Polar Medal
The Polar Medal is awarded by the Sovereign to individuals who have given outstanding achievement and service to the UK in the field of polar research or service in the support of the acquisition of knowledge of polar regions.
Inaugurated by Queen Victoria in 1857 (as the Arctic Medal), the first Polar Medals were awarded in 1904, to members of Captain Scott’s original expedition to Antarctica.
The first awards made in recognition of British Antarctic Survey staff occurred in 1953, when 55 members of the Falklands Islands Dependencies Survey were honoured. Subsequently hundreds of members of BAS staff have received this prestigious honour.
Eric Back, Medical Officer and Meteorologist receiving his Polar Medal on 23/2/1954. (Photographer: . Archives ref: G12/4/3)
Another milestone was reached in 1986 when Ginny Fiennes became the first woman to be awarded the Polar Medal.
Recent BAS recipients include:
- 2026: William Whatley
- 2025: Gabriele Stowasser, Iain Rudkin, Jeremy Robst, John Davies, Steve Stiglic-Buxton
- 2024: Vicky Auld, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Nicholas Gregory, Simon Wright
- 2023: David Barnes, Jo Johnson, Tom Jordan, Richard Phillips, Julius Rix
- 2022: Melody Clark, Markus Frey, John Eager
Laws Prize
The Laws Prize is awarded to British Antarctic Survey early career researchers for work which is worthy of recognition in the field of polar research.
The prize is named after Richard Maitland Laws, who was Director of British Antarctic Survey from 1973 to 1987.
Recent recipients include:
- 2025: Hannah Cubaynes
- 2024: Jasmine Lee, Jennifer Freer
- 2023: Peter Davis, Victoria Warwick-Evans
- 2022: Kaitlin Naughten, Arlie McCarthy
- 2021: Dan Jones
The 2025 Laws Prize Lecture
Fuchs Medal
The Fuchs Medal recognises outstanding devotion to the Survey’s interests, beyond the call of normal duty.
The medal is named after Vivian Fuchs, who was Director of British Antarctic Survey from 1958 to 1973.
Recent recipients include:
- 2025: Mark Thomas
- 2024: Julia Webb
- 2023: Alison Hunt, James ‘Bob’ Middleton
- 2022: Kirsten Shaw
- 2021: Julie Leland, Sandra McInnes
Other awards and prizes
We are proud that BAS staff members are regularly recognised for making outstanding contributions to their fields. Here are some of the most recent awards:
2025 Awards
| Staff Member | Award |
|---|---|
| Rod Arnold | An MBE for services to polar science and aviation in British Antarctic Territory. |
| Nigel Meredith | The Chapman Medal for plasma wave research. |
| Kate Hendry | The Geological Society’s Bigsby Medal for eminent services to geology. |
| Eugene Murphy | Appointed a fellow of the American Geophysical Union. |
| Beatrix Schlarb-Ridley | An honorary MBE for services to innovation and inclusion in science. |
| Aaron Makinson | Won the Rising Star Award at the Supply Chain Excellence awards. |
| Polar Data Centre | Won Data Team of the Year at the British Data Awards. |