UKABIF Awards 2023: What does it take to win?
Have you got what it takes to win one of the highest accolades in the UK’s acquired brain injury (ABI) sector?
If so, applications and nominations are open for the celebrated UKABIF Awards, hosted for the fifth year by the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum.
The annual ceremony turns the spotlight on individuals, organisations, and initiatives, making a big difference in the world of ABI.
Be they innovators, awareness-raisers, educators, researchers, or practitioners; they are the folks working hard to increase ABI understanding.
The UKABIF Awards are a wonderful way of highlighting and sharing expertise, experiences, and success stories.
This in turn creates opportunities for collaboration and further advancement in specialist fields.
But, UKABIF says, the awards have also played a crucial role in driving progress in the wider ABI realm since their launch in 2019.
The awards inspire innovation, encourage excellence, and bring attention to the importance of better understanding and support for individuals with brain injuries. 
UKABIF
Three to win
The UKABIF Awards are presented in three categories. Here are some of the previous years’ winners in each category – and what it took for them to triumph!
The Mike Barnes Award for Innovation
For an innovative project or concept in the management of ABI. The judges are looking for originality, viability, feasibility, and desirability.
The winner also receives support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to develop their project.
Previous winners:
- 2022: Krysalis Neuro Occupational Therapy - winning this award was an amazing way to celebrate and develop our new digital health platform and vocational rehabilitation service solution, Neuro Logical!
- 2021: MyAbility - an exciting new resource supporting the development of a positive self-identity for autistic people and people with ABI or cerebral palsy. Designed and created by ATtherapy and Recolo,
- 2020: Alfred – a multi-award-winning free app to aid neurorehabilitation. Dr. Ellis Parry of Neumind created it after his twin brother suffered a severe brain injury in a balcony fall.
- 2019: Goal Manager – designed by neuropsychologist Dr. Penny Trayner, this software streamlines the goal-setting process for multi-disciplinary healthcare teams.
The Stephen McAleese Award for Inspiration
For individuals who have made inspirational contributions in the field of ABI. The judges are looking for actions ‘above and beyond’, inspiring others, and making a real difference in the lives of people with ABI.
I believe anything is possible in life if you have self-belief, you work hard, and you never give up.
Charlie Fogarty MBE
Previous winners:
- 2022: Charlie Fogarty MBE – supported by The Children’s Trust, football star Charlie made incredible sporting incredible sporting progress against the odds after suffering a severe brain injury in a road accident when he was 15.
- 2021: Anita Pascoe – for 20 years, Anita fought for proper support for her mum after she suffered a brain haemorrhage at 54, causing severe brain injury until her death.
- 2020: Dr Jason Le Masurier – Jason defied medical odds having been told it was unlikely he would ever walk again after a head injury in a kitesurfing accident. He is now a triathlete and marathon runner.
The UKABIF Poster Prize
For a research project focusing on brain injury. Judges seek designs that effectively communicate the project to a non-specialist audience. Happy to accept past entries.
The winner will also receive £100, a year’s free UKABIF membership, and free admission to the 2024 UKABIF conference.
Previous winners:
- 2022: Kerry Rose Watts - for her poster depicting 'A retrospective analysis of referrals for neuropsychology input in a hyper-acute neurorehabilitation service'.
- 2021: Lead Neuropsychologist Dr Henk Swanepoel - for his project ‘Implementing a Study to Compare Diagnostic Accuracy of Cognitive Screening Instruments: A Weighted Comparison Approach in Acquired Brain Injury.’
- 2020: Research assistant Georgia Dunning – for her poster evaluating ethnicity in Salford Royal Hospital’s neuropsychological outpatient department.
Find out more about this year’s awards, sponsored by Thompsons Solicitors, and how to enter them here: UKABIF Awards 2023. The entry deadline is the 29th of September 2023.
You can read all about the Krysalis Neuro Occupational Therapy 2022 winning entry here:
The tapestry of life with brain injury
Further reading
UKABIF is nice as ‘PPIE’ - UKABIF selected to lead Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in a new £9.5m reporting platform for traumatic brain injury.
