This medal is awarded for excellence in both research and the reporting of that research by publication.   The John. K. Taylor, OBE, Gold Medal in Soil Science is awarded at the Australian National Conference in Soil Science.

 

Award Conditions

6.2. J.K. Taylor, OBE, Gold Medal in Soil Science

6.2.1. The Society award a Medal at each Australian National Conference in Soil Science, or at such other interval as the Society may decide.

6.2.2. The Award will be called the “John K. Taylor, OBE, Gold Medal in Soil Science for Excellence in both Research and its Communication for 20__”.

6.2.3. The Medal shall be awarded for the most meritorious research publication(s) in any form (e.g. paper(s), book(s), map(s), video(s), film(s), and other) acceptable to the Committee since the beginning of the year of the previous award on the basis of results of a soil scientist’s own work in the field of soil science. The subject shall deal with soil research as currently defined in the Australian Journal of Soil Research and shall be related to Australian and/or New Zealand soils. In addition, publications of research by Australian and New Zealand soil scientists on any soils shall be eligible for the award.

6.2.4. The Medal shall be presented by a member of the John K. Taylor family, or by a nominee of the family as arranged with the Australian Society of Soil Science Incorporated (South Australian Branch) or by the President of the Society.

6.2.5. A citation will be made at the presentation and handed to the recipient along with the Medal. The citation shall begin “The John K. Taylor, OBE, Gold Medal for Excellence in both Research and its Communication for 20__ has been awarded to…”.

6.2.6. All Australian and New Zealand soil scientists, and any other soil scientist who is working or has worked in Australia or New Zealand, shall be eligible for consideration for the Medal whether or not the said soil scientists are members of the Australian or New Zealand Societies of Soil Science.

6.2.7. The John K. Taylor Medal Committee shall be constituted and appointed by Federal Council after each Award or at least two years before the date of the succeeding occasion at which the Award may be made.

6.2.8. The John K. Taylor Medal Committee shall consist of a Convenor, one member of the ASSSI Publication Medal Committee, and three ordinary members of the Society. The membership of the Committee shall represent at least three disciplines of soil science, two Branches of ASSSI and the New Zealand Society of Soil Science.

6.2.9. The John K. Taylor Medal Committee shall be responsible for selecting each winning publication. In the event that this Committee considers no sufficiently meritorious publication is extant, no medal shall be awarded. This Committee’s decision shall be final.

6.2.10. Nominations must be received by May 31 in the year of the award, according to Rules 6.3.5, 6.3.6, 6.3.8 and 6.3.9 set out for the Australian Society of Soil Science Incorporated Publication Medal. If no, or insufficient, suitable nomination(s) is/are received, the John K. Taylor Medal Committee may cause a publication search to be made and consider candidates from which to select the Medal recipient.

6.2.11. The nominator is considered responsible for confirming the successful receipt of the nomination by the Federal Secretary.

6.2.12. In the case of publication by two authors where it can be attested to that the work was cooperatively and equally shared, the Award shall be shared and two Medals presented. Multi-author papers shall be considered on their merits, and the John K. Taylor Medal Committee may make recommendations to Federal Council as and when the need arises.

6.2.13. The John K. Taylor Gold Medal originally results from a gift of money in 1983 from the John K. Taylor family to commemorate the life and work of John Kingsley Taylor, O.B.E., in soil science.