Read about the origins and purpose of the Fred Yates Prize for Early Career Researchers, and how to nominate someone for this prestigious award. Please note that nominations have closed for 2024, and will reopen in January 2025.
About the prize
This prize was created in honour of colleague Fred Yates, who sadly passed away in 1996 but whose work “made a lasting impression on the field and an important contribution to the welfare of those with alcohol and drug problems”. The prize winner receives £2,000 and a certificate which includes the words ‘for a significant contribution to the work of the addictions field’, and is also invited to present their research at the SSA’s Annual Conference, for which their attendance expenses will be reimbursed, up to a maximum of £500.
Previous winners
Since 2011, the prize has been awarded every year to a researcher (or, on occasion, to two researchers) in recognition of their significant and specific contributions to the addictions field.
- 2023 Ebtesam Saleh, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
- 2022 Dr Claire Garnett, University College London, UK
- 2021 Dr Sarah Jackson, University College London, UK
- 2020 Dr Gemma Taylor, University of Bath, UK
- 2019 Two awards were given this year: Dr Hamid Noori, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany, and Dr Kyla Thomas, University of Bristol and South Gloucestershire Council, UK
- 2018 Dr Andrew McAuley, Health Protection Scotland & Glasgow Caledonian University, UK
- 2017 Dr Andrew Jones, University of Liverpool, UK
- 2016 Dr Leonie Brose, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK
- 2015 Dr Jamie Brown, University College London, Health Behaviour Research Centre, UK
- 2014 Dr Frances Kay-Lambkin, University of New South Wales, Australia
- 2013 Dr Jaime Delgadillo, University of York, UK
- 2012 Dr Bridgette Bewick, University of Leeds, UK
- 2011 Two awards were given this year: Dr Jodie Trafton, Stanford University Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, USA, and Dr Simon Adamson, National Addiction Centre, New Zealand
Most recently, Ebtesam Saleh from Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin was awarded the Fred Yates prize for her “consistent track record of working with vulnerable populations at the margins of society”. Addressing Ebtesam, the judging panel said:
“Your commitment to this field, both as a practitioner and researcher, in different regions over a decade is impressive. Your research publications represent a significant contribution to this important area in the field, as does your work raising awareness of the challenges faced and how these may be overcome. We are proud to award you the SSA Fred Yates Prize in 2023.”
How to nominate someone for the prize
The SSA typically begins accepting nominations for the Fred Yates Prize for Early Career Researchers in early January, and closes nominations in mid to late February. Submissions are assessed by a panel of three individuals appointed from the SSA’s Board of Trustees.
Below are some of the eligibility criteria for nominees:
- They must be a member or associate of the SSA
- They must be nominated by a member or associate of the SSA
- They must be in the early stages of their research career (i.e. for the 2025 prize, they must have attained their most recent graduate or post-graduate addiction qualification no later than five years prior to 1 November 2024)
- They must be an active researcher in the field of addiction
- They must have had one or more publications (or manuscripts accepted for publication) in the previous 12 months, and a minimum of two publications in the previous five years
- They must have demonstrated enthusiasm and potential future leadership (e.g. through developing a novel programme of work or contributing to new or improved clinical practice or an enhanced understanding of addiction)
Please check back in early 2025 for information about how to nominate someone for the next Fred Yates Prize for Early Career Researchers.
