7th Annual ACAMH Awards
The ACAMH Awards aim to recognise high quality work in evidence-based science, both in publication and practice, in the field of child and adolescent mental health. Nominations will be evaluated by a panel of leading figures in the field, along with ACAMH trustees and the Editors-in-Chief of our journals; JCPP, JCPP Advances and CAMH.
Nomination deadline is Thursday 15 May 2025. The awards will be presented at an online ceremony in the Autumn, with details announced closer to the time.
The nomination form includes an 800 word supporting statement, so please have all the information collected before starting the nomination process. Please carefully read the Terms and Conditions. For all awards related queries, please email us, we aim to respond withn 3 working days.
Three key points to remember;
- Self-nominations are allowed, unless stated.
- Nominations will be judged on the ‘Required Information’ criteria as stated for each award.
- Nominations must cover all the criteria to be successful.
Categories for the 2025 ACAMH Awards
Digital Innovation Awards
Research on Digital Impact
Nomination Criteria: A researcher who has published the best paper on an information/data/IT/digital topic relating to child and adolescent mental health, which can include online assessment innovations.
Required Information
- A description of the relevant paper and its merits.
Digital Intervention
Nomination Criteria: A clinician who has put evidence base into practice within the information/data/IT/digital fields of child and adolescent mental health. This could be the use of information or technologies in the delivery of care or service design etc.
Required Information
- Evidence of use of information/technology in delivery of care.
Educator Award
David Cottrell ‘Education of CAMH Professionals’
Nomination Criteria: Someone who has had a significant impact upon the education or training of child and adolescent mental health professionals. This is open to all disciplines, but education or training must relate to children’s mental health.
Required Information
- Description of regular, sustained teaching of child and adolescent mental health professionals.
- Evidence of evaluation of own teaching including the collection of, and response to, learner feedback.
- Evidence of dissemination of education activities through presentations, workshops, or publications.
Trainee Awards
Postgraduate Research Trainee of the Year
Nomination Criteria: Trainee or student who is less than two years post PhD who has shown initiative or made a significant contribution to child and adolescent mental health.
Required Information
- List of relevant publications demonstrating academic potential.
- Any examples of oral/poster presentations at regional, national, or international conferences.
- Grant income.
Research Trainee of the Year
Nomination Criteria: Open to any individual undertaking postgraduate training as a practitioner working with children in relation to mental health from any background (e.g. clinical psychology, educational psychology, child and adolescent psychiatry). This could include candidates currently in a clinical training working towards a professional qualification, or teaching, for example, an individual undertaking an MEd who is able to demonstrate a clear commitment to evidence-based clinical practice.
Required Information
- Demonstrable involvement in academic work by reviewing papers for ACAMH or through Publons.
- Information on involvement in training / advocating or evidence-based practice (i.e. quality improvement).
- Demonstrable involvement in publications through research or audit (through publications).
Clinical Trainee of the Year
Nomination Criteria: Open to an individual undertaking their first qualification as a practitioner working with children in relation to mental health from any background (e.g. nursing, social work, occupational therapy, physio) and working towards a clinical qualification and who demonstrates a clear commitment to evidence based clinical practice.
Required Information
- Evidence of involvement in training/advocating for evidence-based practice (i.e. quality improvement).
- Evidence of involvement in research or audit (through publications).
- Letters from supervisors or feedback from courses.
Research Into Practice Award
Eric Taylor ‘Translational Research Into Practice’
Nomination Criteria: An individual with a sustained contribution to translating research into practice over a number of years, whose work involves both research, and either clinical or educational involvement in practice. And/or a researcher or clinician who has published translational science (evidence base into practice) with evidence of impact on clinical service provision. This could involve the establishment of new interventions, or improvement of existing ones, with evidence of impact on clinical service provision.
Required Information
- A link to a key published paper – No more than three other papers may be submitted in support.
- An assessment of the sustained body of work/Impact on health or education service.
- Evidence of impact.
- Answer to the question: Why now?
Rising Star Award
Kathy Sylva ‘Rising Star’
Nomination Criteria: Please note that this award cannot be self nominated. Open to any person who has made a significant scientific contribution to child and adolescent mental health literature, within 10 years of their first peer reviewed journal publication.
Required Information
- Number of journal articles.
- Number of citations on Google Scholar.
- H index on Google Scholar.
- Full List of publications.
- Full 1-page CV to be attached.
Team Awards
Only teams can be nominated for these two awards. Nominations which are for individuals, and not team, will not be considered for evaluation.
Lionel Hersov Memorial Award
Nomination Criteria: A practice team that has demonstrated the use of evidence base (research, audit or service evaluation) into clinical practice. Or a team that has evaluated the outcome or measures either the clinical impact or demonstrated quality improvement (can be efficiencies of time, money or reduced ‘waste’). The nominations will be accepted from researchers, investigators, clinicians, and educationalists.
Required Information
- Evidence of demonstrable and sustained outcomes over a period of time exceedingly at least a year.
- Explanation of value to the community.
- Demonstration of replicability.
- List of all team members.
- Provide contact details for the team member who will be available to receive and respond to communication.
Innovative Research, Training or Practice in Lower and Middle Income Countries (LMICs)
Nomination Criteria: Team based in a country classified by the World Bank as LMICs* in the preceding year, and whose work involve research, clinical or educational activities in that country. The work shows innovation in research, training, or practice/service delivery in child and adolescent mental health.
Required Information
- The level of innovation and applicability across other LMICs or potential for application in High Income Countries (reverse innovation).
- Underpinning evidence base/science.
- Impact.
- Sustainability.
* Eligible countries – Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Comoros, Rep. Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, PDR Lao, Lebanon, Lesotho, Mauritania, Micronesia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Bank and Gaza, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
ACAMH Awards 2025 Terms and Conditions
- Each entry should not exceed the word limit specified and must address the required information for the award.
- All nominations and information supplied in the supporting material will be treated as potential promotional material. This will be cleared with the nominee before publication.
- Details of the Awards event will follow in due course.
- Please note the nominee must have given their permission to be nominated prior to the entry being submitted.
- A person can be nominated for several categories.
- Multiple nominations DO NOT carry more weight. If there is more than one nomination for the same person (for the same award), only the first nomination submitted will be considered.
- If there are not sufficient number of nominations meeting the criteria and quality for any category, ACAMH reserves the right to cancel that category for that year.
- The verdict of the judging panel is final.
- Entries may be based on activities undertaken in the last five years.
- All entries must include full name and valid contact details.
- Evidence of the examples/publications given, and/or references maybe be asked.
- Closing date for nominations is Thursday 15 May 2025.
Take a look at the Winners of the 2024 ACAMH Awards