Set up in memory of pharmaceutical chemist Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Frank Harrison, who died in 1918, the Harrison Medal is awarded every two years by the RCPharm Chief Scientist.

Eligibility criteria

Nominees for the Harrison Medal must be:

• Having a substantial, positive, and lasting impact upon the field
• Established in pharmaceutical research and mid-way through their research career
• Actively advancing pharmaceutical sciences
• Actively encouraging juniors and peers to further their knowledge
• An RCPharm member 

We encourage nominations for pharmacists from all sectors of the pharmacy profession.

Nomination guidance

Nominations for the 2026 Harrison Medal will be open between 15 May 2026 and 15 September 2026. Following the closure of the nomination call, our Harrison 2026 Nomination Review Panel will review and score the eligible candidates, with the winner announced on 2 October 2026¹.

The winner of the 2026 Harrison Medal will be invited to present their Harrison lecture at RCPharm Annual Conference. 

To be considered, nominations must include:

• A CV on behalf of the nominee
• A letter of justification summarising the nominee’s career to date, their notable activities within the field of pharmaceutical sciences², and why you believe they should be considered for the award

You cannot nominate yourself for the Harrison Medal.

The winner will be announced on 2 October 2026¹.

To ensure as inclusive and wide a field of candidates as possible, we will be reaching out to known stakeholders, including the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Joint Pharmaceutical Analysis Group and Industrial Pharmacy Forum.

Any questions about eligibility or nominations? Contact the RCPharm Science and Research team.

Footnotes

¹A dedicated panel created by the RCPharm’s Science & Research Team and the RCPharm Science and Research Committee will review the nominations for the medal and select a medal winner. The proposed name is submitted for ratification to the RCPharm Executive Team, National Pharmacy Board Chairs, and the President.

²RCPharm’s definition of a Pharmaceutical Scientist is “an individual working in the basic, applied or the social sciences impinging on the discovery, development, delivery, quality, safety, efficacy, regulation or usage of medicines and medical devices and their educational development in all its many aspects and for the ultimate benefit of the patient and public.”