Award winners in previous years
Peter Wills Medal
Created in honour of the leader whose work led to the inception of Research Australia, The Peter Wills Medal recognises an Australian who has made an outstanding contribution to building Australia’s international reputation in the area of health and medical research, and fostering collaboration for better health.
2023 Emeritus Professor Caroline Isabel Bower AC
2022 Professor Ian Alexander
20-21 Dr Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Department of Health
2019 Professor Kathryn North AC FAHMS
2018 Laureate Professor Nicholas Talley AC
2017 Professor Kim Mulholland
2016 Prof Ian Gust AO
2015 Prof Sharon Lewin AO, FRACP, FAHMS
2014 Prof Alan Lopez AC
2013 Professor Paul Zimmet, AO, FRACP
2012 Sir Gustav Nossal, AC, CBE, FAA, FRS
2011 Professor John Shine, AO, FAA
Discovery Award
An early career researcher (no more than five years post PhD) whose paper/patent/discovery has already demonstrated its importance or impact. The Discovery Award was introduced in 2008.
2023 Dr James Pang
2022 Dr Caleb Dawson
20-21 Dr Mo Chen
2019 Dr Christine Keenan
2018 Dr Sarah Best
2017 Dr Avnika Ruparelia
2016 Dr Rebecca Coll
2015 Dr Andrew Gardner
2014 Dr Genevieve Healy
2013 Dr Franziska Bieri
2012 Dr Motoko Koyama
2011 Dr Oliver Baumann
2010 Dr Mark S Pearson
2009 Dr Sarah Whittle
2008 Dr Jeff Holst
Data Innovation in Health & Medical Research Award
For the development of the most innovative method of gathering, making available, processing or interpreting data in a way that advances the sector.
2023 Professor Georgina Chambers
2022 The AusVaxSafety Team
20-21 Dr Tracy Dudding-Byth
2019 Professor John Lynch FAHMS
2018 Dr Craig Dalton
2017 Professor Helmut Butzkueven
2016 Capital Markets CRC, Health Market Quality Team
Great Australian Philanthropy Award
This award is to recognise and encourage personal philanthropic donations over a period of time by an individual or family to health and medical research.
2023 Mr Geoff Cumming
2022 Mr and Mrs Roy and Nola Thompson
20-21 Andrew and Jean Miller (Miller Foundation)
2019 Mrs Pamela Galli, The Lorenzo and Pamela Galli Charitable Trust
2018 The Bill & Iris Burges Trust
2017 Andrew Forrest AO and Nicola Forrest
2016 McCusker Charitable Foundation
2015 John Gandel AO & Pauline Gandel
2014 Len Ainsworth & Gretel Ainsworth; Charles Feeney (two Awards in 2014)
2013 Susan Alberti AO
2012 Harold Charles Mitchell AC
2011 The Sylvia & Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation
2010 Greg Poche AO
2009 Clive Berghofer AM
2008 Judy and Jack Gibson OAM
2007 Frank Lowy AC
2006 Carlo Salteri AC
2005 The Myer Family
2004 Lady Mary Fairfax
2003 Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE
Frontiers Research Award
Australia’s strong track record in health and medical research excellence positions it well to lead the world in health innovation. This award recognises the success of innovative health and medical research that extends existing knowledge, boundaries and/ or understandings within health and medical research. This category will recognise transformative research by an individual, team or corporate that will enable Australia’s health system to position itself as a global leader.
2023 Professor Jake Baum
2022 Scientia Prof Justin Gooding
20-21 Dr John Parker
2019 Associate Professor Jeremy Crook & Team
Health Services Research Award
This award was created in 2014 to recognise the importance of the emerging field of health services research.
2023 Professor Michele Sterling
2022 Professor Johanna Westbrook
20-21 Professor Brett Mitchell
2019 Professor Libby Roughead
2018 Professor Sue Kildea
2017 Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (AMZHFR)
2016 Prof Michael Barton OAM
2015 Prof Jeffrey Braithwaite
2014 Prof Robert Sanson-Fisher AO
The Advocacy Award
This award combines the celebrity and media awards from previous years. This award recognises an Australian from either the health and medical research Community, media, celebrity or a member of the community that has raised community awareness about the benefits of health and medical research and the need for increased funding.
2023 Mr Col Reynolds OAM
2022 ghd
20-21 The Chimera Legacy Foundation
2019 Professor Gordon Lynch
2018 Matthew Grounds
2017 Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation
2016 Brenda King
2015 Connie Johnson & Sam Johnson
2014 Karen Livingstone
2013 Mark Beretta
2012 Ita Buttrose AO, OBE
2011 Stephen R Leeder
2010 Li Cunxin
2009 Professor Ian Hickie AM
2008 Dr James O Little AO, musician
Leadership in Corporate Giving Award
To recognise and foster involvement of Australian businesses, both small and large, in advancing health and medical research in Australia.
2018 MACA Limited
2017 The QBE Foundation
2016 Volvo Car Australia
2014 Bupa
2013 Rio Tinto
2012 Xstrata Coal
2011 David Jones
2010 Not awarded
2009 Macquarie Group Foundation
2008 Pfizer Australia
2007 Wesfarmers Ltd
2006 L.J. Hooker
2005 Estee Lauder
2004 Coco’s Fresh Food Market, Queensland
2003 Channel Seven Perth
Leadership and Innovation Award
This award recognises an individual or organisation that has shown exceptional leadership and/or innovation towards making health and medical research a higher national priority.
2014 Alastair Lucas AM
2013 Simon McKeon AO
2012 Will Delaat AM
2011 Professor Doug Hilton, PHD, FAA, FTSE
2010 Professor John Funder AO
2009 Professor Joseph Sambrook
2008 Professor Fiona Stanley AC
2007 Professor J. Coghlan AO
2006 Sir Gus Nossal AC CBE
2005 The Hon John Brumby, Minister for State & Regional Development Minister for Innovation
2004 The Hon. Peter Beattie, Premier of Queensland
2003 The Hon. Bob Carr, Premier of New South Wales
Celebrity Advocacy Award
This award recognises an Australian celebrity who has used their fame and influence in advocacy, fundraising or building awareness of health and medical research.
2007 Lisa Wilkinson, television personality
2006 Ricky Ponting, Australian cricket captain
2005 Delta Goodrem, musician, singer and actress
2004 Michael Milton, Paralympian and supporter of children’s cancer research
2003 Sarah Murdoch, Model and Patron for the National Breast Cancer Foundation
Health Research in the Media Award
This award recognises journalists/media personalities who have dedicated their time and efforts to promoting health and medical research through the media and raising the profile of research in the Australian community.
2007 Carol Nader, The Age newspaper
2006 Dr Norman Swan, Health Reporter, ABC Radio National
2005 Sophie Scott, National Health Reporter, ABC Television
2004 Belinda Hope, Medical Reporter, National Nine News.
National Leadership in Advocacy Award
(special award category)
The National Leadership in Advocacy Award was a special award presented to the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing Hon. Tony Abbott for his personal commitment to raising funds the Westmead Millennium Institute through the Pollie Pedal bike ride.
2006 Hon. Tony Abbott MP
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award honours a significant lifetime commitment to supporting and promoting health and medical research.
2015 Prof Perry Bartlett FAA
2014 Carol Langsford & Roy Langsford
2013 Bill Ferris AC
2012 Professor Philip Sambrook (posthumous)
2012 Professor Hugh R Taylor AC
2011 Laureate Professor Peter C Doherty, AC, FAA, FRS
2010 Professor Colin Binns
2009 Elaine Henry OAM
2008 Professor the Hon. Barry Jones AO
2007 Ken Roberts AM
2006 The Hon Neville Wran AC
2005 Sir Bruce Watson AC
2004 Dr Susan Alberti AM
2003 Mrs Mickie Hardie and Mrs Leila Schmidt (posthumous)