Prizes
Paper or poster submissions are invited from all delegates attending the meeting. However, to be eligible for the prizes on offer you must fulfil the eligibility criteria.
There are prestigious ANZCA, NZSA prizes offered. Please review the prize criteria and ensure you indicate (if required) on the online form during the abstract submission process whether you wish for your paper to be considered for any prizes.
The John Ritchie Prize
The John Ritchie Prize valued at $2500 is sponsored by the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists (NZSA) for the best presentation in the Ritchie Prize Session at the NZASM. It is open to NZSA members only, and work presented must have been carried out predominantly in New Zealand.
The John Ritchie prize was established in 1983 by the NZSA. The winner of the John Ritchie Prize will be invited to apply for the NZSA Ritchie Prize Research Grant, which has a value up to $5000.
Submitted papers are selected to present during the Ritchie Prize Session, a named plenary session at the NZASM. Presentations should be approximately 10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes for questions.
John Ritchie Prize Terms
Declaration: 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 the NZSA.
- The work must not have been presented previously at a major Australasian or international meeting. (Note that presentation at a New Zealand meeting would not normally preclude later presentation elsewhere).
- Receipt of appropriate Ethics Committee approval.
Guidelines
- The Prize shall be awarded to the presenter judged to have the best paper at the Ritchie Prize Session held at the Aotearoa NZ Annual Scientific Meeting.
- Any questions relating to eligibility for the Prize shall be referred to the President of the 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 Scientific Convenor and NZSA Education Officer may select as many, or no, papers as they deem to meet the suitable standard.
- If there are insufficient entrants for the Ritchie Prize Session, the balance of the session may be used at the discretion of the Organising Committee and parent bodies.
- Judging: Judges will follow an approved marking schedule.
- To be eligible for the Prize a presentation shall score well in every section of the marking schedule.
- Judges reserve the right to not award the Prize if it is deemed there is no presentation of a suitable standard.
- The judges’ decision is final.
- Receipt of the NZSA Ritchie Prize Research Grant is not automatic.
ANZCA Trainee Prize
The ANZCA Trainee Prize of $1000 will be awarded to the trainee judged to have presented the best paper at the Aotearoa NZ Anaesthesia ASM 2025. The applicant should have made the dominant contribution to the work for the prize and be an ANZCA trainee.
ANZCA Trainee Prize Terms
- An award will only be made if, in the opinion of the judges, there is a paper of sufficient merit.
- Eligibility is limited to trainees who, at the time their abstract is submitted, are in the ANZCA vocational training programme.
- The judges’ decision is final.
ASM Poster Prize
The ASM Poster Prize of $500 will be awarded to the person judged to have produced the best poster at the Aotearoa NZ Anaesthesia 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 for the prize and be an ANZCA member (Trainee or Fellow) and NZSA member.
ASM Poster Prize Terms
Authors may be required to do a short presentation during a Poster Defence Session on Thursday 13 November, 2025. Specific instructions will be sent to authors should their presentation be accepted.
- An award will only be made if, in the opinion of the judges, there is a paper of sufficient merit.
- Eligibility is limited to ANZCA members (Trainee or Fellow) and NZSA members.
- The judges’ decision is final.
