International Congress, BT Convention Centre, Liverpool, 10-13 July 2012

The International Conference in Brighton was highly acclaimed this year, and we are continuing to ensure that high quality international science forms a key part of this event. Attempts are being made to reduce registration costs whilst also ensuring we can increase support for student and trainee bursaries, prizes, and international speakers. The Faculty has contributed to the New Science sessions of this year’s Conference.

Call for papers: This is a reminder that the deadline for trainees and students to submit abstracts and applications for presentations, prizes and bursaries for the International Congress in Liverpool is 27 April 2012. This is the Faculty's (as well as the College's) annual scientific event and the programme is excellent. Please encourage junior colleagues and trainees to attend the meeting and to submit an abstract. Please visit the website for more details or email.

Sessions for Academic Trainees: The Academic Faculty will be running additional workshops and sessions specifically for academic trainees during the Congress (11-13 July) and this will include a competitive oral presentation session (as well as poster prizes) for trainees. Trainees are invited to submit posters describing research (not audit) for the oral and poster prizes. The closing date for submitting abstracts is 27 April 2012 (see above).

Bursaries: Subject to availability of funds, the Academic Faculty will be offering up to 20 bursaries of £400 to enable medical students and trainees working in the field of Academic Psychiatry, who intend to present a poster or short presentation of their research, to attend the International Congress. Bursaries can be used to cover the cost of registration fees, standard class travel, up to two nights' accommodation and reasonable subsistence expenses. Please note that bursaries are only available to those that submit an abstract for presentation at the Conference.

How to apply for a bursary: Applicants should submit a covering letter (giving details of why financial support is required and other sources of funding that have been explored) along with a copy of their submitted abstract to the Academic Faculty Chair, c/o Kitti Kottasz  by 27 April 2012.  All expense claims, together with receipts, must be submitted to Kitti Kottasz, at the College address within four weeks of the conference. Applications for reimbursement received after this time will not be accepted.

The Margaret Slack Travelling Fellowship

This travelling fellowship is awarded from funds bequeathed by Margaret Mary Slack. This travelling fellowship is intended to encourage senior psychiatric trainees to broaden their academic knowledge and experience in a centre of excellence either in the UK or abroad. Though not essential, candidates may wish to pursue a research study. Visits are expected to be no longer than two to four weeks.

Prize: £2,000

Deadline: Usually 31 October each year (extended to 31 December in 2011)

Contact: Chair, Academic Faculty by email

Click here for more details.

2012 winner

Congratulations to Dr Amanda Sinai, who has been declared the winner of this year’s Margaret Slack Travelling Fellowship. The Fellowship will enable her to visit the Down Syndrome Research Group, based in the Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, in order to further her training, knowledge and understanding of the development of cognitive tests for people with Down syndrome. She will receive the award at the College AGM on 12 July 2012 in Liverpool.

Previous winners

• 2011  - Dr Lena Palaniyappan

Faculty of Academic Psychiatry Presentation Prize

Prize: The Faculty will award 4 prizes at the annual residential conference for the best poster (£100) and runner up (£50), and the best oral presentation (£150) and runner up (£100).

Frequency: Annually

Eligible: Any student or trainee with an interest in academic psychiatry, including medical students, SHOs, SpRs and trainees STs 1 – 3 and CT3-6.

Where presented: International Congress, usually June/July each year

Regulations:

• All applicants must be working in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland.
• Applicants should be of medical student, foundation years, ST 1 – 3 or CT3-6 status.
• Three assessors nominated by the Faculty Chair will judge the poster and presentation at the meeting. 
• All presentations will be judged on clarity of presentation, time-keeping, originality of content, relevance to meeting, methodology and clarity of ideas; for the oral presentation quality of aids is an additional category.
• In the event that none of the applications is considered to be of a satisfactory standard, no award will be made.

Closing date: Same date as International Congress poster submission deadline each year

Submissions to: Conference Office

College contact:  Conference Office Tel: 0207 235 2351 Ext 6145

Previous winners

2011

Oral Presentation Prize:

• Winner – Dr Lena Palaniyappan
• Runner-up – Dr Alexandra Pitman

Poster Presentation Prize:

• Winner – Dr Alisdair Rooney
• Runner-up – Dr Laura Manea

2010

	Professor Nick Craddock (Faculty Chair), Dr John Williams (Wellcome Trust) and Judith Harrison (winner of the poster presentation prize)
	Professor Nick Craddock (Faculty Chair), Dr John Williams (Wellcome Trust) and Dr Matthew Taylor (runner-up of the poster presentation prize)
	Professor Nick Craddock (Faculty Chair), Dr John Williams (Wellcome Trust) and Dr Aaron Vallance (winner of the oral presentation prize)
	Professor Nick Craddock (Faculty Chair), Dr John Williams (Wellcome Trust) and Rebekah Davis (runner-up of the oral presentation prize)

2009

2009 prize winners and officers at the Academic faculty conference in Cardiff