The prize is named and awarded in honour of Professor RKS Wood to acknowledge his role in driving the establishment of the discipline “Physiological Plant Pathology”. The prize celebrates excellent science in the study of plant disease biology and its application in the protection of plants against pathogens. The previous winners of the prize were:
Nick Talbot (2026)
Paul Birch (2025)
Diane Saunders (2024)
John Mansfield (2023)
Paul Nicholson (2022)
Sophien Kamoun (2021)
Saskia Hogenhout (2019)
Bart Thomma (2018)
The recipient will receive a prize of £1000. This is conditional on giving a lecture on their achievements at one of the society’s meetings. All reasonable expenses will be paid.
The recipient will be chosen on the basis of a written nomination by members of the BSPP that can justify the positive impact of the nominee’s findings or activities on society, agriculture or the environment. The impact should be measurable but does not necessarily have to be published in scientific journals.
Activities for which nominees can be considered include research effort that has had a significant impact on understanding the biology of plant-pathogen interactions and the application of this knowledge to improve our ability to control plant diseases. The nomination should provide clear evidence of relevant achievements, including scientific as well as broader impacts, for example in agriculture, forestry, the natural environment and society at large.
