These awards recognise the best scientific works in the field of health services and policy research.

Award recipient(s) will receive a framed certificate in recognition of their achievement. HSRAANZ will also promote the winning researchers and their work, including offering them the opportunity to present a HSRAANZ webinar.

Important Information

  • Nominees can only select ONE category for nomination. All eligible papers will also be considered for the Best Overall Paper award.
  • Papers may have multiple authors, but the nominee must be the first author (joint first authorship is acceptable if stated on the published paper) and their contribution to the paper must be declared.
  • Only one paper per nominee will be accepted.
  • Self-nomination is acceptable.
  • Nominees must be either:
    • an individual HSRAANZ member;
    • a staff member or student of a HSRAANZ Organisational Member (Partner, Centre or Team); or
    • nominated by an individual HSRAANZ Member or Organisational Member
  • Papers (other than those nominated for the PhD category) must have been published (including early view papers) in a peer-reviewed journal between September 2025 & August 2026

Submission Requirements:

  • Complete all required sections of the nomination form
  • Minimise the use of acronyms, as reviewers may not be familiar with these terms
  • Upload a REDACTED copy of the paper by 11:59PM Monday, 10 August 2026. All identifying information must be removed, including author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, and any other information could identify the authors.

Please see below for the award categories and links to submit your nomination.

CATEGORIES

One winning paper and up to three highly commended papers will be awarded in each category.

1. Best Overall Paper

2. Best Paper by an Early Career Researcher (ECR)

  • Early Career Researchers (ECRs) are defined as researchers who have been awarded a PhD within the last 8 years, or (for those without a PhD) have had a research career spanning less than 8 years. Longer periods will be considered on application for candidates who can demonstrate a career disruption or industry experience.
  • Work that has been completed as a contribution to a PhD thesis should be entered into the Best Paper by a PhD student Category (see below).

3. Best Paper by a PhD Student - 'The Professor Margaret Kelaher Best PhD Paper Award’

  • Papers must be related to PhD studies in Health Services Research.
  • Nominees must be either enrolled in a PhD or within 1 year of having a PhD awarded at the closing date of nominations.
  • PhD student papers may already be published, accepted for publication or prepared in a format suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

4. Best Paper in Implementation Science

  • This award recognises the best scientific work in the discipline of Implementation Science
  • Definition: “… is the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice, and, hence, to improve the quality and effectiveness of health services. It includes the study of influences on healthcare professional and organisational behaviour.”

Eccles, M.P., Mittman, B.S. Welcome to Implementation Science. Implementation Sci 1, 1 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-1-1

5. Best Paper in Methods

  • This award recognises a paper that advances methods in health services and policy research
  • Definition: Methods refer to the systematic approaches, techniques, and tools used to design, conduct, and analyse health services and policy research. This includes both the development of new methods and the refinement or adaptation of existing ones to address methodological challenges in the field.

Strong methods papers clearly articulate their relevance to health system contexts, provide well-justified methodological choices, and offer practical guidance for application. They demonstrate a balance between rigour and real-world utility, acknowledging the complexities and constraints of health services settings while maintaining scientific integrity.

Judging Criteria for all Categories

  • The paper clearly meets the definition of health services research adopted by HSRAANZ: “Health Services Research is a multi-disciplinary research activity with an implicit objective of improving the health services patients receive.”
  • The paper is written in a clear and logical way, interpretable to policy makers and service providers, as well as researchers with content expertise.
  • The methods are appropriate, and the work has been conducted and reported with scientific rigour.
  • The findings have changed or have the potential to change practice.

Additional criteria such as Altmetric and /or Plumx scores may be used to distinguish between papers tied on the above criteria.

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