The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science - Science Teaching Prizes

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science – Science Teaching Prizes award teachers with prizes for excellence in science, technology or mathematics teaching. 
Open
Closes in 5 days

Closing date: Tuesday 17 December 2024 5:00pm AEDT Tue 17 Dec 2024 5:00pm AEDT

What do you get?

There are 2 science teaching Prizes. Winners get $250,000 prize money, a medallion, lapel pin and an award certificate.

Who is this for?

Teachers who have made significant contributions to science, technology, engineering or mathematics education.

Overview

The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are Australia’s most prestigious and highly regarded awards for demonstrated achievements in:

  • scientific research
  • research-based innovation
  • excellence in science teaching

The prizes will award up to $1.15 million in total each year. Information on the prizes for scientists and innovators is on our Science Prizes page.

The Science Teaching Prizes recognise Australian science teachers for excellence in science teaching. We welcome nominations of diverse candidates and those from a range of backgrounds and geographical regions.

There are 2 science teaching prizes:

  • Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools ($250,000)
  • Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools ($250,000)

Open

Check if you can apply

To be eligible for a science teaching prize a nominee must:

  • be an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia
  • have undertaken their teaching achievement for which they are nominated, in Australia
  • not be self-nominated
  • be a full-time or part-time teacher at a primary or secondary school listed on the Australian Schools List
  • be active in teaching science, technology, engineering or mathematics in the classroom at the time of their nomination. Teachers on parental leave at the time of nomination who intend to return to teaching are eligible.

Nominees do not need to be a member of a professional association or have received any prior award to be eligible.

How do you nominate someone?

A prize nomination must be proposed by someone (a nominator) with knowledge of the nominee’s achievements and endorsed by two supporters.

Prior to submitting a nomination you should read and understand the Science Teaching Prizes grant opportunity guidelines.

You should also ensure the nominee is willing to be nominated, will provide the evidence necessary to support the nomination, and understands the obligations that come with the prize.

The nomination process involves two stages.

Stage 1: the nominator provides a summary of the nominee’s achievement against the assessment criteria for the prize.

To prepare a Stage 1 nomination:

  • Make sure your nominee is willing to be nominated.
  • Ask them for a copy of their CV (2 page maximum). There is a CV template under key documents.
  • Complete the online Stage 1 application form.
  • Provide a 4,500 character achievement summary addressing the assessment criteria within the online form.
  • Identify two supporters.

Stage 2: If a nominee has been shortlisted we invite the nominator and two supporters to prepare a more detailed submission addressing the relevant assessment criteria.

Previous nominees are eligible for renomination subject to meeting relevant eligibility criteria, submitting a new nomination and the nominator and supporters providing evidence of any relevant achievements. Different individuals may nominate and support the nominee where appropriate.

Further guidance

Application creator

  • The person who starts the application on the business.gov.au portal. This is often the same contact as the nominator, but may be a different person who is assisting with the submission of the application.
  • The application creator completes the nomination form on behalf of the nominator.
  • The application creator will have access to edit and submit the applications. As the account holder you will be the only person with permission to view the application unless you add participants.
  • Page 4 – Applicant address: If the applicant is also the nominator, we recommend you input the nominator’s address.
  • If the applicant is applying on behalf of the nominator, we recommend you (the applicant) put the address for the organisation that you work for.

Primary contact

  • This person is the main contact for DISR and is usually the nominator or application creator.
  • All correspondence will be sent to this person, including the invitation to stage 2 of the application process if successful. We may contact this person to confirm eligibility requirements.
  • Primary contact details are collected on Page 11 of the nomination form.

Nominator

  • The person who is nominating the nominee.
  • Nominator details are collected on Page 5 of the nomination form.
  • The nominator must:
    • not be related to the nominee
    • be personally knowledgeable of the nominated achievement and be able to offer informed opinions about its worth
    • hold professional qualifications in the same, or a closely related, field as the nominee
    • ensure the nominee is willing to be nominated and provide evidence necessary to support the nomination.

Nominee

  • The individual or team being nominated for a Prize.
  • Nominee details are collected on Page 6 of the nomination form.

Supporter

  • An individual identified by the nominator as someone who will support the nomination.
  • The supporter’s role is to provide independent views on the nominee’s achievements against the assessment criteria.
  • Supporters will not have access to the application form unless the application creator adds them as a participant.
  • Supporter details are collected on Page 7 of the nomination form.
  • At least one supporter must be working for a different organisation to the nominator and the nominee.

Statements from the nominator and supporters must:

  • be on the template provided on this page
  • use the letterhead of the organisation to which they belong
  • specify their position within the organisation.
  • observe word limits.

You must attach supporting documentation to the nomination form in accordance with the instructions provided in the form.

Note that attachments must be in a searchable format with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and therefore cannot be scanned.

CV format

The CV should be 2 A4 pages or less and be in a searchable format with Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Therefore it cannot be scanned.

Attachment size and types

Each attachment cannot be larger than 2MB and can only be uploaded if they are one of the following file types: doc, docx, rtf, pdf, xls, xlsx, csv, jpg, jpeg, png, gif.

Naming conventions

The name of the attachment must be saved as follows:

Stage 1:

  • CV: lastname_firstname_cv

Stage 2:

  • Supporter statement: lastname_firstname_support1; lastname_firstname_support2
  • Certified evidence of the nominee’s Australian citizenship/permanent residency: lastname_firstname_cpr
  • Declaration: lastname_firstname_declaration

How to apply

When you're ready to apply

Apply using our online portal:

  1. Create or log into your portal account.
  2. Follow the instructions to complete your application.
  3. Submit your application before the close date.

Make sure you include enough detail and supporting evidence in your application.

Don’t submit the application until it’s complete. You can’t edit your application once submitted.

We will assess nominations against the eligibility criteria and if the nomination is eligible, it will be forwarded to an independent committee for assessment against the assessment criteria, compared to other eligible nominations and a shortlist will be prepared.

If the nomination is shortlisted, the nominator will be invited to participate in Stage 2.

In Stage 2 we invite the nominator and 2 supporters to prepare a more detailed nomination addressing the assessment criteria. The committee will assess eligible nominations for the shortlisted nominees against the assessment criteria, compare them to other eligible Stage 2 nominations and recommend prize recipients. For more information refer to section 7 of the guidelines.

The Minister will make the final decision on the prize recipients.

Apply now

Apply for The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science – Science Teaching Prizes

Before you apply, make sure you:

  • understand the nomination process
  • read the grant opportunity guidelines
  • are ready to complete the online nomination form.
Apply now

Need help?

Let us answer your question over the phone, email or live chat.

  • Phone:
  • Open Hours:
    Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm across Australia
  • Website:

Inspiring Australia – Science Engagement Program

The Prime Minister's Prizes for Science is part of the Inspiring Australia – Science Engagement Program. This aims to:

  • increase Australian community engagement with the sciences, through activities and events
  • increase positive public sentiment and awareness of the contribution and achievements of Australian scientists and innovators
  • improve communication between Australian scientists, the general public, businesses and government
  • enhance focus on building skills and capability in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and digital literacy, in Australian schools and communities
  • increase engagement and participation in groups under-represented in STEM.

Key documents

Grant opportunity guidelines – Science Teaching Prizes

pdf · 0.41 MB docx · 0.14 MB

Sample application form - Stage 1 nominations

pdf · 0.28 MB docx · 0.10 MB

Additional advice for responding to assessment criteria

pdf · 0.23 MB docx · 0.08 MB

CV template

docx · 0.10 MB

Nominee declaration template

docx · 0.09 MB
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