Jennett Plum Award for Clinical Achievement in the Field of Brain Injury Medicine

This award is given to a clinician/researcher who has made a substantive and historical research contribution to the field of traumatic brain injury as related to clinical, translational or basic science research. Nominations for the award are made by the IBIA Chairperson and President to the IBIA Executive Committee who selects the winner by majority vote. The award will be presented at the Congress opening session.

Background: Bryan Jennett (1926– 2008) was a pioneering Professor of Neurosurgery who established Glasgow as a world centre in the speciality and made major advances in the care and management of patients. Under his leadership the city became a global centre for innovation in Neuroscience and attracted a generation of international collaborators and trainees to the extent that his ‘Glasgow School’ has left an extraordinarily widespread legacy. He influenced not only fundamental improvements in treatment for head-injured patients but the methodology, philosophy and ethical approach of clinicians and academics alike in the wider medical field. Data was compiled from Glasgow, the United States, and the Netherlands over a long period and led to a series of landmark papers in the 1970s, including the near universally adopted Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) with Teasdale, and the deceptively simple Glasgow Outcome Scale with Bond. In 1972 working with Dr Plum of America, Jennett published The Persistent Vegetative State – defining a condition and coining a phrase which remains in widespread use today. His work with the Glasgow-based neuropathologists Adams and Graham significantly reduced mortality and disability. Many international collaborative studies followed, comparing outcomes after different severity of injury and with alternative therapeutic regimes. Throughout the period his work was distinguished by his selfless partnerships with his peers and generous encouragement of his juniors - at one time over half the Neurosurgical Chairs in the UK were occupied by his trainees.

Fred Plum (1924 – 2010) was an American neurologist who developed the terms "persistent vegetative state" and "locked-in syndrome" as part of his continuing research on consciousness. He was named head of the department of neurology at the University of Washington, making him the youngest chief in the institution's history. There he created a respiratory center to help treat patients who were unconscious or comatose, including those who had suffered drug overdoses. Using the limited clinical tools available at the time, Plum developed guidelines to help determine how to best treat comatose patients, writing The Diagnosis of Stupor and Coma in 1966, together with his longtime research partner Dr. Jerome B. Posner. Dr. Plum alone coined the term “locked-in syndrome.” Dr. Plum’s immensely influential research improved the diagnosis and treatment of patients with disorders of consciousness from a variety of causes.

Review Process: The IBIA Chairperson and President will nominate up to five (5) candidates. The Chairperson and President will be responsible for soliciting said nominee’s CVs which will be made available to the executive committee members for their review. The executive committee will then vote for the Jennett Plum Award winner.

Award: The winner will be invited, all expenses paid, to the IBIA World Congress to receive the award. The award winner will also receive a commemorative crystal award.

IBIA Lifetime Achievement Award

This award shall be given when deemed appropriate to a meritorious individual who has made significant contributions to the field of brain injury through some form of advocacy (prevention, education, legislative, scientific, etc). It is anticipated that said individual will have made a contribution to the field of brain injury advocacy and support over at least a twenty (20) year time span. Nominations may be made by any party, whether an IBIA member or not.

Nominators are asked to maintain the confidentiality of the nomination process to refrain from informing the candidate about the nomination. The award will be given as deemed appropriate and no more frequently than on a biennial basis.

Review Process: The awards committee will make the final decision on the winner with the input of the Chairperson and President.

Award: The recipient will be honored at the IBIA World Congress at the Congress opening ceremony at which time the awardee will be asked to give a brief speech.


IBIA Early Career Investigator Award

The biennial Early Career Investigator Award recognizes an individual whose work as an early career scientist is contributing importantly to the field of brain injury. Candidates for this award must be no more than 10 years post-completion of terminal training. The awardee will receive free registration to the IBIA World Congress, an award acknowledging their accomplishment, and an IBIA membership. The awardee must attend the Congress to receive the award.

The candidate must show that they have made a significant contribution to the field of brain injury in terms of any or all of the following: peer reviewed publications, therapeutic innovation(s), peer reviewed presentations at scientific meetings and/or educational/teaching contribution.

Candidate must have published at least three (3) manuscripts in the field of brain injury as first author in peer-reviewed scientific publications. Manuscripts that have been accepted but not yet published may be used to fill this requirement with appropriate documentation (i.e. journal formal letter of acceptance on journal letterhead).

Candidate must show promise that they will continue to contribute to the field into future years.

It is not necessary for the candidate to be working within an academic setting to be nominated for the award.

Requirements:

  1. Nomination may be made by the individual themselves or another party.
  2. Candidates must submit a one-page statement briefly detailing their accomplishments and contributions to the field.
  3. Candidates must submit at least two letters of recommendation from recognized peers in the field.
  4. Candidate must submit a current Curriculum Vitae.

Review Process: The awards committee will make the final decision on the winner with the input of the Chairperson and President.

Award: The recipient will be honored at the IBIA World Congress at the Congress opening ceremony and will receive a token (certificate, plaque, or other, at the discretion of IBIA).


IBIA Young Investigator Award

The biennial Young Investigator Award recognizes excellence in brain injury research by an individual in training (graduate or medical school, residency, fellowship, or post-doc). The award includes free registration to the IBIA World Congress, an award, a one-year membership to IBIA. The awardee must attend the Congress to receive the award.

Nominations for the Young Investigator Award should include:

    1. A brief (~25 word) introductory statement of the nominee's accomplishments that led to the nomination.
    2. A brief description of the research the nominee is conducting and the manner in which it will advance the science of brain injury.

Review Process: The awards committee will make the final decision on the winner with the input of the Chairperson and President.

Award: The recipient will be honored at the IBIA World Congress at the Congress opening ceremony and will receive a token (certificate, plaque, or other, at the discretion of IBIA).

Stonnington Award

Brain Injury, the official scientific publication of IBIA, was founded by Professor Henry Herbert Stonnington, MBBS, FRCP, FAAPM&R, FACRM, FAFRM in 1983 and has evolved into one of the leading international neuroscience publications. In recognition of Brain Injury's Founding Editor, Taylor & Francis, the publisher of Brain Injury, provides a 1st prize of $1,000 and a 2nd prize of $500 to the lead author of the best review articles as adjudicated by the Chief Editors.

Review Process: The Chief Editor will review and adjudicate the award according to their own criteria.

Award: Recipients of the awards will be notified and announced in Brain Injury as well as at the World Congress on Brain Injury (when the making of the award aligns with the occurrence of a congress).