The Douglas Bennett Prize

There is no set topic, but the prize given in Douglas Bennett’s name will use his guiding values in adjudication. He valued creativity with practicality, simplicity with illumination, applicability with humanity, and had an eye for clear and rigorous methodology. 

This is a high and demanding standard, which he applied to his research and clinical work alike, and for which he is honoured with this prize.

• Prize: The monetary value of the prize would be determined by the Faculty Executive, but would be no less than £200.
• Frequency: Annually
• Eligible: Psychiatrists in training, including Staff and Associate Specialists or within two years of consultant appointment.
• Where presented:  Faculty residential meeting, usually held in November

Regulations:

I. The papers will be judged by a panel of three members, to include the Faculty Chair, Academic Secretary and one other, to be called the Prize Adjudication Committee, and nominated at the Faculty business meeting in the preceding year.

II. Applicants for the prize are required to submit a paper – by email - (maximum length 2000 words) on one of the following:

a) Original work to investigate hypotheses relevant to the care of individuals suffering from severe mental illness

b) Description, rationale and evaluation of innovative service for people with severe mental disorder

c) Critical review/meta-analysis of existing range of treatment interventions, or service evaluations

d) Critical appraisal of the impact of contemporary health or social care policy affecting the care of people with severe mental disorder.

III. No more than three papers will be shortlisted for presentation by the Prize Adjudication Committee.  The shortlist of candidates will then be included in the final programme for the Prize Special Session at the Faculty’s residential meeting the following November.

IV. The target audience is the Faculty membership, but it is expected that the winning paper would be submitted for peer-reviewed publication, and would therefore be likely to appeal to a wider professional audience.

V. The prizewinner will be invited to produce an abbreviated version of their paper, 500 words, for inclusion in the Faculty newsletter, and will be invited by the Academic Secretary to give a brief presentation at the following year’s College Annual Meeting within the Faculty’s programme stream.

VI. There will be provision for not awarding the prize, should satisfactory standards from the applicants not be achieved.

Closing date:  1 October each year

Submissions to: Chair, Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry, The Royal College of Psychiatrist c/o Stella Galea

College contact: Stella Galea 0207 235 2351 Ext 6285