Nominations for the 2026 Publication Medal are open for submissions.
Applications for the Publication Medal award need to be made by a financial member of Soil Science Australia and can be made either by the candidate, or on behalf of the candidate. The Publication Medal award will be made on the basis of scientific merit, relevance to soil science, and effectiveness in communicating the paper’s contents to the reader.
– The candidate needs to be a financial member of the Society.
– The work will normally be for work carried out in Australia.
– The publication on which the award is based should be published no later than the year of the candidate’s 35th birthday.
– If the paper is co-authored written assurance must be given that the candidate made the major contribution to the research and writing of the paper.
– Only the primary author of a joint author publication is eligible to receive the award.
– Application may be made by either the candidate or on behalf of the candidate by a financial member of the Society.
– The nomination may include the names of up to two referees on whom the Publication Medal Committee may call.
If insufficient suitable nominations are received the Publication Medal Committee may initiate a search and consider candidates from which to select a suitable medal recipient.
The Publication Medal is presented by the Federal President or proxy at the Soil Science Australia national conference or another event determined by the Federal Council.
This medal is awarded annually for a publication on any subject in soil research. The award is open to Australian soil scientists and is made on the basis of scientific merit, relevance to soil science and effectiveness in communicating the content. The award is normally for work carried out in Australia and the publication on which the award is based should be published not later than the year of the candidate’s 35th birthday.
Written assurance must be given by any co-authors that the nominee for the Publication Medal has made the major contribution to the research and writing of the paper. Only the senior author of a joint-author publication is eligible to receive the Publication Medal.
The award consists of a medal, certificate and sum of money.
Paper: A Review of Fe–S–C Dynamics in Blue Carbon Environments: Potential Influence of Coastal Acid Sulfate Soils
The Publication Medal Committee is pleased to recommend Julie Tan for the Soil science Australia Publication Medal. Tan’s paper provides a comprehensive review of Fe–S–C interactions in blue carbon environments, with particular relevance to coastal acid sulfate soils. The Committee agreed that the work demonstrates strong scientific merit, drawing effectively on existing literature and presenting complex biogeochemical processes with clarity.
The Committee noted that the paper offers useful insights into how soil and mineralogical properties influence carbon dynamics in coastal wetlands—an area of growing national and global importance. Its relevance to the management of Australian blue carbon ecosystems under a changing climate was strongly recognised.
Overall, the Committee found the paper to be well-structured, scientifically rigorous, and of clear value to the soil science community, meeting the expectations and standards of the Publication Medal. The Committee commends Julie Tan for producing a high-quality contribution to soil science and congratulates her on this achievement.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1979 | P.S. Sidhu |
| 1980 | M.J. Knight |
| 1981 | W.H. Utomo |
| 1982 | David Chittleborough |
| 1983 | Colin Chartres |
| 1984 | Robert Loch |
| 1986 | R.R. Anand |
| 1987 | J.M. Hainsworth |
| 1989 | Neal Menzies |
| 1991 | Stuart Boucher |
| 1993 | V.K. Phogat |
| 1995 | H.J. Ni |
| 1996 | Kerry Greenwood |
| 2001 | Gary Sheridan |
| 2002 | Budiman Minasny |
| 2003 | Angus McElnea |
| 2004 | Ronald Smernik |
| 2005 | Bennett Macdonald |
| 2007 | Ian Oliver |
| 2009 | Mohsen Forouzongohar |
| 2010 | Ashlea Doolette |
| 2011 | Samantha Grover |
| 2012 | Vanessa Wong |
| 2013 | Raj Setia |
| 2014 | Shu Kee Lam (Raymond) |
| 2015 | Daniela Montalvo Grijalva |
| 2016 | Timothy McLaren |
| 2017 | Yingcan Zhu |
| 2018 | Mario Fajardo |
| 2019 | Corinne Celestina |
| 2020 | Pei-Pei Xue |
| 2021 | Thi Bao Anh Nguyen |
| 2022 | Zhe (Han) Weng |
| 2023 | Ho Jun Jang |
| 2024 | Not awarded |
| 2025 | Julie Tan |
