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Update on 2022 and 2023 awards rounds and changes to the role of membership organisations

ACCIA announcement on the 2022 awards round, details of the 2023 round including dates, and changes to the role of membership organisations.

The Chair and Medical Director of the Advisory Committee on Clinical Impact Awards (ACCIA) spoke with representatives from nominating organisations on Monday 23 January. During this meeting member organisations (MOs) were informed that a decision had been reached by ACCIA’s main committee to change the way in which they interact with the National Clinical Impact Awards process from 2023.

As a result of this change, MOs (previously know as national nominating organisations (NNOs)) will no longer provide citations and rankings to a selected number of applicants. This means that applicants will no longer be able to choose to request support from MOs. However, the organisations will still play an important role in supporting members of their specialty or area of practice to apply for awards.

In addition, to increase awareness and reduce the selectivity of the prior process, ACCIA is no longer limiting the number of MOs who are able to partner with the scheme. Any MO is free to raise awareness and provide additional guidance to assist in improving the quality of applications, while applicants can approach as many MOs as they wish for assistance. ACCIA emphasises however that an application must be the applicant’s own work and any editing or direct critique of applications by any MO is not permitted.

ACCIA will shortly be publishing further information on how MOs can continue to support applicants and ACCIA throughout the application process.

2022 awards round

We regret to inform applicants that the approval and thus the communication of outcomes for the 2022 awards round is delayed. While we appreciate this will be disappointing news, it is only correct that due process is followed. We would like to reassure applicants that we are doing all we can to expedite the final stages of clearance but are unable to provide a precise date for when applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application. We are hopeful that it will be in the coming weeks.

Further information will be confirmed in due course, and we thank you once again for your patience.

2023 awards round

We can confirm that the 2023 awards round will commence as planned in March 2023, with a provisional opening date of Friday 3 March. The application window will be open for approximately 8 weeks, closing in late April or early May.

Applicants should review the updated guidance once it is available in advance of entering their application. We would also invite them to join the applicant training webinar on 6 February or to watch it on demand afterwards. We also advise they take note of the changes to the process in relation to MOs described above.

Published 2 February 2023