AMPS Awards

AMPS has created specific awards to recognise and support members at various stages of their careers. These include the AMPS student, ECR, and MCR conference keynote address awards, service award, and mentor award.

AMPS Service Award

The AMPS Service Award recognises outstanding contributions to the Society. AMPS members who have been associated with the Society for a minimum of 10 years, and are affiliated with an Australian or New Zealand university, are eligible for the award. Awards are to be presented at the AMPS conference. Nominations are solicited from AMPS members and decisions are made by the AMPS Conference committee chair.

Nomination Process

  • The Awards Committee will solicit nominations for the AMPS Service Award, which recognises outstanding contributions to the Society from members who have been involved for no less than 10 years.
  • Nominations will be submitted online via the advertised form within the advertised application period. Self-nominations will not be accepted. A nomination should include a short statement (about a paragraph in length) explaining why the nominee deserves the award. 
  • Decisions are made by an ad-hoc committee.
  • Winners will receive a certificate.

Previous Winners

  • This is a new award in 2026. There are no previous winners.

To nominate a candidate for the 2026 AMPS Service Award, please complete the form at: https://bit.ly/AMPS-awards.

AMPS Mentor Award

The AMPS Mentor Award recognises a non-student AMPS member (e.g., ECR, faculty member, industry professional) who shows outstanding mentorship to others, supporting their achievement of career objectives and providing skill-based and socio-emotional support to junior colleagues. Active AMPS members, who may be early in their career, mid-career, or senior in their career, and are affiliated with an Australian or New Zealand university,  are eligible for the award. Awards are to be presented at the AMPS conference. Nominations are solicited from AMPS members and decisions are made by the AMPS Conference committee chair.

Nomination Process

  • The Awards Committee will solicit nominations for the AMPS Mentor Award, which recognises outstanding mentoring from Society members at early, mid, and established career stages.
  • Nominations will be submitted online via the advertised form within the advertised application period. While mentors interested in this award may circulate this information to their mentees, self-nominations will not be accepted. A nomination should include a short statement (1-2 paragraphs in length) explaining why the nominee deserves the award. Support statements may consider professional/skill-based mentorship, socio-emotional support, etc.
  • Decisions are made by an ad-hoc committee.
  • Winners will receive a certificate.

Previous Winners

  • This is a new award in 2026. There are no previous winners.

To nominate a candidate for the 2026 AMPS MENTOR Award, please complete the form at: https://bit.ly/AMPS-awards. 

Student Conference Keynote Award

The Student Conference Keynote Award recognises an outstanding student AMPS member (i.e., undergraduate or postgraduate) who demonstrates excellence in scientific innovation, quality, and potential impact. AMPS members enrolled as students (full- or part-time in an undergraduate or postgraduate program, at an Australian or New Zealand university) at the time of submitting an abstract to present at an AMPS conference are eligible to self-nominate for the award. The award includes presenting a keynote address during the AMPS conference. Nominations and decisions are made by a Conference Scientific committee working group. 

Nomination Process

  • The AMPS Conference Committee will solicit self-nominations for the Student Conference Keynote award, which recognises exceptional emerging talent and celebrates the important contributions of student researchers to advancing scientific knowledge.
    • For conferences that are jointly organised and/or for when AMPS hosts the APSCOM/ICMPC conference, the scientific committee will consider self-nominations from submitting students located within and outside of Australia and New Zealand in line with the broader conference focus.
  • Self-nominations will be submitted online as part of the regular conference Call for Papers process, as advertised by the Conference Committee. A short-list of award nominees are identified from the highest-scoring conference abstracts through a competitive review process and are invited to submit a 5-minute video for review. The winner is selected via the second, competitive review process and invited to present their work at the conference.
  • Decisions are made by an AMPS Conference Scientific committee working group.
  • Winners will receive a certificate.

Previous Winners

  • 2026: Zixuan Jia
  • 2024: Xanthe Lowe-Brown
  • 2022: Sabrina McKenzie

ECR Conference Keynote Award

The Early-Career Researcher (ECR) Conference Keynote Award recognises an AMPS member in the early stages of their career (i.e., up to five years post-PhD) who demonstrates excellence in scientific research and scholarship. AMPS members working at an Australian or New Zealand university, who meet the definition of ECR at the time of submitting an abstract to present at an AMPS conference are eligible to self-nominate for the award. The award includes presenting a keynote address during the AMPS conference. Nominations and decisions are made by a Conference Scientific committee working group. 

Nomination Process

  • The AMPS Conference Committee will solicit self-nominations for the ECR Conference Keynote award, which recognises originality, scientific rigour, and the significant contributions of emerging leaders within the discipline.
    • For conferences that are jointly organised and/or for when AMPS hosts the APSCOM/ICMPC conference, the scientific committee will consider self-nominations from submitting ECRs located within and outside of Australia and New Zealand in line with the broader conference focus.
  • Self-nominations will be submitted online as part of the regular conference Call for Papers process, as advertised by the Conference Committee. A short-list of award nominees are identified from the highest-scoring conference abstracts through a competitive review process and are invited to submit a 5-minute video for review. The winner is selected via the second, competitive review process and invited to present their work at the conference.
  • Decisions are made by an AMPS Conference Scientific committee working group.
  • Winners will receive a certificate.

Previous Winners

  • 2026: Dr Gabriele Cecchetti
  • 2024: Dr Dianna Vidas
  • 2022: Dr Anthony Chmiel

MCR Conference Keynote Award

The Mid-Career Researcher (MCR) Conference Keynote Award recognises an AMPS member established in their career (i.e., five to fifteen years post-PhD) who has made significant contributions to their field and demonstrates on-going excellence in research, leadership, and professional service. The award includes presenting a keynote address during the AMPS conference. Nominations and decisions are made by the AMPS Conference committee chair.

Nomination Process

  • The AMPS Conference Committee nominates candidates for the MCR Conference Keynote award, which recognises and celebrates researchers whose achievements have advanced knowledge, fostered collaboration, and positively influenced the broader research community.
  • Recipients are selected through a competitive voting process and are then invited to deliver a keynote address at the conference.
  • Decisions are made by a Conference Scientific committee working group.
  • Winners will receive a certificate.

Previous Winners

  • 2026 (AMPS/APSCOM Joint Conference): Associate Professor Kyung Myun Lee – Korea, Professor Xiaonuo Li – China, Associate Professor Masanobu Miura – Japan, Dr Candace Kruger – Australia
  • 2024: Dr Amanda Krause
  • 2022: Dr Margaret Osborne
  • 2020: Dr Sandra Garrido