The Neil Hamilton Fairley Medal

Nominations closed.

The RACP awards the Neil Hamilton Fairley Medal every 5 years to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of medicine. The medal is presented at the RACP College Ceremony, and the recipient may be invited to present as part of the RACP Congress program.

The Neil Hamilton Fairley Medal honours the internationally renowned work of esteemed Australian physician, Brigadier Sir Neil Hamilton Fairley KBE CStJ FRACP FRCP FRCPE FRS. Sir Neil Hamilton Fairley is remembered as a visionary whose knowledge and persistence led to numerous vital contributions in medicine. The RACP established the award in 1969 with the generosity of Lady Mary Hamilton Fairley.

A special award was presented in 2018 to Professor Alan Mackay-Sim by the Royal College of Physicians in London as part of their 500th Anniversary celebration. Alan was also recognised as Australian of the Year in 2017.


Professor Sam Berkovic AC, MD, FAA, FRACP, FAHMS, FRS | 2025 recipient

Sam Berkovic

Sam Berkovic is a Laureate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne. He is a clinical neurologist and clinical researcher with strong collaborations in basic science.

His group, together with molecular genetic collaborators in Adelaide and Germany, discovered the first epilepsy gene in 1995 and has since contributed to the discovery of many known epilepsy genes. This work has transformed the understanding of the causes of epilepsy and is having a major impact on research, diagnosis strategies, and the development of new treatments.

He is currently a co-PI on “Epi25,” a major NIH-funded project to sequence 25,000 epilepsy genomes, and he leads the ILAE Consortium on Complex Epilepsies. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) in 2007 and, together with Ingrid Scheffer, received the 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science.

See our past Neil Hamilton Fairley Medal recipients.

Eligibility

A nominee:

  • can be an RACP Fellow or a non-member
  • must be nominated by an RACP Fellow
  • cannot self-nominate

Nominate

Read the Terms & Conditions – College Meritorious Awards and Prizes by Nomination.

Submit a nomination in PDF format to foundation@racp.edu.au, including:

  • a nomination form that that addresses the selection criteria and includes a statement of support
  • a full curriculum vitae, reprints or other documentary evidence for the nominee. CVs longer than 7 pages must be accompanied by an executive summary
  • two letters of support addressing the selection criteria 

Selection criteria

The nominator must:

  • express appreciation of contributions made by the nominee and evaluate how these have positively impacted the field of medicine
  • provide details of noted contributions and specify whether are in the field of research, teaching or clinical medicine
  • specify the standing of the nominee in his or her branch of medicine

The Grants Advisory Committee considers:

  • the contributions made by the nominee in relation to those of others — an essential part of the nomination
  • whether the work has a strong and direct influence on the field of medicine

Selection process

Members of the Grants Advisory Committee consider nominations for the award and make a recommendation to the RACP President and Board.

The Committee reserves the right to not award the Neil Hamilton Fairley Medal if they determine that the nominees do not meet the elite standards required for this prestigious award.

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