Entries are now closed, but the following provides more
more information about the Award Categories & Process.
The Award categories for 2025 are:
A - Excellence in Consumer Partnership in Non-Commercial Research,
This Award recognises outstanding examples of meaningful consumer partnership across any or all stages of research projects or research-related activities in the non-commercial sector in Australia.
B - Excellence in Consumer Partnership in Industry-Funded Research and Development,
This award recognises outstanding examples of meaningful consumer partnership across any or all stages of research and development (pre-registration of a product) in the commercial sector in Australia.
C - Excellence in Consumer Partner Capacity Building,
This award recognises outstanding examples of meaningful efforts to improve the capacity and confidence of consumers and researchers to partner.
D - Excellence in Research Participant Experience,
This award seeks out initiatives, teams, projects, etc that result in a respectful, satisfying, ”gold-class” research participant experience (in the eyes of the participants).
E - Outstanding Individual Consumer Impact on Health and Medical Research,
This award seeks to celebrate individuals that have made a significant and sustained impact on research in general, or the specific research projects and teams they have worked with.
F - Outstanding Consumer Advisory Group Impact on Health and Medical Research
This award seeks to celebrate groups of consumers, that have been working together for a minimum of 1 year with a specific remit, that have made a significant and sustained impact on research in general, or the specific research projects and teams they have worked with.
More detail about the entry requirements for each Award can be found under 'Key Information' on the Awards Platform.
At their discretion, judging panels will also be given latitude to highlight entries, whether or not they are finalists or winners, for 'Special Mention'. In particular, this may be applicable if there has been exceptional practice in engaging/partnering with those often underrepresented in research and creating safe, welcoming environments for partnership or participation in research, that could inspire others to engage more diversely.
Subject to sufficient votes, a People's Choice award(s) may also be presented.
What/Who was invited to enter?
These Awards aim to celebrate partnerships between consumers and research sector professionals anywhere in the health and medical research ecosystem (including health technology research and development) that are impacting why, when, what or the how of what is done.
Nominations were invited that demonstrated partnerships between consumers and research sector professionals in:
* different types of research: E.g. lab-based; simulation/modelling/in-silico research; diagnostics, clinical research/trials; translational research; implementation science; health services research; preventative or public health research.
* all or some parts of the research cycle; e.g. ideation, feasibility, protocol development, operationalising research, documentation, collecting data, data analysis, authorship, translation/implementation into practice.
* one or more health conditions, or health condition agnostic
* developing infrastructure, policy, procedures, training and mentoring to support research and/or consumer partnership in it.
* research grants/funding (outside philanthropy/fundraising), governance and oversight of research.
For Award D in particular, we sought to shine a light on what helps make an excellent experience for a research participant. While we particularly encouraged research participants to nominate the teams that gave them a great experience (and what made it a great experience), sites and sponsors were also able to nominate their efforts to improve the research participant experience, evidenced by feedback they have received. (We assumed those implementing the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework would have evidence to draw from to inform their nomination).
Entries are made by an individual (the nominator) who will nominate a partnership they are involved in (ie self nomination), or others they think should be celebrated (internal or external nominations). We ask a second individual (called the nominee) to accept the nomination, just to make sure it is OK. While the nominator will be the key point of contact for the Awards, it is the partnership activity (awards A, B, C, F), the participant experience (award D) or the individual (award E), and all involved, which these Awards aim to recognise.
There is alot more explanation about what can be entered, what judges will be looking for in each category and the Awards process on the landing page of the Awards Platform.
The Entry Process
Entrants made their nominations through the Awards Platform. An online entry form was completed and video (up to 3 mins long) uploaded. The nominator (whether a self nomination or external nomination) was asked to identiy a second person (nominee) to ratify all entries, to improve the validaity and accuracy of entries.
There were no restrictions on the number of nominations that could be made across categories, other than a nominated activity (ie the same video about the same thing) could not be entered to more than 1 category. Multiple entries for the same initiatives/person in the one category would be assessed as one nomination (i.e. the chance of winning did not increase wih more entries.)
The Judging Process.
There are a number of rounds of judging.
Panel Judging Round 1: A Panel of Judges (5 people) will assess entries against a list of criteria. Clarifying questions may be sent to selected entrants, if scoring is close, to help distinguish between entrants.
Public Voting: The better entries, as deemed through panel judging round 1, will be made available to the public to vote on a 'People's Choice Award'. This vote, as well as voting duing the finals event will decide the ultimate recipents of Public Choice Awards. Anyone registered on the Awards Platform (free) will be able to participate in the public voting.
Panel Judging Round 2: Panels will review responses to clarifying questions and select finalists to present live during the 12-13 August event.
Panel Live Judging Round 3: During the live event 12-13 Aug, panels will make a final decision on the Award winner from presenting finalists.
Award winners and Special Mentions will be announced at the end of the live event 12-13 August. Anyone and everyone will be invited to register to attend the live awards (minimal cost).
More detail about the Awards Process can be found under 'Key Information' on the Awards Platform.