the letters of support should be sent directly by their authors to the ANZOS secretary. 

Nominations should be sent to the ANZOS Secretary. The Prize is judged by a committee appointed by the ANZOS Council.

Nominations of female candidates and members of other historically under-represented groups in STEM are strongly encouraged.

For the 2021 award, all nomination materials must reach the ANZOS secretary by 28 May 2021.
Due to the highly competitive nature of this award and its scope addressing a nominee's long term contribution, nominations are reconsidered in the two years (2019 and 2020) following the original submission. Nominations from 2018 or earlier must be resubmitted to remain in consideration.

      Previous winners of the medal are:

• 2021: Emeritus Professor Peter Hannaford - Swinburne University 
• 2020: Professor Ben Eggleton - University of Sydney
• 2019: Professor Chennupati Jagadish - Australian National University
• 2018: Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop - University of Queensland
• 2017: Professor Yuri Kivshar - Australian National University
  
• 2016: Emeritus Professor Tony Klein - University of Melbourne
  
• 2015: Professor Joss Bland-Hawthorn - The University of Sydney
  
• 2014: Professor Tanya Monro - The University of Adelaide
  
• 2013: Professor John Harvey - The University of Auckland
  
• 2012: Professor Barry Luther-Davies - The Australian National University
  
• 2011: Professor Min Gu - Swinburne University
  
• 2010: Professor Han Bachor - The Australian National University
  
• 2009: Professor John Love - The Australian National University
  
• 2008: Mr Achim Leistner - CSIRO
  
• 2007: Professor Kenneth Baldwin - The Australian National University
  
• 2005: Professor Brian Orr - Macquarie University
  
• 2004: Professor Ross McPhedran - University of Sydney
  
• 1999: Professor Dan Walls - University of Auckland
  
• 1997: Professor Jim Piper - Macquarie University
  
• 1996: Dr Parameswaran Hariharan - University of Sydney and CSIRO
  
• 1995: Mr Bill James - James Optics, Melbourne