Early Career Researcher (ECR) Oral and Poster Awards
Supported by the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia
The candidate must be an early career scientist (up to 10 years post-doctorate, with consideration given for career interruption).
Student Oral and Poster Presentation Awards
Supported by the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia
The candidate must be a student currently enrolled in an Honours, Masters or PhD program in a field relevant to the award.
Prizes and Eligibility
All finalists are selected based on the ranking of their abstracts submitted by the normal process for presentation at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Council. The winner of each prize will be decided by a judging panel based on the quality of the data and the presentation.
In order to be eligible for any of the awards listed above, you MUST:
- be a member of the HBPRCA in the year of application
- be the first author of the abstract
- NOT have published the work presented in the abstract in other than electronic form, at the time of submission.
- NOT to have won an award in same category previously.
Best Oral Prizes – a certificate will be awarded to the best presentation in the Early Career Researcher Oral Award Finalists Session and also to the best Student Oral Presentation, in addition to the BIHS award explained below for a total prize of $3,000.
Best Poster Prizes of $500 will be awarded to the best Early Career Researcher presentation and also to the best student presentation.
Supported by the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia and the British and Irish Hypertension Society (BIHS)
This is a single award to the highest scoring presentation from either the Early Career Investigator Oral Award Finalists or the Student Oral Presentation Award Finalists. It underlines the society’s strong alliance with the BIHS. The prize is a formal invitation to attend and present at the following BIHS Annual Scientific meeting in September. The award comprises an amount of $3,000 towards travel expenses. Accommodation and registration will be provided by the BIHS during the meeting in the UK. The recipient is also expected to visit laboratories with like research interests before or after the meeting (it is compulsory to visit at least one laboratory). The winner is not eligible for this award in subsequent years.
Travel grants-in-aid are offered to student members of the HBPRCA to encourage participation in the HBPRCA Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). Applicants must be a student member of the HBPRCA by September 30 in the year of application, a full-time student in Australia or New Zealand and presenting at the meeting. If a travel grant is approved, available funds will be distributed following attendance to the meeting in the amount approved by the Executive Committee. Applicants must indicate on the Presenting Author Form when submitting their abstract if they would like to be considered for a travel grant. Applicants will be notified at the time of program announcement.
The Robert Vandongen Travel Award is presented to the researcher from WA whose abstract scores most highly at the ASM. No application is required.
How To Apply
The candidate must submit an abstract for the annual High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia meeting online via the official conference website. Please e-mail admin@hypertension.org.au for more details.
When submitting the abstract the candidate must check the box to be considered for an award. Boxes for both oral and poster prizes may be checked but the candidate will only be considered as a finalist in one category. Travel awards are considered separately.
Robert Vandongen award:
2016: Denise Demmer
2018: Jacquinta Affandi
2019: Revathy Carnagarin
2020: Ashish Yadav
2021: Lakshini Heart
2022: Markus Schlaich
Prof Judith Whitworth was the first woman to be elected as the president of the HBPRCA (1999-2001). Throughout her career, Prof Whitworth not only contributed to a major way to high blood pressure research herself, and in particular to the mechanisms involved in steroid-related hypertension, but broke numerous barriers and paved a path for women in research, clinical practice and policy making.
The highest ranked abstract for which the first named author is a woman will receive the Judith Whitworth Women in High Blood Pressure Research Award. Only current HBPRCA members are eligible.
The awardee will be announced at the ASM, where this person will receive a certificate.
Judith Whitworth award:
2018: Hamdi Jama
2019: Jordyn Thomas
2020: Quynh Nhu Dinh
2021: Buddhila Wickramasinghe
2022: Bhavisha Bakrania
Prof Jaye Chin-Dusting was the second woman to be elected as the president of the HBPRCA (2011-2016). As a founder of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Prof Chin-Dusting was deeply concerned with the funding available for cardiovascular disease, which affects particularly those in the early- and mid-stages of their career. During her presidency of the HBPRCA, she also established the young investigator subcommittee of the HBPRCA, to improve training, networking, and opportunities for early and mid-career high blood pressure researchers.
The highest ranked abstract for which the first author is a mid-career scientist (between 5-20 years post-PhD) will receive the Jaye Chin-Dusting Mid-career Scientist in High Blood Pressure Research Award. Only current HBPRCA members are eligible.
The awardee will be announced at the ASM, where this person will receive a certificate.
Jaye Chin-Dusting award:
2018: Bradley Broughton
2019: Sheila Patel
2020: Francine Marques
2021: James Sharman
2022: Antony Vinh
The Foundation for High Blood Pressure Research is pleased to announce that applications are open for:
Early Career Research Transition Grants 2023-2024
These new grants of up to $20,000 each are intended for early career researchers who need help in reestablishing their research as a result of change in physical location, direction of research or a major career interruption. Unless exceptional, disruptions due to the COVID pandemic will not be considered as sole justification for funding.
The Closing Date for application is Tuesday 8th of November 2022. Please read the Information for Applicants and the Application Form for further details.
Prof Paul Korner was one of the founders and a former president of the HBPRCA (1987-1989). He devoted a large part of his career to researching the causes of essential hypertension, with a special focus on underlying neural and cardiovascular mechanisms.
A senior scientist (>20 years post-PhD) who is an active researcher and has made a significant contribution to high blood pressure and the HBPRCA will receive the Paul Korner Senior Scientist in High Blood Pressure Research Medal. Only current HBPRCA members who are attending the ASM are eligible (attendance may be excused under certain circumstances).
A one-page nomination by a HBPRCA member must be received by 31 October of each year outlining the contributions to high blood pressure research and the HBPRCA, and to mentoring of basic or clinical researchers in high blood pressure. Self-nominations will not be accepted. A sub-committee of 3-5 members of the HBPRCA executive committee will select the most suitable nominee each year.
The awardee will be announced at the ASM and the winner will receive an engraved medal.
Paul Korner medal:
2018: Stephen Harrap
2019: Louise Burrell
2020: Murray Esler
2021: Geoffrey Head
2022: Lawrie Beilin