Research, Awards & Prizes
The NZSA supports its members and community by awarding prizes and research grants to support excellence in anaesthesia.
President's Award
The NZSA launched a President's Award in April 2021 to recognise an NZSA member who has provided a sustained or specific contribution to the Society and anaesthesia community. Congratulations to 2022 Recipients Dr Douglas Mein and Dr Aiden O’Donnell. Douglas and Aidan were integral in the establishment of the National Obstetric Anaesthetic Leads network (NOA). One of the first clinical networks with the Society. Douglas chaired the committee from 2016-2018 and Aidan 2019-2020. The establishment of NOA has proven invaluable for the connection and sharing of expertise it allows across the motu. Both Douglas and Aidan have volunteered a significant amount of time and effort in obstetric-anaesthesia raising the standard of maternity care for all New Zealand Women.
Nominations can be emailed no later than 7 October to president@anaesthesia.nz and must contain the following information:
- Name of proposer and email address
- Name of seconder and email address
- Name of award recipient
- Relationship of the proposer to the nominee
- Why does the nominee in your opinion deserve this award?
Please provide as much information as possible as only the detail provided here will be taken into consideration. (Please feel free to expand – you may wish to include a cv). - Additional supporting information
The award recipient will be decided by the NZSA President, Vice-President, and Immediate Past President.
The Award will be an engraved plaque and certificate. There will be no monetary value to the prize.
2021 – Dr Indu Kapoor
2022 – Dr Aiden O’Donnell, Dr Douglas Mein
The John Ritchie Prize
This prize was established in 1983 by the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists (NZSA) and is open to NZSA members only.
Selection for the session is made by the Scientific Convenor of the ASM in consultation with the NZSA Education and Research Officer or deputy. To be accepted for the session the abstract and the work described in it must be of a suitably high standard. Papers should not be accepted simply to fill spaces in the Ritchie Prize Session. Any questions regarding eligibility shall be referred to the NZSA Education and Research Officer or deputy.
- Entrants must declare compliance with the following conditions:
- Work presented in this session must have been carried out predominantly in New Zealand.
- The presenter should be the lead researcher and must have played the major role in the conduct of the study and preparation of the presentation.
- The presenter must be a member of NZSA.
- The work must not have been presented previously at a major Australasian or International Meeting. (Note that presentation at a NZ meeting would not normally preclude later presentation elsewhere).
- Receipt of appropriate Ethics Committee approval.
The Ritchie Prize Session is a named plenary session at the ASM. If there are insufficient entrants, the balance of the session should be made up with other submitted free papers. The format of presentations is a 10-minute oral presentation with 5 minutes for questions.
- The Prize shall be awarded to the presenter judged to have the best paper at the Ritchie Prize Session which is held at the Annual Scientific meeting organised in whole or in part by the NZSA and at which the Society’s Annual General Meeting is held. In the year an ASM is not held, the Ritchie Prize shall not be awarded.
- Any questions relating to eligibility for the Prize shall be referred to the President of NZSA for discussion by the NZSA Executive Committee. The NZSA Executive Committee’s decision will be final.
- Three adjudicators for the Prize will be appointed annually by the NZSA Executive Committee. The judges will not themselves be eligible for the prize while acting in that capacity.
- An award will only be made if, in the opinion of the judges, there is a paper of sufficient merit.
- Selection of papers: Selection for the session is made by the Scientific Convenor of the ASM in consultation with the NZSA Education Officer. To be accepted for the session the abstract and the work described in it must be of a suitably high standard.
- The judging panel of three is selected and led by the NZSA Education Officer.
- Judges are ineligible to enter.
- Judges must be given a copy of these guidelines.
- The approved marking schedule is to be used.
- To be eligible for the Prize a presentation shall score well in every section.
- If there is no presentation of a suitable standard the judges shall make no award.
- The decision of the judges is final.
The current value of the John Ritchie Prize is $2500.
The winner will also receive a suitable certificate. The work of the winner may also be submitted to the AIC Journal (Anaesthesia and Intensive Care) for publication. The winner of the Ritchie Prize winner will be invited to apply for the NZSA Ritchie Prize Research Grant. Receipt of the Research Grant is not automatic. The John Ritchie Prize Research Award Value $5000.
This will be offered to the winner of the Ritchie Prize who will be asked to submit a proposal to the NZSA Executive (no more than one A4 sheet) within three months of receiving the award.
The award is to be for a specific project or part of a project and supported by a budget.
The proposal will be considered by a subcommittee convened by the NZSA Education Officer who will make a recommendation to the NZSA Executive Committee. A condition of the award is that a report on the project be submitted within 12 months of receiving the award and that work arising from the award should be presented at a meeting in New Zealand.
ASM Poster Prize
The NZSA and NZNC joint ASM Poster Prize of $500 is awarded to the person judged to have produced the best poster at the Annual Scientific Meeting and who was not selected to present at the Ritchie Prize Session. The applicant should have made the dominant contribution to the work to be eligible for this prize and must be an NZSA or ANZCA member.
Posters will be presented at a separate session during the ASM. The format of presentations is a five-minute presentation with two minutes for questions.
The judging panel of two will be selected and led by the NZSA/NZNC Education Officer. The judges will not be eligible for the prize while acting in this capacity.
An award will only be made if, in the opinion of the judges, there is a paper of sufficient merit.
Eligibility is open to members of the NZSA and ANZCA.
Annual Registrars' Meeting
NZSA Registrar Prize for Best Quality Assurance/Audit Paper at the Annual Registrars' Meeting (ARM)
This prize is awarded to a trainee for the best audit/quality assurance presentation at the annual Auckland Registrars’ Meeting (ARM). Entrants are only eligible for this prize if they are members of the NZSA.
The NZSA awards a $1250 prize to the winning applicant and contributes $1000 towards the ARM event.
Anaesthesia Assistant Prizes
The NZSA contributes $1000 to the PACU conference annually. This goes towards speaker costs or prizes.
The top student from the Auckland University of Technology Diploma course in Applied Science (Anaesthetic Technology) receives $750 prize money from the NZSA. This award recognises training of Anaesthetic Technicians and aims to enhance career opportunities for AUT AT graduates.
The NZSA offers a total prize pool of $1800 annually.
$500 prize money is offered to the top candidate of the NZATS’ Registration Exam in March and October.
1st Prize NZATS conference – $500
2nd Prize NZATS conference – $200
3rd Prize NZATS conference – $100
Honorary and Life Members
The New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists (NZSA) awards Life and Honorary Memberships to those who have made an outstanding contribution to the specialty and/or the NZSA.
Waitaki Boys High Prize Giving Ceremony
The Sir Robert Reynolds Macintosh Prize is awarded to Waitaki Boys High School, which receives a $50 NZSA prize donation at their annual prize giving ceremony in honour of Sir Robert Reynolds Macintosh. This is presented by an NZSA representative at the school ceremony.
Please note, the judges’ decision is final.