The Elinor Wray Award was instituted in 1981 to honour Miss Elinor Wray who is regarded as the founder of the speech pathology profession in Australia. The inaugural award was presented in February 1983.

The award

Granted for outstanding contribution to the profession of speech pathology. The contribution of the nominee should be clinical or project oriented and encompass one or more of the following areas:

• Innovations in diagnostic, assessment or treatment procedures
• Promotion of speech pathology to government, the community or to other professionals
• Research
• Student training

Eligibility

• The award is open to any person within the profession who has made an outstanding contribution to the speech pathology profession.
• The achievements of the Elinor Wray Award winner should have been made in the three years immediately before the award being given.
• Only in exceptional circumstances will two Elinor Wray Awards be given in any one year.

The prize

The Elinor Wray Award shall be given in the form of:

• Membership dues for the following year
• A framed certificate

Nomination Process

Phase one of the nomination must include:

• Nomination form
• Elinor Wray selection criteria documentation form (up to 500 words) describing the achievements of the nominee in the preceding three years, referring specifically to the relevant criteria as below:  
  • Clinical practice - outstanding clinical competence, clinical innovation, creativity, development of diagnostic assessment or treatment procedures
  • Research
  • Student and/or peer education/supervision
  • Health promotion / primary prevention
  • Professional development
  • Quality improvement
  • Management and/or leadership in the profession
  • Promotion of speech pathology to government, the community, and/or among other professionals

Please see Policy 7.7 for the nomination form and further details.

Consideration of the value of each nominee's contribution will be made on the basis of the impact of the nominee's contribution to improving access to effective speech pathology services through direct delivery of quality service, and the other (less direct) means listed above. The nominee's achievements will be rated according to usefulness, effectiveness, areas of impact (e.g. community, profession, health care etc.).

Phase two of nominations:

The nominations will be short listed and nominators of the short listed nominees may be asked to provide further details.

This will require the nominator to complete the prescribed points form and provide supporting documentation outlining the details for each category.The nomination may also be supported by inclusion of documents demonstrating the nominee's achievements (e.g. papers written, letters of appreciation, material developed).

The nominee's achievements will be rated according to innovation, effectiveness, level and areas of impact (e.g. community, profession, health care).

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