The board of The Journal of Laryngology & Otology has a charitable remit to promote education and research in all aspects of otolaryngology and its allied sciences. This is largely pursued through publishing the journal. However, in addition, the board has in the past supported scholarship through visiting professorships in conjunction with the Royal Society of Medicine, through the annual JLO Travelling Fellowships and through research grants.
In an editorial in December 2008, the availability of the fellowships and the ‘pump-priming’ grant were highlighted, and the editors at that time urged readers to apply for these grants; they also commented upon the lack of applications from outside the UK – which they sought to encourage.Reference Kenyon and Youngs1 However this exhortation seemingly failed and the response to the yearly advertising of these grants continues to be disappointing. The board has therefore decided to refocus its charitable giving. From the end of this year, we will instead be offering annual prizes for the best papers published in each of four categories: basic science, applied clinical research, short communication and clinical record. There will be one prize in each category, and the first round of these prizes will be awarded at the end of this calendar year, and will address the preceding 12 months of contributions – that is, volume 124.
The corresponding author of the prize-winning paper in each group will be requested to select one of the authors to present the work at a special meeting, which we anticipate being held annually in London. The prize will consist of a payment of £2000 for each of the major categories, i.e. basic science and applied clinical research, and £500 each for the best clinical record and short communication. In addition, standard class travel expenses to present at the prize meeting will be paid and overnight accommodation, where required, will be reimbursed by JLO.
The prize funds will hopefully help authors defray expenses associated with their research work and provide ‘seed funding’ to researchers who produce high quality publications in the JLO. These prizes will therefore replace the Travelling Fellowships and the pump priming grant with effect from 2011.
The assessment panel has already started the challenging task of identifying these papers, on the basis of their originality, clinical applicability, clarity and interest to the research community, from the articles published in 2010. The winning authors will be notified in January 2011, and the prize meeting is scheduled to take place at the Royal Society of Medicine on the Thursday afternoon preceding the May meeting of the Sections of Otology and of Rhinology and Laryngology of the Royal Society of Medicine. The first prizes will therefore be presented on Thursday 5 May 2011, and we hope that as many of you as possible will be able to be present at that meeting to hear the successful authors present their work.
