This Prize is open to AOS student members whose Honours, Masters or PhD research work has been accepted for publication in a refereed journal in the past year. The Prize may only be awarded once to any individual. The $500 Prize is sponsored by Warsash Scientific Pty Ltd.

A submission consists of a 300-word summary of the published research, written in the style of a New Scientist article or similar, explaining the significance of the applicant’s research project to a casual reader outside the field. The submission may include up to 2 figures which may be in colour or black and white, and should also include a copy of the published research paper(s) with evidence that it is accepted for publication. Applicants should provide a short statement explaining their contribution to the published paper, signed by the applicant and their supervisor.

Applicants must agree that their submissions may be published in AOS News at the discretion of the AOS News Editor, and/or placed on the AOS Website, with author and institution attribution.

This prize is judged by a committee appointed by the AOS Council, which includes a representative of Warsash.

Selection criteria for the award

1. High-quality research in optics or its applications
2. Clarity of explanation (of the submission)
3. Suitability of the figures to the overall summary
4. Ability to seize and sustain the reader's interest
5. The student's research has been accepted for publication in a refereed journal

The nomination should include

1. The research publication
2. One-page narrative of the discovery for non-specialist
3. Statement of contribution, signed by the student and the PhD supervisor
4. Any additional supporting materials, e.g. high-quality graphics and media releases.

Previous winners of the Warsash Science Communication Prize in Optics are:

• 2019 Kai Wang, Australian National University
• 2018 Sarah Scholten - University of Adelaide
• 2017 Litty Thekkekara - RMIT University
• 2016 Katie Chong - Australian National University & Xiaorui Zheng - Swinburne University
  
• 2013 Matt Collins - University of Sydney
• 2010 Elaine Miles - University of Melbourne
• 2005 Vijan Sivan - RMIT University