Dr Richard Manchester, CSIRO – Australian Telescope National Facility, for his research program on precision pulsar timing and its applications. Dr Manchester is widely acknowledged as a world authority on pulsars and, in addition to precision pulsar timing, Dr Manchester's research interests include the origin and evolution of pulsars, pulsar beaming, polarisation and the pulse emission mechanism. Dr Manchester is President of the Astronomical Society of Australia. (Phone 02 9372 4313)

Professor Gerard Milburn, Centre for Quantum Computer Technology, University of Queensland, for his research program on principles of quantum nanotechnology. Professor Milburn is internationally respected for his contributions to quantum optics, quantum stochastic processes, quantum chaos, and quantum measurement theory. His research into the next generation in computation – quantum computation using light – has led to many international collaborative activities including those with scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory in the USA. (Phone 07 3365 1089)

Professor Marilyn Renfree, Laureate Professor, University of Melbourne, for her research program 'Genes to phenotype: Exploiting the marsupial model'. Professor Renfree has made a sustained and major contribution to reproductive physiology and sexual development of marsupials and is now leader of the strongest group in this field internationally. A recipient of the Gold Conservation Medal for 2000 of the Zoological Society of San Diego, Professor Renfree's research into the control of reproduction and development in mammals, in both the laboratory and in the field, continues to receive international recognition. (Phone 03 8344 6259)