Awards

The Gold Medal Award is the premier acknowledgement for outstanding botanical research and contributions to the advancement of botany in South Africa offered by SAAB. It is awarded only in exceptional circumstances to outstanding candidates.

The Silver Medal Award also acknowledges significant contributions to the advancement of botany in South Africa.

The Bronze Medal Award, known traditionally as the SAAB Junior Medal for Botany, is offered for an outstanding thesis on a botanical subject which results in the conferring of a doctorate at a South African university.

A Certificate of Merit is awarded for outstanding contributions in the scientific, technical, artistic, educational or any other field that results in the advancement of botany in South Africa. Nominees need not have any formal training in botany.

The Best Young Scientist Award consisting of a certificate and R1000 cash is awarded to the best oral paper delivered by young botanist under 30 years of age.  Adjudication takes place by the LOC.

Best Oral paper by a PhD is awarded with a certificate and R1000 cash.  Must be within one year of completing the degree (i.e. for a student just having completed their Masters degree, and starting their PhD) There is no age limit. Adjudication takes place by the LOC.

Best Oral Paper by an MSc is awarded with a  certificate and R750 cash. Must be within one year of completing the degree (i.e. for a student just having completed their Honours degree, and starting their MSc) There is no age limit. Adjudication takes place by the LOC.

An Honours Award   for the best oral paper presented by an honours student was first given out in 2016 and consists of of a certificate and R500 cash.  It is awarded for  research conducted while registered for an Honours degree, but within one year of completing the degree.  There is no age limit.  Adjudication takes place by the LOC.

Awards for posters are offered in the following categories: Conservation/Ecology, Ethnobotany, Physiology and Systematics. The categories can be adapted/added to by the LOC to reflect any unique circumstances/themes of the congress.  SAAB contributes R250 cash but additional prizes such as books can be added by the LOC. Adjudication takes place by the LOC.

 See SAAB Award Recipients since 1972 (Click here).

Guidelines for nominations

Gold and Silver Medal and the Certificate of Merit for Botany: Nominations for these awards can be made by any SAAB member by 31 August of each year to the SAAB president. Awards are decided by the SAAB Council and are presented at the annual conference AGM dinner. A curriculum vitae of the proposed candidate must be submitted, as well as a complete list of publications and an evaluation of the candidate’s scientific contribution to Botany.

Bronze Medal:

  • Only doctoral degrees awarded by South African Universities are eligible.
  • Only theses written in English will be considered.
  • The candidate must have graduated with a doctoral degree between 1 July of the preceding year and 30 June of the current year, or candidates that have not yet graduated may provide written proof from the University that they have fulfilled all requirements for graduation for a doctoral degree by the end of June of the current year.
  • The candidate may not have been previously nominated for this award.
  • The Council will generally accept only one nomination from each institution. However, in exceptional cases where there are a number of candidates who have been awarded their degrees and are considered to be equally eligible for the award, the institution may submit two nominations.
  • Late submissions will not be considered.

Nominations must consist of the following:

  1. A digital copy (.pdf) of the PhD thesis.
  2. A letter of support from the Head of Department or School.
  3. The reports of ALL the external examiners (will be kept confidential).
  4. A brief curriculum vitae of the student.
  5. A written motivation from the nominator(s), which includes comments made by the examiners.
  6. A certified copy of the graduation certificate for the doctoral degree or a letter from the University stating that the candidate has fulfilled all requirements for graduation with a doctoral degree.
  • A committee appointed by the SAAB Council will adjudicate the nominations and the decision of the committee is final. The Bronze Medal will be officially awarded at an awards ceremony at the annual conference AGM dinner.
  • The deadline for nominations is 31 August.

PhD, MSc and Honours awards:

Must be within one year of completing the degree (i.e. for a student just having completed their Honours degree, and starting their MSc) There is no age limit.

A committee appointed by the Council of SAAB will adjudicate the nominations and the decision of the committee is final.