AuSPEN offers members the opportunity for three conference awards and two general career awards.
Career Awards: Early-career award and mid-career award. Career awards are offered biannually.
Early and mid-career awards are two awards offered biennially to recognise outstanding contributions by early and mid-career members in clinical nutrition.
View the criteria for the early and mid-career awards here.
More information and link to apply is available to AuSPEN members here.
Submissions close midnight AEDT Sunday 27th September 2026.
Applicants will receive notification of outcome in October 2026.
Conference Awards: The Bob McMahon Prize, David Russell Prize and AuSPEN Research Prize.
The Bob McMahon Prize will be preferentially awarded to an outstanding research presentation which may encompass:
Basic science
Clinical research
Clinical epidemiology
Systematic reviews are considered to be within the research category.
The David Russell Prize will be preferentially awarded to an outstanding Clinical Service Enhancement presentation which may encompass:
Translational research / translation of research into practice
Quality improvement programs/projects
Service development projects
Service/program analysis/evaluation
The AuSPEN Research Prize will be awarded to the highest scoring rapid-fire poster presentation. This format provides an opportunity for poster presenters to deliver a short oral presentation during the conference programme.
Eligible abstracts for both posters and oral presentations are considered for these AuSPEN prizes.
Previous Award Winners
2025 Award Winners
Alice Jay - AuSPEN Research Award for ‘Best Poster by a Dietitian’
Ayesha Sualeheen - David Russell Award for ‘Outstanding Clinical Service Enhancement Presentation’
Kathleen McGrath - Bob McMahan Award for ‘Outstanding Research Presentation’
2024 Award Winners
Elizabeth Viner Smith - Dietitians Association of Australia Award for ‘Best Poster by a Dietitian’
Claire Reilly - David Russell Award for ‘Outstanding Clinical Service Enhancement Presentation’
Lisa Murnane - Bob McMahan Award for ‘Outstanding Research Presentation’
2023 Award Winners
Tahnie Takefala - Dietitians Association of Australia Award for ‘Best Poster by a Dietitian’
Emma Osland - David Russell Award for ‘Outstanding Clinical Service Enhancement Presentation’
Heidi Johnston - Bob McMahan Award for ‘Outstanding Research Presentation’
2022 Award Winners
Annie Curtis - Award for ‘Best Poster’
Peter Konstantopoulos - David Russell Award for ‘Outstanding Clinical Service Enhancement Presentation’
Kate Lambell - Bob McMahan Award for ‘Outstanding Research Presentation’
2021 Award Winners
Anna Beaumont - Dietitians Association of Australia Award for ‘Best Poster by a Dietitian’
Irene Defereos - David Russell Award for ‘Outstanding Clinical Service Enhancement Presentation’
Suzie Ferrie - Bob McMahan Award for ‘Outstanding Research Presentation’
2019 Award Winners
Courtney Turner - Dietitians Association of Australia Award for ‘Best Poster by a Dietitian’
Annabel Doolan - David Russell Award for ‘Outstanding Clinical Service Enhancement Presentation’
Lisa Murnane - Bob McMahan Award for ‘Outstanding Research Presentation’
2018 Award Winners
Kym Wittholz - Dietitians Association of Australia Award for ‘Best Poster by a Dietitian’
Miranda Einstein - President's Award for ‘Most Patient-centred Oral Presentation’
Sophie Hogan - David Russell Award for ‘Outstanding Clinical Service Enhancement Presentation’
Ra’essa Doola - Bob McMahan Award for ‘Outstanding Research Presentation’
2017 Award Winners
Jessie Varghese - David Russell Award for ‘Outstanding Clinical Service Enhancement Presentation’
Louise Becroft - Bob McMahan Award for ‘Outstanding Research Presentation’