The SWLA offers a number of annual prizes and awards to support members, local departments and those with an interest in ENT in the South West. For more details and the application process for each prize please see below....

SWLA Travelling Fellowship for Non-Training Grades (Consultants & SAS)                                                                                                   SWLA Travelling Fellowship for Professions Allied to Medicine
SWLA Travelling Fellowship for ENT Registrars
ENT Trainees Presentation prize                                                                                                                                                                             Norah Guy Medical Student Prize                                                                                                                                                                   Overseas Library Grant

SWLA Travelling Fellowship Award

This award of £750 is offered annually and is open to all full members of the SWLA in non-training grades (staff grade, associate specialist and consultant).

The award is to subsidize overseas travel expenses, where no alternative NHS funding is available. Examples include: presenting a paper at a meeting, visiting an overseas department or undertaking a short period of voluntary work. The award holder will be asked to present an account of their visit within one year to an SWLA meeting.

Applications with a brief description of the overseas visit can be sent to the Honorary Secretary at mail@swla.org.uk and must be received within 2 weeks of the winter meeting. Applications will be judged by the SWLA Exec committee and the winner of the award will be announced at the Winter Meeting.

The judges, all members of the SWLA executive committee, reserve the right not to make an award in any one year.

SWLA Travelling fellowship for Professions Allied to Medicine

This new grant of £500 is to be awarded annually. It is open to non-medically qualified NHS staff to subsidise overseas travel expenses when travelling abroad with an existing full member of the SWLA in order to enhance Ear, Nose and Throat services in the destination country. The award is aimed at Nurses, Speech Therapists, Audiologists, Physiotherapists and Dieticians.

The award holder will be invited to attend a subsequent SWLA meeting where they may make a short presentation if desired.

Applications may be submitted up to 3 months before or after any overseas trip. Please apply by email and send a short description of the overseas trip to the SWLA Honorary Secretary mail@swla.org.uk 

Applications will be judged by the SWLA Exec committee.

The judges, all members of the SWLA executive committee, reserve the right not to make an award in any one year.

SWLA Travelling Fellowship for ENT Registrars

Up to 2 awards of up to £500 are offered in any calendar year to Trainees holding an NTN number who are also members of the SWLA.

The award is to subsidise travel expenses to an international meeting at which they are presenting a paper. It is intended that this award may be offered where no alternative NHS funding is available.

Applications should be submitted up to 3 months after the meeting, with a brief description of the overseas visit. Please email applications to the SWLA Honorary Secretary mail@swla.org.uk. Applications will be judged by the SWLA Exec committee and the winner of the award will be announced at the Winter Meeting of the SWLA.

The judges, all members of the SWLA executive committee, reserve the right not to make an award in any one year.

ENT Trainees Presentation and Poster prize

A prize of £250 will be awarded for the best research presentation at the Meeting. The prize is open to a trainee in any specialty at any level of training.

Applications received will be considered for oral or poster presentation by the Academic Secretary. Please send abstracts to mail@swla.org.uk

The deadline for submissions will be 20th December 2024

There will be 4 oral presentations of 10 minutes + 2 minutes for questions for those judged to be the best abstract submissions.

The abstracts should include aim, methods, results and conclusion sections but not exceed 250 words (excluding title and authors).

Priority will be given to research or audit relating to clinical practice. The presenting author must be clearly identified. When an author submits multiple abstracts only one will be considered for the presentation prize.

For abstracts not selected for oral presentation there will be up to 15 places for a poster presentation. A poster prize certificate will be awarded and a prize of £100.

Norah Guy Medical Student Prize

The Norah Guy prize of £100 and the SWLA undergraduate medal is awarded annually to one senior medical student. Applications will be considered from year 3, 4 or 5 students at Southampton, Peninsula, Bristol, Exeter or Cardiff Medical Schools.

The winner of 2023 Norah Guy Essay prize was Jordan Lin for the essay entitled "Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Children: Past, Present and Future" 

This years essay title is “What are the risks of Artificial intelligence to traditional ENT practice?”

Entrants should submit an essay of up to 3000 words to answer the question above.

Deadline for submission is 20th December 2024.

Essays will be judged by the Executive Committee and the prize awarded at the Winter meeting.

Student Selected Component/Special Study module prize

A further prize of £100 is available based on the submission of a Student Selected Component (SSC) / Special Study Module (SSM) on a subject related to Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery. There is a 1500 word limit and figures and tables are acceptable in addition to this. Submissions will be judged by the Executive committee.

The winner of the 2023 SSC prize was Abbie Carter from Cardiff University.

Deadline for submission is Saturday 25th November 2023. 

Applications should be sent to the Academic Secretary at mail@swla.org.uk 

Overseas Library Grant

The SWLA Exec Committee will consider any reasonable application for teaching aids to overseas departments where there is an ongoing commitment with a full SWLA member. It is intended that this grant will be used for the purchase of a textbook or a subscription to a journal for a defined period of time.

Applications will be assessed by the SWLA exec committee. Applications will be considered more favourably where there is a clear plan as to the method of delivery of the printed material, where books/journals will be stored and what the prospects are for longer term security.
Please submit applications to mail@swla.org.uk