National: Symposium Awards for ANZFSS 2027 Symposium in Hobart

These awards are open to current General, Student, Professional and Life members, and typically provide for registration at the forthcoming ANZFSS Symposium.

The same application will be used to assess applicants for Executive and Branch ANZFSS Symposium Awards and as such these applications will be forwarded to your respective branch.

Criteria

Applicants must be:

  • a General or Professional member of ANZFSS with at least 24 months of continuous membership at the date of the 2027 symposium (29 August 2027), OR
  • a Student member of ANZFSS with at least 12 months of continuous membership at the date of the 2027 symposium (29 August 2027), OR
  • a Life member of ANZFSS.
  • Criteria include the involvement in the local Branch and the Society, and the merit of the paper or poster to be presented.

Note that awards may be made to a limited number of non-presenters; applicants must make a statement outlining the personal and professional benefits of their attendance at the Symposium within the application form.

National: The Bryan Found Award

Requirements to apply:

  • The applicant is an enrolled fulltime student in a graduate or postgraduate course in field of study that reflects Bryan’s passions in forensic science – e.g. document examination, cognitive forensics, or pattern evidence interpretation
  • The successful applicant will be required to provide an article for the ANZFSS newsletter summarising their experiences at the Symposium.
  • The applicant may be required to make a presentation to the Symposium either on the benefits of the award or their work.

The Award will fund the successful applicant up to a total of $2500, including registration fee to the 28th Symposium of the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society, and additional assistance for travel and accommodation expenses.

If no suitable application is received the Award may not be presented or may be otherwise distributed, at the discretion of the family.

 

In-Symposium Award: Best poster display and best oral presentation per discipline

Oral presentations and poster presentations will be judged against pre-established criteria including:

  • Aims & Rationale
  • Methodology
  • Results
  • Outcomes
  • Clarity & Organisation of Poster/Presentation

In-Symposium Award: Ian Riebling Memorial Award

This medal was struck in honour of the late Ian Riebeling, a forensic document examiner with Forensic Science SA in Adelaide. Ian passed away suddenly in February of 2001 and was an active member of the Society. He had held the position of President of the South Australian Branch of the ANZFSS and many other positions in the preceding years.

The medal is awarded every two years, to the best new practitioner (general ANZFSS member) who presents either a paper or poster at the ANZFSS International Symposium. The Ian Riebeling Memorial Medallist is selected from the pool of oral and poster presenters who are within their first five years, or part-time equivalent, of their employment as a forensic practitioner. Presenters need to have declared this at the time of their registration.

In addition to the medal, a monetary prize of $1,500 is awarded by Ian’s family so the winner can advance their professional skills by attending the following ANZFSS Symposium, or an equivalent conference.

Assessment

The assessment criteria are not limited to but will include the following:

• Quality of the presentation

• Content of the presentation

The Symposium Organising Committee will nominate a selection panel to assess presentations by eligible members, which will be chaired by the Scientific Program Chair, and may include Discipline Chairs.

Conditions

The recipient must provide bank account details to the ANZFSS Treasurer for the transference of funds. At this time, the recipient must also provide a plan for the expenditure of the funds, whether that is attendance at the next ANZFSS Symposium, or nominating an alternate conference or professional development activity occurring within the following two years, for the funds to go toward.

Following attendance at the nominated event, the recipient must provide to the ANZFSS Council (via the ANZFSS secretary) a short (1 page) summary of the outcomes of the development activity, highlighting how it benefited the awardee. This may be published in the ANZFSS newsletter and sent to Ian’s family. Copies of receipts for expenditure must be provided to the ANZFSS Treasurer.

The recipient will consent to the use of their imagery by the Society in its publications and/or marketing activities.

Award recipients are responsible for managing all of their own booking and travel requirements, including medical and travel insurance.