Lifetime Achievement in Psychology Award

It is anticipated that this award will be made to a psychologist near or after the end of their career.

Applications/nominations are now open.

Award

The award will confer life membership of the society and a commemorative certificate will be presented to the recipient at the society's annual conference.

Nomination criteria

Nominees should be:

• Members of the society
• Current or retired practitioners in any area of professional applied psychology

Nominations are not limited to UK residents.

Self-nominations are acceptable; however, an additional referee will be required.

Making a Nomination

Nominators for the Lifetime Achievement Award in Psychology Award

• can be members or non-members
• based in the UK or internationally
• must complete an application form to show how the candidate meets the criteria.
• must also provide the names and e-mail addresses of two potential referees (three for self-nominees), to include at least one current/former work colleague of the candidate, who may be an employer and not necessarily a psychologist (the nominator should not be a referee).
• should assume that the judges have no prior knowledge of the person and project and provide clear information and evidence of how they meet the criteria.
• should use active language, and where the work is carried out as part of a team, make it clear what the individual contributed and how this differed from others.

Nominations for the 2025 award will open soon.

Assessment Criteria

Nominees should have:

• Demonstrated exceptional practice over a significant period of time including impact outside their primary job role. This award is for lifetime achievement rather than a single contribution.
• Reinvested in psychology through encouraging and developing others as well as enjoying outstanding personal achievement
• Impacted on people, organisations or communities with a display of wisdom and depth of service/leadership.
• Shown a commitment to furthering Equality, Diversity and Inclusion through leadership, practice and challenging the barriers that marginalised communities face in access to psychology

This could include:

• A sustained contribution to the development of what has proved to be an effective therapeutic technique.
• A major contribution towards developing a psychological service that has become a model for the delivery of professional services that others have followed.
• Developing and implementing a selection system in a major organisation that increased the validity, utility and fairness of selection and was held up as a model for other organisations to adopt.
• Leadership of an initiative that has resulted in policy relating to services becoming based on sound psychological principles.
• A pioneering and sustained contribution to the development of a local psychological service.
• Sustained contribution to equality, diversity and inclusion forums, groups, practice and research in furthering best practice and inclusivity

Judging

Nominations will be considered by the Practice Board at the first meeting in each year.

Judging will be made using the following scoring criteria:

Demonstrated Professional Practice

• Demonstrated best practices including methodological rigour/ethical
• Showed personal commitment
• Had a broad and varied career
• Had impact outside of primary job role
• A pioneer/showed innovation in practice

Invested in Psychology

• Positive leader of a project, service or organisation
• Encouraged others into psychology
• Improved psychological understanding/knowledge
• Contributed to the work of the society
• Collaborated with other professionals

demonstrated an impact on people/organisations/communities

• Collaboration with the public/clients/experts by experience
• Positive impact on individuals/groups and/or communities
• National and/or international impact

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

• Challenged social inequalities through management, practice, or research
• Demonstrated an impact on EDI in psychology within own organisation
• Demonstrated an impact on EDI in psychology within the wider community
• Has embedded EDI into their own work
• Contributed to governance and/or taken leadership in EDI

Each member of the Board will score each criterion between 1 and 7 (where 1 = weak, 4/5 = Good and 7 = exceptional).

The scores will be aggregated and averaged for each nominee.

None of the criteria are essential however, a total score of at least 80 will be required to confer an award.

The Board may decide not to make an award in any given year.

Conflict of interest

Nominators must declare all personal and professional conflicts of interest – e.g. if nominating a spouse/partner or other relation.

Conflict of interest will not prevent acceptance of the nomination but will be borne in mind by the awarding panel when considering the award.

If there is found to be a conflict of interest that has not been declared, the nomination will be withdrawn.

How to apply

Please follow the link below to access and complete the application form.

Submit an application now

The deadline for applications/nominations is 10 October 2024.

Please note: we cannot accept late nominations.

Contact us

If you encounter any issues when completing the application form, or require any further clarification, please email [email protected].