The Copley Medal is the most prestigious award of the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, conferred "for sustained, outstanding achievements in any field of science". The award alternates between the physical sciences or mathematics and the biological sciences. It is widely considered the highest British and Commonwealth award for scientific merit and achievement, and has regularly been included among the most distinguished international scientific awards. Due to its historic significance, the Copley Medal has often been viewed as a predecessor to the Nobel Prize.