Robert Perrin Award
The Robert Perrin Award is presented for outstanding and sustained commitment to outreach activity targeted at 11-19-year-olds. The award is open to those working within university or company environments and the judges are looking for evidence of:
- Sustained involvement in outreach activities over a number of years.
- Sharing best practice with colleagues.
- Engaging in activities outside of the normal day-to-day role of the nominee.
The award is supported by the Worshipful Company of Armourers & Brasiers.
The winner will receive a medal.
Award judging
Past winners
2021 -
2023 Prof Saiful Islam FIMMM, 2022 Dr Sarah-Jane Potts MIMMM, 2021 Dr Grant Gibson
2016 - 2020
2020 Rhys Archer, 2019 Rachael Ambury, 2018 Gervais Sawyer, 2017 Jennifer Wade, 2016 Colin Hindle
Nomination process
The following information is required to submit a nomination:
- Nominee's title, full name, email address, IOM3 member grade (if applicable) and postnominals, company and position
- Citation (500 words max) to support your nomination
- Additional documentation (i.e. letters of support, CV, list of publications) to further support your nomination
- Details of an external referee (only if the nominee and nominator are from the same organisation).
Please note you may save your nomination as a draft at any point during the process and complete at a later date.
About Dr Robert Perrin HonFIMMM
Following distinguished wartime service in the Royal Artillery and the Royal Air Force, Robert Perrin resumed his delayed undergraduate education, graduating BA and MA in Chemistry from King’s College, Cambridge. This was followed by a PhD in Soil Science, also at Cambridge. He became a University Lecturer in Soil Science at the University of Cambridge whilst continuing his military service as a member of the Geologists’ Pool of the Royal Engineers in the Army Emergency Reserve, retiring as a major in 1966.
Robert Perrin became a Freeman of the Armourers & Brasiers’ Company in 1947, and, after progressing through the Company, became Master in 1985. He was a founding member of the Armourers and Brasiers’ Metals Committee, established in 1986, which, by stating its specific interest in Engineering Materials, created the vision for the Company’s modern charitable purpose of supporting the UK’s Materials Science community.
The Committee prioritised links between industry and universities and supported industrial experience for students. The Committee also understood the importance of nurturing interest in science among school students through outreach programmes which introduced them to the wealth of career opportunities available in Materials Science. Robert Perrin had a particular enthusiasm for outreach and built collaborative relationships with universities, industry and institutional partners to promote it. He established a significant collaboration with IOM3 and his tireless commitment was recognised in 2000 by his election as an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Materials. The letter of invitation remarked that:
'The interaction between the Armourers and Brasiers and IoM has been extremely effective in raising the profile of materials, and in many respects your own personal contribution has been significant. The schools programme for instance has been an excellent example of cooperation, and your influence has been important to its success.'
Robert Perrin retired from active involvement with the Armourers & Brasiers Materials Science programmes in 2010, but maintained his interest in their subsequent development. The Robert Perrin Award, sponsored by the Armourers & Brasiers’ Company, was established in 2016 in acknowledgement of Dr Perrin’s extended service to Materials Science outreach. The award recognises outstanding and sustained commitment to outreach activity targeted at 11-19-year-olds, by those working within university or company environments.