The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7435 p89
20 January 2007

Society summary

Applications sought from pharmacy schools for 2008 Academic Excellence Awards

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is calling for applications from UK schools of pharmacy for its 2008 Academic Excellence Awards.

The award scheme is a programme of PhD studentships to help develop the next generation of academic pharmacists. The scheme aims to help exceptional pharmacists and pharmacy graduates interested in pursuing an academic career in pharmacy to undertake PhD training.

The long-term goal is to increase the number of pharmacists who stay in academia and to foster the role played by members of the academic workforce in developing and leading the profession of pharmacy.

Now in its second year, the awards programme differs from the Society’s previous PhD studentship scheme in that schools now have to compete to host an award and are then responsible for selecting, administering and supervising students throughout their period of training. Under the earlier scheme, funding was offered equally to all UK schools of pharmacy on a three-year rolling basis.

The successful applicants for the 2007 awards were the University of London and Queen’s University Belfast (PJ, 11 November 2006, p589).

The Society’s head of research and development, Sue Ambler, who is also acting director of education and registration, said: “Our academic workforce is crucial to the continuing success of the profession. We need to have pharmacists actively involved in research as well as in teaching, learning and assessment across the curriculum in all schools.

“The Society’s Academic Excellence Awards are intended to lead the way with funding bodies and the schools of pharmacy to recruit and retain pharmacists as members of the academic team.”

The timetable for the awards has been moved forward this year, with the closing date for applications falling on 19 March. The project review panel will meet on 25 June. Applications will be reviewed by independent peer reviewers and the panel will consider their comments with a view to making the awards in September.

Guidance notes and a revised application form for interested schools are available through the “Awards and scholarships” page of the Society’s website or by contacting Florita Sanz at the Society’s headquarters (tel 020 7572 2278).