About the Award 

 

The annual Rechnitz Award is intended to recognise excellence in research leadership and advancement of knowledge of Indigenous society, culture and language. The Award is open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars who must be nominated and endorsed by two Fellows of either the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia or the Australian Academy of Humanities. Recipients will be required to deliver a Rechnitz Lecture in the 12-months following their award and will also be invited to participate in the production of an Academy-produced video highlighting their work.

The Rechnitz Award is made through the Wilhelm, Martha and Otto Rechnitz Memorial Fund, which was established by the Academy in 2022 following receipt of a donation from the estate of Wilhelm Rechnitz. The donation was made by executor of the estate Mr Ralph O’Brien and brokered by his friend and former Academy President Professor Leon Mann AO FASSA. The Fund is managed by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia with guidance from a Fund Steering Committee and oversight of the Academy’s Board. 

Read more about the Rechnitz Memorial fund.

Download the Rechnitz Memorial Award Guidelines

Nomination Process

Nominations for the inaugural Rechnitz Memorial Award 2025 open Tuesday 27 May and close Friday 15 August.

To nominate an outstanding Indigenous or non-Indigenous scholar, please click on the link below to take you to the online application form.

Rechnitz Memorial Award – Online nomination Form 2025

A PDF version of the nomination form can also be found here, for reference.

Nominations must be supported by two Fellows of either the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia or the Australian Academy of Humanities.  

The nomination comprises:

  • A nomination form setting out the case for the nominated scholar 
  • The name, position, and email address of two referees who have agreed to provide a referee’s report in support of the nomination by the due date.
  • A full CV for the nominee 

Upon receipt of a nomination, the Academy will determine eligibility, and for eligible nominees will then contact the referees listed in the nomination form via email to request a referee report. Nominators should ensure that the referees have agreed to provide a report in support of the nomination by the due date before listing them as referees in the nomination form. If the referee reports are not received by the specified date, the nomination may not be able to be considered for the award. Referees should have expertise and experience relevant to the nominee’s field, though referees need not be Fellows of the Academy.

Please refer to the guidelines for referees on pages 7-8 of the Rechnitz Memorial Award Nomination Guidelines prior to proceeding with a nomination.

Timeline

  • Nominations open Tuesday 27 May and close on Friday 15 August.  
  • Referee’s reports must be submitted no later than Friday 29 August. 
  • Rechnitz Steering Committee review nominations in September. 
  • Nominees and nominators are advised of the nomination outcome in October.  
  • The recipient will be invited to attend the Academy’s gala dinner in Sydney on 17 November, 2025 to receive their award. 
  • The Academy will work with the recipient to arrange a suitable time for delivery of the Rechnitz Award Lecture and to create a video on their work within twelve months of receiving the award.  

Assessment of Nominations

Each eligible nomination received will be reviewed by two referees, and will then be assessed by the Rechnitz Steering Committee which includes Indigenous expert reviewers. Nominations will be assessed on the basis of excellence in research leadership and advancement of knowledge of Indigenous society, culture and language as demonstrated by: 

  • scholarly publication,
  • academic prizes, research grants, Fellowships and scholarships,
  • presentations at leading national and international conferences,
  • supervision and mentoring,
  • contributions to public policy,
  • contributions to public understanding, discourse and debate,
  • leadership roles with relevant organisations. 

The Academy reserves the right not to select a recipient for the Rechnitz Award in any given year. 

Eligibility Criteria

The Rechnitz Award is open to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who have demonstrated excellence in research leadership and advancement of knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society, culture and language. 

Nominees do not necessarily have to hold a PhD or have been employed in academic positions, and nominations will be assessed on the basis of track record of relevant achievement, without regard to career stage. 

To be eligible for consideration for the Rechnitz Award, nominees must be: 

  • An Australian citizen or permanent resident
  • Endorsed by two Fellows of either the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and/or the Australian Academy of Humanities, as Proposer and Seconder
  • The nominated scholar must not have previously won the Rechnitz Award. 

The Rechnitz Award may be made posthumously, however nominees must be alive at the time of submission. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Nomination process

Who can submit a nomination for the Rechnitz Award? 

Nominations can be prepared and submitted through the website link by Academy Fellows or any other individual. However, they will not be deemed valid nominations until endorsed by two Fellows of either the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia or the Australian Academy of Humanities who endorse the nomination as ‘Proposer’ and ‘Seconder’.  

How do Fellows endorse a nomination? 

The names of the two Fellows who have agreed to endorse the nomination as Proposer and Seconder must be entered on the nomination form. On submission, these Fellows (or Fellow, if one of the individuals has submitted the nomination) will receive an automated email requesting confirmation of their endorsement.  A nomination that is not endorsed by two Fellows will be considered incomplete and will not be eligible for the award.  

Will the person who submits a nomination receive confirmation of receipt? 

Yes, the person who submits the online nomination will receive confirmation of receipt.  They will also receive confirmation once the nomination has been officially endorsed by two Fellows and the referee reports have been received by the Academy. 

Can a Fellow support more than one nomination for the Rechnitz Award? 

Yes, there is no limit on the number of nominations a Fellow can endorse in any given year. 

Do nominators have to be in the same discipline as the nominee? 

No, nominators (or Fellows endorsing a nomination), do not have to be in the same discipline as the nominee. 

Referees

Do the referees have to be a Fellow of the Academy? 

No, referees do not have to be a Fellow of the Academy (of Social Sciences or Humanities).  

Can a nominator also act as a referee? 

Yes, either the nominator or the seconder (but not both) can also act as a referee.   

When and how do referees submit their reports? 

The name and email address of two referees who have agreed to provide a referee’s report in support of the nomination must be included in the nomination form. Upon receipt of a nomination, the Academy will contact the referees via email to request a referee report. The referee reports must be submitted by the referees by the specified due date to be considered by the Academy. If the referee reports are not received by the due date, the nomination may not be able to be considered for the award. 

The referee reports are confidential and viewed only by the assessing committee. The candidate and nominators will not be able to see the reports. 

Timelines

When will I be notified of the outcome of my nomination? 

Nominees and nominators will be notified of the nomination outcome following the assessment process.  

When will the award be presented? 

The Rechnitz Award will be presented to the recipient at a mutually agreed time following the decision on the Award. Preferably this will be at the Academy’s annual gala dinner, however if the recipient is unable to attend the dinner, it may be presented at the time of the recipient’s Rechnitz Lecture, or at another event. 

Further Information and Contacts

For further enquiries please contact the Academy National Office at awards@socialsciences.org.au or phone (02) 6249 1788.