The Cunningham Medal is the most prestigious award issued by the Royal Irish Academy, the premier learned society of Ireland.

It is regarded as one of the leading awards for Irish scientists and researchers, and receiving it allowed the recipient to join the institute as a member, as outlined in the Academy's resolution.

It is now given only to senior members of the Royal Irish Academy, and comes with a gold medal containing the engraved image of Timothy Cunningham, the London-based barrister who founded the award to promote scientific learning in Ireland.

After a period of uncertainty and experimentation regarding the terms and conditions of the award, it was agreed in 1848 that the medals would be open to the authors of works or essays in the areas of Science, Polite Literature and Antiquities, published in Ireland or about Irish subjects.

[5] After 1885, the academy stopped giving the award, but it was revived in 1989 for the bicentennial of Cunningham's gift.