At a glance

• Value: €250
• You must be a current UCC Student to be eligible for this prize
• Questions about this prize can be directed to microbiology@ucc.ie

Professor Michael Grimes (Professor of Dairy Bacteriology 1940 to 1961, University College Cork) was the first microbiologist to be employed by UCC. Having completed his undergraduate studies in Canada at the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, (Associate Diploma in Agriculture in 1920), and at the University of Toronto (BA Chemistry and Bacteriology in 1921) and his postgraduate work in the US at Iowa State College (MS and PhD in Dairy Bacteriology completed in 1922 and 1923, respectively) he returned to a position in the Faculty of Dairy Science as a dairy bacteriologist. He became Professor of Dairy Bacteriology in 1940 thus creating the Department of Microbiology. Professor Grimes made a very significant contribution to the development of Microbiology as a discipline in UCC, both as a teacher and researcher. He was a major promoter of pasteurisation of liquid milk and he was very influential in having pasteurisation adopted for the treatment of milk in Ireland.

Today, the School of Microbiology in UCC is one of the largest in Ireland and contributes to teaching across a number of academic programmes. It is also the centre of a number of dynamic internationally recognised research programmes in Food, Medical, and Environmental Microbiology. The current strength of Microbiology in UCC is an impressive legacy of Michael Grimes and is a testimony to his vision, drive and ambition for his subject.
Professor Michael Grimes died on the 13th February, 1977. Dr Helen Grimes O'Cearbhaill has established a student prize to honour the memory of the late Prof. Michael Grimes.

The Prize will be awarded annually, subject to the following conditions:

1. The award shall be known as 'The Professor Michael Grimes Student Prize'. 
2. The Prize shall consist of a parchment and a cash prize. 
3. The Prize shall be awarded to the student who achieves the overall highest aggregate mark in the BSc (Hons) Microbiology Degree. The Prize shall only be granted to a student who receives a minimum of a 2H1 grade. 
4. The Prize shall be awarded by the Academic Council on the recommendations of the Head of the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science (or nominee) and the Head of the School of Microbiology. 
5. The above conditions may be varied from time to time by the Governing Body, provided that such alterations are approved by the donor.

*Note: These awards are funded from endowments made by the respective donors to the University for awards to be made in perpetuity. The funds donated are invested, and the annual income is the amount available for the award. Due to fluctuation in the investment market, the amounts available from year to year may vary, upwards and downwards; for this reason, the value of any award referred to in this section is indicative only, and may be higher or lower when the amount of the award is completed.