Research Excellence Awards

The Metro North Research Excellence Awards celebrate and recognise the invaluable contribution and incredible achievements made by our researchers.

Nominations open

We are pleased to announce nominations for the 2026 Research Excellence Awards are now open.

Submit a nomination now

The annual Metro North Research Excellence Awards recognise and reward outstanding achievement in research across all clinical specialties, professions and services in Metro North Health. The awards acknowledge the breadth and depth of research excellence in our health service and provide an opportunity to showcase our best and brightest, as well as recognise emerging and early career researchers.

Metro North Hospital and Health Service employees engaged in health and medical research are encouraged to nominate for one of the following award categories:

Researcher of the Year
Rising Star Award
Professor Joan Webster Nursing and Midwifery Research Award
Research Support Award
Research Implementation Award
Discovery Research Award
Clinical Research Award
Partnering with Consumers in Research Award

For more information please read the 2026 Metro North Research Excellence Awards Guidelines.

Previous Winners

The annual Metro North Research Excellence Awards have recognised and rewarded outstanding achievements in research since 2017. Previous winners and photo galleries are available here.

Sponsorship

The Research Summit is proudly supported by the following sponsors:

QUT

RBWH Foundation

TPCH Foundation

QIMR Berghofer

The University of Queensland

Australian Catholic University

Griffith University

Clinical Research Award

This team award recognises a research project (comprising of a single or limited number of cohesive studies), which is developing new clinical knowledge or trialing innovative approaches relevant to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease for Metro North patients.

Download sample entry PDF

Discovery Research Award

This team award recognises research basic science and technology (including information technology and biotechnology) research which is relevant to clinical care. The research project addresses fundamental gaps in clinical knowledge through discovery stage research.

Download sample entry PDF

Partnering with Consumers in Research Award

This special award recognizes the value of excellent consumer engagement in Metro North research.
Nominations for this category must demonstrate the value of consumer contributions to research that is embedded in Metro North, leading to demonstrable improvement in health outcomes or research for Metro North patients and the community.

Nominations will be reviewed by an expert panel of Consumers, the Metro North Research Excellence Awards Committee, and Metro North Executive.

Download sample entry PDF

Professor Joan Webster Nursing and Midwifery Award

This special award recognises the excellence and contributions of Metro North Nursing and Midwifery researchers.
This award recognises exceptional contribution to research which has impacted or has the potential to influence Metro North patient outcomes through translation and/or implementation of research outcomes.

This award is only open to Nurses and/or Midwives. To be eligible, the nomination must be for a Nursing and/or Midwifery researcher. Nominations are sought from the Metro North Research Committee, Metro North Nursing and Midwifery Research leaders, facility Executive Directors, Directors of Research and Clinical Research Directors/Leads. Individuals may also self-nominate.
Applications will be reviewed by an expert panel of peers.

Download sample entry PDF

Researcher of the Year

An individual award that recognises an exceptional contribution to research which has impacted or has the potential to influence Metro North patient outcomes through translation and/or implementation of research outcomes. Nominations will be sought from the Metro North Research Committee and each of the facility Executive Directors, Directors of Research and Clinical Research Directors/Leads. Direct nominations are also sought.

Download sample entry PDF

Research Implementation Award

This team award recognises the implementation of research and evidence-based practice, which has led to significant improvements in patient centred outcomes and the effectiveness, access to, or efficiency of health services.

Download sample entry PDF

Research Support Award

This team award recognises an exceptional contribution to research by the multidisciplinary team members who enable research. This includes through encouragement, mentorship or inspiration, and encompasses the research coordinators, clinical trials managers and all levels of research staff who work behind the scenes to make research happen. This award seeks to acknowledge those research team members who provide exceptional support and/or leadership that enhances research capacity within Metro North.

Download sample entry PDF

Rising Star Award

An individual award for early career researchers based on research outcomes achieved within 10 years (full-time equivalent) of commencement of the nominee’s research career at the time of nomination. Career interruptions impacting on full-time equivalence will be considered and assessed based on Research Opportunity and Performance.

Download sample entry PDF

2023 Finalists

We are pleased to announce the finalists for the 2023 Metro North Research Excellence Awards:

Researcher of the Year

Eamonn Eeles
Professor John F Fraser
Professor Leonie Callaway

Rising Star Award

Associate Professor Andrea Henden
Associate Professor Teresa Brown
Monica Suet Ying Ng
Hollie Bendotti

Research Support Award

Professor Nicole Marsh
Victoria Eley
Dr Mahesh Ramanan
Deanne August

Consumer in Research Award

Direct to Psychology Insomnia and Stepped Care Models: Sleep Disorders Service Innovations
Optimising consumer choice in telehealth: Metro North Telehealth Co-Design Project
Co-designing an exercise intervention to prevent paraatomal hernias
ICU of the Future

Discovery and Innovation Research

Novel Radiation Shielding to Reduce Radiation Exposure
Treatment of multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa by removal of ‘harmful’ antibodies
Redcliffe Hospital Urology team – leading discovery and innovation to benefit patients with urologic cancers and conditions
ICU of the Future

Clinical Research Award

CAR T cells: a new frontier in cancer care
The Living Heart Project
Implementation of pre-treatment genotype guided personalised dosing to reduce severe toxicity from chemotherapy

Complex Health Challenges

Improving Diabetes Outcomes Across Queensland- The Inpatient Diabetes Working Group
The IV Passport
The Kidney Supportive Care Research Group
Integrated Children’s Care Collaborative (ICCC)

Research Implementation Award

Implementation Support Groups
Living Well During Pregnancy
Thrombin–gelatin matrix (Floseal) to prevent post dental extraction haemorrhage in patients with inherited bleeding disorders
Lung cancer screening – Australia’s 4th national screening program

High calibre research that is improving healthcare outcomes for patients happens every day across Metro North. Our annual Metro North Research Excellence Awards are a chance to recognise and reward outstanding achievements in research across all clinical specialities and professions.

The Professor Joan Webster Nursing and Midwifery Award

This award is only open to nurses and midwives involved in research throughout Metro North who are nominated in one of the above individual categories (Research Support, Rising Star, Researcher of the Year).

Project (individual or team) Awards

Consumer in Research Award

A team award that recognises efforts to incorporate consumer and community involvement in health and medical research. The recipient/s of the award will have demonstrated their dedication in various ways, such as serving as inspirational role models for health consumers and playing a vital role in enhancing community interactions with health and medical research.

<!–Please read the submission guidelines for the criteria for each award.–>

This is the seventh year we have held the Metro North Research Excellence Awards.

Research Excellence Awards

Nominations open

Previous Winners

Sponsorship

2023 Finalists

Researcher of the Year

Rising Star Award

Research Support Award

Consumer in Research Award

Discovery and Innovation Research

Clinical Research Award

Complex Health Challenges

Research Implementation Award

Project (individual or team) Awards

Previous Winners and Galleries

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