The Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) boasts a distinguished heritage as a technical and learned society, renowned for advancing navigation across various sectors. For decades, it has honored excellence through prestigious medals and fellowships, recognising
pioneering contributions and leadership that shape the future of navigation.
Nomination Process
The RIN has various categories of medal, awarded to those who give outstanding service to the navigation world, or to the Institute itself. Award criteria and nomination forms can be found here with the awards ceremony taking place at the RIN Annual General Meeting in June.
Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement
Awarded for exceptional contributions to navigation and outreach.
Image: Trinity House
Named after the RIN’s previous patron, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip. Companies or individuals who wish to be considered for technical excellence surrounding a project should submit their case here.
Prince Philip was a life-long advocate of navigation and outdoor pursuits. A distinguished Royal Navy officer, he served across the Mediterranean and Pacific during World War II, developing an understanding of maritime
navigation and seamanship. As Master of Trinity House, he not only championed innovation in GPS technologies but also emphasised the importance of reliable navigation backups. Prince Philip cultivated a lifelong passion
for outdoor activities mirroring the RIN's advocacy for resilient and safe navigation.
Awarded in 2021: NASA
In recognition of innovative autonomous navigation enabling a series of successful Ingenuity Mars Helicopter flights in 2021.
Awarded in 2020: Focal Point Positioning Ltd
In recognition of pioneering innovations in motion modelling and navigation sensor signal processing, enabling next generation mobile positioning, navigation and timing.
Awarded in 2019: what3words
In recognition of pioneering a new way of addressing the world in 3x3m grids.
Previous winners
2018 Chronos Technology Ltd - in recognition of technical excellence and authority in satellite navigation and timing vulnerabilities and mitigation.
2017 Ordnance Survey - in recognition of sustained and continuing innovation as the national mapping agency for Great Britain. Producing more and more accurate geographical data and making this data widely available in
diverse formats including free and mobile applications.
2016 Spirent Communications Plc - in recognition of the leading role it has had since 1985 in the evolution of Global Navigation Satellite Systems through the development of test and simulation equipment for each space-based
navigation system, often in advance of its deployment.
2015 European Space Agency - in recognition of the extraordinary achievement of the Rosetta mission, which succeeded in first intercepting the comet 67P/Churyomov-Gerasimenko, and then in landing its lander module, Philae,
on it.
2014 National Physical Laboratory - in recognition of its long term atomic clock development programme.
2013 National Air Traffic Services (NATS) - in recognition of having developed iFACTS, one of the most advanced air traffic control systems in the world.
2012 GLONASS - in recognition of achieving a complete operational constellation of satellites in December 2011, thus providing a full global positioning and timing service.
2011 Barry Wade - in recognition of his leading role in the development of SharpEye marine radar at Kelvin Hughes Ltd.
Harold Spencer-Jones Gold Medal
The RIN’s highest award, given in recognition of an outstanding contribution to navigation.
Previous winners of note have included Captain PVH Weems USN, Sir Francis Chichester KBE, Dr Frank van Diggelen, and current RIN Director Dr Ramsey Faragher. Sir Harold Spencer-Jones was an English astronomer, renowned as an authority
on positional astronomy and served as the tenth Astronomer Royal for 23 years. He was also one of the RIN's earliest presidents and instrumental to its founding.
Awarded in 2025: Professor Todd Humphreys
In recognition of world-leading research into global GNSS threats, and pioneering improvements to the resilience of positioning, navigation, and timing systems.
Awarded in 2024: Dr Paul GrovesIn recognition of world-leading pioneering research and education in robust positioning and navigation.
Awarded in 2023: Dr Ramsey FaragherFor developing innovative technologies to improve smartphone and automotive navigation
Previous winners
2022 – Prof Kate Jeffery
2021 – Dr Frank van Diggelen
2020 – Tristan Gooley
2019 – Professor Washington Ochieng
2018 – <not awarded>
2017 – Dr P Mattos
2016 – Dr N Ward
2015 – G Gibbons
2014 – Professor Mandyam Srinivasan
2013 – Professor T Moore
2011 – Professor PA Cross
2010 – Professor JD Last
2009 – Group Captain DW Broughton
2008 – Professor V Ashkenazi
2006 – Professor Sir Martin Sweeting
2005 – Air Commodore DFH Grocott
2004 – JNF Lameijer
2003 – JE Jeffrey
2002 – Professor Dr IR Durk Van Willigen
2001 – Sir John Charnley CBE
2000 – Sir Edward Fennessy CBE BSc SIEE FRIN / N Thompson
1999 – Commander AE Fanning MBE DSC
1998 – Lt Cdr HD Howse MBE DSC FRAS FSA RN
1997 – S Ratcliffe
1996 – JB Parker
1995 – WF Blanchard
1994 – Captain K Larjo
1993 – ER Swanson
1992 – R Knox-Johnston CBE
1991 – Captain WSG Morrison
1990 – Professor JF Kemp
1989 – JED Williams
1987 – Dr F Hechler
1985 – JH Beattie
1983 – Dr BW Parkinson
1982 – Captain AN Cockcroft
1980 – K Robson Brown
1979 – MW Richey MBE
1978 – RADM GS Ritchie CB DSC
1977 – Dr CH Cotter
1976 – GE Beck
1975 – RNB Gatehouse
1974 – Dr David Lewis
1973 – Dr A Stratton
1971 – K Adlard Coles
1970 – Captain Arnout Wepster
1969 – Captain Alton B Moody USNR
1968 – Dr ES Calvert OBE
1967 – Professor P Hugon
1965 – Wing Commander EW Anderson OBE DFC AFC
1963 – Capitaine De Vaisseau L Oudet
1961 – Sir Francis Chichester KBE
1960 – Captain FJ Wylie OBE RN
1959 – JE Clegg
1957 – DH Sadler OBE
1956 – WJ O'Brien and HF Schwartz
1955 – Captain PVH Weems USN
1954 – AMA Majendie
1951 – HC Pritchard
JED Williams Award
The JED Williams Medal is awarded for an outstanding contribution to the affairs of the Institute.
John Ernest Derek Williams was a skilled professional navigator with years of military and airline experience, a Science graduate from the University of Liverpool with interest in the evolution of the art and science of navigation.
2025 Winners
Tom Willems
In recognition of proactive, helpful and insightful advice and expertise to RIN to enable delivery of a highly-successful European Navigation Conference 2024.
Peter Chapman-Andrews
In recognition of longstanding service as Director of the RIN, and significant contributions to the RIN maritime community and to the Royal Navy.
John Pottle
In recognition of outstanding services as Director, increasing RIN's influence and impact, including through the difficult COVID era.
Bob Cockshott
In recognition of his work to improve the operation and scope of the RIN Technical Committee.
Serdjo Kos
In recognition of his leadership and support to the RIN and the Croatian Branch.
Simon Gaskin
In recognition of continuous outstanding contributions to the RIN Council over 22 years.
Peter Anderson
For their outstanding contribution to the RIN 75th anniversary heritage project, especially the creation of the radio navigation timeline.
Dr Kai Easton
For their outstanding contribution to the RIN 75th anniversary heritage project, especially for the curation of the Waves of Navigation exhibition.
Dr Joseph Walters
For their inspiring leadership as the inaugural Chair of the RIN Younger Members’ Group.
Previous winners
2022 - Dr Mike Hadley and Paul Bryans
2021 - Michelle Brown, Prof Miriam Liedvogel, Richard Yeomans, James Taylor
2020 - D Broughton & N Randall
2019 - K Hossain & R Angel
2018 - D Goddard & R McKinlay
2017 - R Hollingdale & D Pike
2016 - Professor T Moore & PK Hope-Lang
2015 - Squadron Leader J Cairns RAF & D Cockburn
2014 - Ms C Robinson & Mrs B Wright
2013 - C Hatton
2012 - J Gentleman
2011 - Dr ND Hughes OBE
2010 - Dr R Filjar & Professor AP Norris
2009 - JO Hasselgren & RP Harrison-Page
2008 - AV Cherry
2007 - TF Hayward & IA Stitt
2006 - WH Sandford
2005 - Brian & Mark Kendal
2004 - Air Commodore DFH Grocott
2003 - H Cullen
2002 - MA Highwood
2001 - Sid and Joan Smith
2000 - N Heath & N Gardner
1998 - Rear Admiral RM Burgoyne
1997 - Prof JF Kemp
1996 - JD Todd
Michael Richey Medal
Awarded to authors of the best paper in each volume of the Journal of Navigation.
In 1946, sailor and navigator Michael Richey was invited to become the first director of the RIN. He went on to hold the position for more than three decades and, as of 2025, remains the longest-serving director in the Institute’s
history. In 1948, he founded the prestigious Journal of Navigation, which he continued to edit until 1985 and the RIN launched the Michael Richey Medal soon after in 1950.
Awarded 2022:
Francesco Basile, Terry Moore, Chris Hill and Gay McGraw
Paper title: GPS and galileo triple-carrier ionosphere-free combinations for improved convergence in precise point positioning
2019 - Mark Dumville, S Thombre, M Zahidul, H Bhuiyan, P Eliardsson, B Gabrielsson, M Pattinson, D Fryganiotis, S Hill, V Manikundalam, M Poloskey, S Lee, L Ruotsalainen, S Soderholm and H Kuusniemi
2018 - Professor J Kemp
2017 - Octavian Thor Pleter, Cristian Emil Constantinescu and István Barna Jakab
2016 - Chris Ashton, Alan Schuster Bruce, Gary Colledge and Mark Dickinson
2015 - Yan Lee, Dr Jianguo Jack Wang
2014 - Lurisa Dunai, Guillermo Peris-Fajarnes, Eduard Lluna, Beatriz Defez
2013 - Wen Yong Zhi, Zhang Zejian, Wu Jie
2012 - Professor W Ochieng, Dr W Schuster
2011 - G MacGougan, K O'Keefe, R Klukass/S Lo, B Peterson, T Hardy, P Enge
2010 - Dr AJ Grant, Dr S Basker, Dr N Ward, Dr P Williams
2009 - Professor T Moore, Professor A Norris, Dr CJ Hill, Dr D Park, Dr C Hide, Dr N Ward/A Banks, J Vincent, and K Phalp
2008 - Dr W Naeem, Professor R Sutton and Dr J Chudley
2007 - Dr S Feng, Dr WY Ochieng, Dr D Walsh and R Ioamides
For a contribution to a more navigable world by a younger person.
Physicist WGP Lamb’s scientific mentorship and technical excellence inspired generations of younger researchers, aligning perfectly with this award’s aim to recognise significant contributions to a more navigable world by early-career
individuals.
Awarded in 2025: Kieran Bjergstrom
Awarded in recognition of his growing thought leadership in Quantum PNT and in driving collaboration and innovation within the PNT community.
Previous winners
2024 - Jaz Hill-Valler
2023 - Yrhen Bernard Sabanal Balinis, Joshua Critchley-Marrows
2021 - Jean Marc Feghali, Rose Grey
Sustainability Through Navigation Award
For the application of positioning, navigation and timing towards a more sustainable future.
Awarded in 2025: Marek Ziebart
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to space sustainability, and for advancing responsible practices that ensure the long-term usability of the space environment.
Previous winners
2024 - Hexagon Autonomy and Positioning Division
Professor David Last Tribute Fund
Awarded for best presentation given at Next Gen Nav, a conference organised by the RIN Early Career Network.
Prof David Last, former RIN President and renowned navigation expert. Prof Last was a pioneer in radio-navigation and GPS, he published over 500 papers, consulted globally, and supported RIN for decades. Remembered for brilliance
and warmth, he left a profound legacy in navigation science. This fund, created in his memory, enables students and early career individuals to participate (and present) across navigation conferences and events of their choosing.
If you’d like to support early career professionals to achieve their career goals and pay homage to Professor David Last, one of our former most learned and active members, you can donate here.
Awarded in 2024: Samuel Christelow
Early Career Network Committee Member, University of Nottingham. Event attended: ESA Living Planet Symposium
"As a PhD student who has just finished my funding period, I would not have had this fantastic opportunity to discuss my research and solidify my understanding without the generous support of the fund."
Previous winners
2023 - Alex Schofield
2022 -
Grocott Award
Awarded for the best animal navigation article in Navigation News, awarded at the discretion of the editorial team.
Air Commodore "Pinky" Grocott (1923–2019) was an esteemed figure in the field of animal navigation, particularly as a past president of the RIN and his involvement with the formation of their Animal Navigation Special Interest Group.
Awarded in 2025: "Navigators on a time crunch"
Authored by Ruma Chatterji and John Layne, University of Cincinnati, from the Nov/Dec 24 edition of Navigation News
