ADS Policy Document 4: Brenan Prize and Clinicopathologic Gem Eligibility and Organisation

  1. Any registrant at the Annual or other Scientific Meeting (SM) may apply to present, and be duly accepted to present, a Clinicopathologic Gem. For permitted registrants, see ADS Policy Document 3 – SM Attendance Eligibility

  2. The only persons who are eligible to enter and win the Brenan Prize are Trainees in Dermatology or Pathology who are Accredited for their training as specialist dermatologists or pathologists in Australia or New Zealand. Non-accredited trainees, others hoping to become trainees, scientist or PhD registrants or other registrants who are not also accredited trainees may not present for the Brenan prize. To be eligible for the Prize the Accredited trainee must present in person.  If there are unforeseen circumstances that prevent attendance, e.g. illness, the accredited trainee may nominate a substitute presenter, but will not be eligible for the prize. 

  3. If there are less than three qualified applicants to present for the Brenan Prize in any given year, the SM convenor(s) may, but only with permission in writing from the Board, cancel any Brenan Prize component of the SM and notify existing applicants of that cancellation.

  4. The Conference Convener may at their discretion invite any particular registrant who is in a class of registrant who is permitted to present a Gem or to present for the Brenan prize to submit an abstract, and to accept that abstract, in advance of the closing date.

  5. However, generally, other than for specifically-invited presentations (Brenan Prize and Clinicopathologic Gems), the Convener should not accept any abstracts prior to the advertised deadline for submission. Advance acceptance of abstracts is unfair to those applicants who submit within time, but may nevertheless miss out if the Convener has accepted too many abstracts in any given category in advance of the closing date. The Convener should therefore generally only issue formal abstract acceptance notices after the closing date. 

  6. The Society reserves the right to not award a Brenan prize to any candidate if the judges do not consider the standard of presentations merits the granting of the prize in any given year, or for any other reason. The Society, Board or Convener is not required to disclose any reason for non-award of the prize.