The John Maddox Prize rewards an individual who has promoted sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest. Its emphasis is on those who have faced difficulty or hostility in doing so. Nominations of active researchers who have yet to receive recognition for their public-interest work are particularly welcomed.

The prize is open to nominations for any kind of public activity, including all forms of writing, speaking and public engagement, in any of the following areas:

  • Addressing misleading information about scientific or medical issues in any forum.
  • Bringing sound evidence to bear in a public or policy debate.
  • Helping people to make sense of a complex scientific issue.

The prize: £2000. The award is presented in November and an announcement of the winner will be published in Nature.

Sir John Maddox, whose name this prize commemorates, was a passionate and tireless champion and defender of science, engaging with difficult debates and inspiring others to do the same. As a writer and editor, he changed attitudes and perceptions, and strove for better understanding and appreciation of science throughout his long working life.

The prize is a joint initiative of Nature, where Sir John was editor for 22 years; the Kohn Foundation; and Sense About Science, where he served as a trustee until his death in 2009.

Candidates for the John Maddox Prize must be nominated. The nominator should normally be an individual who is familiar with the work of the candidate but self-nomination will be considered in exceptional circumstances. This is a global prize: people from and in any country can be nominated.

Find out more about the nomination process, evaluation criteria and previous winners here.

The deadline for nominations is 11:59pm on 20 August 2013 BST.