The Colworth Medal is a prestigious annual award for outstanding research by a young biochemist of any nationality who has carried out the majority of their work in the UK or RoI. Donated in 1963 by Unilever Research Colworth Laboratory, the award is made to a scientist who is 35 years of age or under, at the time of the awards nomination deadline (1 January).

Those above this age limit, who have lost time early in their career through family commitments, illness, late entry into higher education or other good reasons, will be considered by the Awards Committee.

The recipient, who receives an honorarium of £3000, delivers a lecture at a conference of the Society and at at Unilever Research Laboratories. The lecture is published in Biochemical Society Transactions.

The 2013 Colworth Medal will be presented to Robin May (University of Birmingham, UK) on 21 February 2013 at Charles Darwin House, London.