Prizes and bursaries
The Felix Post Prize was established in 2004 to commemorate the contribution of Dr Post to Old Age psychiatry.
The late Dr Post remains a seminal figure of old age psychiatry. His work on the treatment and outcome of affective and paranoid disorders in older patients stands in the form of important classic papers.
This prize will allow consultants, trainees and non-consultant grade career psychiatrists to reflect on their current work and describe in an essay an innovative task undertaken by the multi-disciplinary team which may contribute to the management of older patients suffering from functional illness.
Prize
£500
Presentation
Once a year at the Faculty residential meeting, usually in March.
Who can enter
Consultant psychiatrists, trainees and non-consultant grade career psychiatrists. This is a UK prize.
Rules
- The entry must be in the form of an essay based on current work and describing an innovative task undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team, which may contribute to the management of older patients suffering from functional illness.
- The essay should be between 4,000 to 6,000 words (references and bibliography are not included in the word count, but footnotes and appendices are).
- Entries will be assessed by our Chair, the Academic Secretary and a member of the Executive.
- Should the judges feel that the standard has not been adequately met, the prize might not be awarded.
- We are not able to provide feedback.
How to enter
Please email your essay to oldage@rcpsych.ac.uk by 1 November.
This award is to honour the career of an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of older people’s mental health. This might include contributions in clinical practice, service development, innovation, research, education and training or management in the UK.
The recipient will have achieved national or international acclaim for their work in the duration of and frequently beyond, their main employment.
Prize
Framed certificate, signed by our Chair.
How often
Once a year.
Who can enter
This award is nominations-based.
Rules
- Nominations will be received from any member and will be sought by notification given in our newsletter at least two months in advance of the adjudication.
- All valid nominations will be considered at the meeting of our Executive and regional representatives immediately preceding our annual residential meeting and the recipient determined by those present at that meeting. Nominations received after this meeting will be carried over to the following year. We will record names of all nominees.
- Each member of our Executive including co-opted members and regional representatives will have a single vote. A vote will be taken on the day of the relevant Executive meeting. Those unable to attend will be able to vote by email contact prior to the meeting. Votes received after the meeting will not be counted. The recipient of the award will be decided by a first-past-the-post system. In the event of a tie, the final decision will rest with our officers (Chair, Vice Chair and Finance Officer).
- Our Executive reserves the right not to make an award if it considers there are no candidates of sufficient merit.
- The Chair will invite the recipient of the award to our annual residential meeting where the award will be announced and presented by the Chair.
- We will meet the costs of conference registration, dinner and accommodation for the recipient.
How to enter
Please email your nomination to oldage@rcpsych.ac.uk with a supporting statement by 20 October each year.
Award holders
- 2022: Professor Peter Connelly
- 2021: not awarded
- 2020: Professor Ajit Shah
- 2019: Professor Rob Howard
- 2018: not awarded
- 2017: Professor John O'Brien
- 2016: Baroness Elaine Murphy
- 2015: Dr Dave Anderson
- 2014: Professor Alistair Burns
- 2013: Professor Brice Pitt
- 2012: Professor Tom Arie
- 2011: Professor Susan Benbow
- 2010: Professor Mary Marshall
- 2009: not awarded
- 2008: Professor Ian McKeith
- 2007: Mr Harry Cayton
- 2006: Professor David Jolley
- 2005: Dr Nori Graham.
This prize was originally established memory of the late Dr Mohsen Naguib. A Coptic Christian, Dr Naguib originated from Egypt and worked at the Maudsley Hospital, notably in the area of paraphrenia. He was subsequently appointed senior lecturer at St Charles Hospital.
A popular, committed, caring old age psychiatrist with a good sense of humour, he contributed much to psychiatric training. He died suddenly at the age of 44, leaving a young family.
The prize will be awarded for the best short scientific paper presented by a trainee.
Prize
£250
How often
Once a year
Who can enter
SHOs, SpRs, specialty trainees ST 1-6 or new consultants in the UK presenting work undertaken during the training period are eligible, as are comparable colleagues in Europe.
Rules
- Notice of this prize will be included in the Call for papers for our annual residential meeting (please check the Events page). Candidates will be invited to submit an abstract. At this point they should indicate that they wish to be considered for the prize
- Papers will be considered by a committee appointed by our Executive
- Shortlisted candidates will be notified at least two weeks prior to the meeting and asked to provide a summary of at least 700 words (with references) of their work. You should make it clear what actual contribution you've made to the research you are presenting
- Our Executive will appoint a panel to judge a presentation of no more than 20 minutes. The winner will be announced at the meeting’s final plenary session
- The winning entry might be published in the our newsletter and on the website, if editors and referees agree that it is of a sufficient standard
- Presentations specifically invited by the faculty are not eligible.
How to enter
Please see details on the conference website. The deadline is usually the same as the poster submission deadline for the spring conference. 27 January for the 2025 conference.
This prize is awarded for an original and inspiring essay of between 4,000 and 6,000 words on a broadly based clinical topic directly relating to the care of mentally ill older adults.
Prize
Two prizes, one for a Foundation Doctor/ Core Trainee (£150) and one for a Specialty Trainee (£150). Certificates will be presented at the Faculty conference in March.
Frequency
Annually.
Eligibility
Foundation Doctor, Core Trainee or Specialty Trainee at the time the essay is submitted. This is a UK prize.
Regulations
All entrants must submit:
- a cover email indicating trainee status (Foundation Doctor, CT or ST)
- an essay (4,000-6,000 words: references and bibliography are not included in the word count, but footnotes and appendices are)
- CV.
The examiners will give attention to the literacy of the submissions as well as the standard.
Recipients of the prize will be asked to provide a summary of at least 700 words (including references) of their essays for attributed publication in the Faculty newsletter and may be invited to present a report at the Faculty residential meeting.
The examiners for the prize will be appointed by the Faculty Executive. No prize will be awarded if a sufficient standard is not reached. We are not able to provide feedback.
How to enter
Please email your essay to oldage@rcpsych.ac.uk by 1 November each year.
Prize
£150 for best poster.
In addition, there is £150 prize in a separate category for best poster by a medical student.
How often
Once a year
Who can enter
Medical students, Foundation doctors, SHOs, SpRs, specialty trainees STs 1–3, CT4–6 and new consultants presenting work undertaken during the training period, as well as comparable European colleagues.
Presentations specifically invited by the faculty and work funded by the faculty will not be eligible.
Rules
- Applications are invited at least three months before our resident meeting via our mailings. The prize will also be advertised in our newsletter.
- Our Executive will appoint a panel of three judges who will adjudicate during the residential meeting.
- The winner will be expected to provide the full text of their poster for publication on our website.
- You will present the poster at our residential meeting, usually held in March each year.
How to enter
- Instructions will be available on the conference page nearer the time.
Deadline
Usually around 3 months before the conference. 27 January 2025 for the 2025 conference.
We have established this prize in order to raise the profile of old age psychiatry and to encourage medical students to pursue further study and professional training in this area.
Prize
£250
How often
Once a year
Who can enter
All undergraduate medical students in the UK. To be eligible, you have to be a medical student on the day that they are entering the essay and this can be before the deadline. No joint entries are permissible.
Rules
- Eligible students are invited to submit an original essay of up to 5,000 words (references and bibliography are not included in the word count, but footnotes and appendices are) on any aspect of old age psychiatry. Your essay should be illustrated by a clinical example from medical or psychiatric practice relevant to old age psychiatry (e.g. general practice, medicine for the elderly, orthopaedic surgery etc.) and should discuss how your training and awareness has been influenced as a result. The essay should demonstrate an understanding of the mental health issues pertinent to the clinical problem and should include a discussion of the effects and consequences of the condition for the individual, their family and the wider healthcare system
- The essay should be supported by a review of relevant literature and should be your own work
- The essays will be judged by a panel of three Executive members. Criteria for judging merit will include: clarity of expression, understanding of the literature and evidence and cogency of argument
- We reserve the right not to award the prize if no entry reaching the agreed minimum standard is received.
- We are not able to provide feedback.
- The prize will be advertised annually to medical schools
- We will provide a subsidised place for the winner at our residential meeting, and a mentor to help the student gain maximum benefit from attending the conference. The winner will be required to provide an edited version of their essay for possible publication in our newsletter, the Old Age Psychiatrist.
- The prize will be presented at our residential meeting (usually in March).
How to enter
Email your submission by 31 December to oldage@rcpsych.ac.uk.
Prize
Up to twenty bursaries may be awarded, up to a value of £150 each and up to an annual total of £3,000.
Who can enter?
We award bursaries annually to enable all junior psychiatric trainees (Psychiatry F1-F2, CT1-3, ST4-6), affiliates and specialty doctors and medical students in the field of old age psychiatry who intend to present a poster or short presentation of their research, to attend our annual residential meeting, usually held in March or April each year.
Rules
Submit your poster via the conference website (see details below)
Submit all expense claim forms, together with all original receipts and tickets to the Finance Officer within four weeks of the conference. Applications for reimbursement received after that time will not be accepted.
The bursaries will be advertised in announcements about our meetings, meeting registration forms and in our newsletter. Applications will be judged competitively on the quality of the abstract of the paper/poster.
How to enter
Details on submitting a poster (and applying for a bursary at the same time) are published on the Faculty conference website each year. The submission closing date is usually in January or February of the year of the Faculty conference.
Prize
A bursary to enable a psychiatrist from a low- and middle-income (LAMI) country to attend our annual residential meeting (usually held in March/April) to give an oral or poster presentation, or deliver a workshop. The bursary is designed to cover the cost of economy class travel, accommodation, registration and attendance at our conference dinner, up to a maximum of £1,500.
How often
Once a year.
Who can enter
A psychiatrist from a developing country (World Bank Band C and Band D: see our membership pages for the full list)
Rules
- Submit your abstract, a brief CV and a letter stating what financial help you require. The letter should include details of any other sources of funding that have been approached. You should also state how you believe your attendance at the meeting will benefit your service and practice.
- Submit a 500-word essay on mental health and older people in the your own country
- A decision-making panel of our Executive will make the award against an agreed set of criteria
- We will provide a cheque up to a maximum of £1,500 to the successful candidate on presentation of original tickets and receipts for all related expenditure. If an advance against the bursary is required for travel etc., alternative arrangements may be negotiated with our Finance Officer. In all cases supporting documentation for the expenditure will be required
- The successful candidate will be required to submit an article giving their feedback on the residential meeting experience and their plans for disseminating their learning in their home country. If appropriate, the article (or extracts thereof) will be published in our newsletter
- Informal mentors will be identified for the bursary-holder to enhance their introduction to Faculty members and their enjoyment of the meeting
- We reserve the right not to award the bursary if applications received are not of a sufficient standard.
How to enter
For the 2025 conference bursary, please email your abstract by 31 October 2024 to oldage@rcpsych.ac.uk.
The title for this year’s essay competition is: Who needs an Old Age Psychiatrist?
The concept of ‘old age’ is undergoing a profound transformation; nearly 20% of the UK’s population is now aged 65 or above and this diverse group defies stereotypes. We invite you to ponder where old age psychiatry fits in an evolving landscape, perhaps considering ideas such as longevity, vitality and frailty. Is age a disease state? Can we stop the relentless march of time?
Entries should be no more than 1000 words long. We welcome all forms of creative writing including essays, poetry, comic strips and short stories. We invite submissions from everyone interested in Old Age Psychiatry, including consultants, SAS doctors, trainees and medical students. There is a first place prize of £100, and £50 for the runner-up. Winners will also have their essays published in the May 2024 edition of the Newsletter and will receive a day’s free registration at the RCPsych Old Age Faculty Conference in April 2024.
Please submit your entries marked as ‘OAP Essay Competition’ to kitti.kottasz@rcpsych.ac.uk by no later than 5pm on Friday 2 February 2024.
Remember to include your name, job role and preferred email address.