Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Health Research Award Policy

FND605 V2.1

Document review

Timeframe for review: Every five years, or earlier if required

Document authorisation: ACEM Board

Document implementation: ACEM Foundation Committee

Document maintenance: ACEM Manager, Membership & Culture

Revision history

Version	Date	Revisions
v1	18/10/2017	Document created
v2	14/02/2022	Routine revision along with terminology and style edits; revision to Background; inclusion of definition of Trainee for purpose of policy; addition of standard College requirements relating to applications, adjudication, presentation, and publication; update to adjudication and the final decision; update to document responsibilities.
v.21	Apr-2025	Removal of terms EMC, EMD, EMAD, and DipPHRM to reflect changes to training program titles

Copyright

1. Background and purpose

This policy governs the awarding of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM/the College) Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Health Research Award, which is made in respect of a published research paper or conference presentation to be most significant in the field of emergency medicine as it relates to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or Māori health.

Supporting, encouraging and promoting research into Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori health is an essential step in reducing current health disparities and inequities for Indigenous people. Research is a foundation for health services to identify and benchmark quality outcomes, services and deficiencies across the spectrum of health. Research enhances knowledge and drives organisational processes and policies to improve cultural safety, improve health outcomes and close the gap in health disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.

The award will achieve this by:

fostering collaborative research partnerships that improve the cultural safety of emergency departments (EDs);
recognising the importance of participatory action research; and
encouraging ACEM Fellow and Trainee interest in Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori research and methodologies, and exposure to
population health.

2. Definitions

Published

For the purposes of this policy, means publication in an online or printed refereed journal. It does not include articles which are not yet published but have been made available via early online access prior to publication.

Conference presentation

For the purposes of this policy, means an oral presentation made at a conference, based on acceptance of a paper for presentation at the conference through an abstract submission process.

Quantitative methods

For the purposes of this policy, includes research methods that emphasize objective measurements and statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, or by manipulating pre-existing statistical data using computational techniques. Quantitative research focuses on gathering numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people or to explain a particular phenomenon.

Qualitative methods

For the purposes of this policy, includes research methods that involve examining people’s lives, experiences and behaviours, and the stories and meanings individuals ascribe to them. It can also investigate organisational functioning, relationships between individuals and groups, and social environments. It can involve the studied use and collection of a variety of empirical materials such as case studies, personal experience, life stories, interviews, observations, and cultural texts. Qualitative research may also have quantitative elements or aspects.

Participatory action research

For the purposes of this policy, utilises reflection, data collection, and action that aims to improve health and reduce health inequities through involving the people who, in turn, take actions to improve their own health.

Trainee

means an individual enrolled in an ACEM training program and, for the purposes of this policy, undertaking College requirements for the purpose of attaining eligibility for election to Fellowship of the College.

3. Application Process

3.1 Eligibility Criteria

Fellows or trainees who have authored an eligible article published during the immediately preceding financial year (1 July to 30 June) or presented at a conference during the immediately preceding financial year (1 July to 30 June) may apply for the award when invitations to do so are issued by the College.

An article or conference presentation which is within its first year of publication is eligible for consideration for this award if:

its lead author or presenter is an ACEM Fellow or trainee, of good standing with the College;
it is most significant in the field of emergency medicine as it relates to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or Māori health;
it has been published in a refereed journal or presented at a conference; and
it has not previously been adjudicated for the award.

The award is made annually, where this is appropriate. If no applicant meets the criteria in a particular year, then the award will not be made.

3.2 Applications for the award

Eligible Fellows or trainees interested in applying for the award will be required to complete and submit the appropriate form. Each application must be accompanied by a copy of the article or conference presentation, and by the relevant application form signed by all author Fellows and/or trainees. Where there is more than one author or presenter, the application must cite the lead author or presenter. Any additional requirements and any accompanying information specified on that form must be completed and submitted by the deadline specified by the College.

4. Selection Process

4.1 Selection Criteria

Applications for the award will be assessed according to the extent to which the published article demonstrates evidence of:

Criteria	Score
Relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and/or Maori Health The paper/presentation is specifically relevant to issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and/or Maori patients, not just as a subset of a larger research study.	25
Relevance to emergency medicine The paper/presentation has the potential to change current emergency medicine practice and influence emergency practitioners	15
Contribution to reducing health inequity The paper/presentation identifies, investigates and aims to address issues of health inequity	15
Demonstrates collaborative research partnerships The paper/presentation utilises meaningful engagement with community members throughout the entire research process	15
Presentation/content/clarity The quality of the writing/ presentation style	10
Quality of methodology The paper/presentation appropriately applies qualitative or quantitative research methodology	10
Originality The paper/presentation addresses a unique issue or utilises a novel approach	10
Maximum Total Score	100

4.2 Adjudication

A panel of three (3) or more assessors convened from the ACEM Indigenous Health Committee will adjudicate the applications for consideration by the ACEM Foundation Committee, which will in turn recommend to the Board recipient(s) of the award, based on the criteria outlined in 4.1 above.

The award may be made to the author or presenter of research which, in the opinion of the ACEM Board, makes a significant contribution to emergency medicine as it relates to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or Māori health.

The ACEM Board shall determine the recipient(s) of the award. The decision of the ACEM Board will be final and no correspondence will be entered in to.

All parts of the selection process must be conducted in accordance with the College Conflict of Interest Policy (COR139).

The award should be finalised no later than 30 days prior to the next ACEM Annual Scientific Meeting.

5. Award Presentation

5.1 Nature of Award

The Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Health Research Award consists of a monetary prize of $1,000 and a certificate attesting to the award.

Where the research has the involvement of more than one Fellow or trainee:

The monetary prize will be divided between those authors

Each author or presenter will receive a certificate which includes the name of the lead and other eligible authors.

5.2 Award Presentation

It is intended that the award certificate will be presented at an ACEM forum considered appropriate to the nature of the award recipient(s) and initiative(s), and which may be dependent on the availability of the recipient(s). This may be at an ACEM Regional Scientific Meeting, the ACEM Winter Symposium or the ACEM College Ceremony.

5.3 Award publication

ACEM will publish the name of the recipient(s) of the award on the College website and through other College sources, in order to promote the award and raise awareness of the importance of research into Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori health.