At the BSH, we are keen to recognise those who go above and beyond and excel in their chosen area of haematology.
We deliver a number of prizes and awards scheme throughout the year to celebrate the success of the haematology community, and share external awards.
It is important that everyone, from students to senior haematology professionals, can showcase and gain recognition for their work.
Sign up for our Grants and Awards Newsletter on your My BSH page to receive notifications when awards are updated or announced.
The BSH Lifetime Achievement Award honours and recognises outstanding individuals who have made a major contribution to haematology in the UK (though the candidate does not have to be British).
Award criteria:
- The award is for exceptional contribution to UK and international haematology.
- Nominees can be from any discipline – scientist, nurse, medic, BMS, etc.
- Nominees do not need to have been a BSH member or UK citizen.
- The nominee should have spent the majority of their career in the UK.
- The award is not intended to be for academic work alone.
- The nominee should be in the latter part of their career or retired.
- The nominee cannot be a current trustee or an office bearer for the previous three years.
- It cannot be awarded posthumously.
Other information:
- The award will not necessarily be awarded annually.
- The award will be made at the BSH Annual Scientific Meeting.
Nominations for the 2026 award must be submitted by Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
For full guidance on the application process, view our information pack.
To submit your nomination, please download a nomination form and return it to
[email protected].
The BSH Crucible Prize is an innovative trainee-led initiative with a £1,000 prize, where the five top abstracts are selected for oral presentation at our Annual Scientific Meeting.
The Prize aims to encourage reflection on what haematologists do and why they do it.
Those selected are questioned and judged by a panel of senior haematologists on the quality and originality of their content, presentation skills and response to questions.
The Prize is open to doctors in training, nurses and other healthcare professionals (at any stage of their career).
We invite undergraduate medical, biomedical and clinical science, physician associate and nursing students from UK schools to create a presentation on a subject chosen by the Education Committee.
Submissions can be posters, a PowerPoint presentation, a narrated slideshow, or other media as appropriate.
The winner will receive a prize of £500, and the runner-up will receive £250.
The topic for the 2026 prize is:
"In an era of increasing population diversity and technological advancement, how should we rethink the concept of ‘normal’ in haematological reference ranges—and what are the implications for diagnosis, communication, and care?"
This competition was formally the Student Essay Prize
These are exciting awards created by the BSH Early Career Forum. Each award has a prize value of £1,500, plus expenses to attend the 2025 BSH Annual Scientific Meeting.
These two awards will be for projects or ideas in service improvement, leadership, and workforce rearrangement. Applicants are encouraged to think broadly and innovatively.
The prizes aim to foster professional development in students and people early in their careers and encourage reflection on how everyone can contribute to improvements in healthcare regardless of career stage.
The submission should relate to, or have the main focus on, haematology.
Eligibility:
This award is open to BSH members and non-members.
For the Undergraduate Achievement Award:
This prize is open to all healthcare students completing an undergraduate degree in their field.
For the Early Careers Achievement Award:
This prize is open to doctors in training, nurses and other healthcare professionals, a maximum of four years post-qualification.
Application process and timeline:
Submissions for the 2026 award will open in November 2025.
External awards
The Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) UK will hold a two-day meeting on 3rd and 4th of March 2026, featuring state of the art lectures and discursive discussions in all key areas of haemato-oncology and linked, centrally important, themes of genomics and translational science, cellular therapy and transplant with a specific focus on equity and diversity.
The emphasis on short talks, extensive case-based discussion and innovative teaching strategies has created a fantastically fresh meeting with a very attractive educational proposition. Besides the mainstream lecture theatre there will be a parallel running for people to engage in specific disease areas, broader healthcare issues plus sessions for mentoring and research.
SOHO UK is offering ten travel bursaries with one year's mentorship. A further twenty prizes for conference attendance are available.
Eligibility: senior trainees, clinical fellows in haematology and consultants in their first five years in post.
Application deadline: 30 October 2025
Results announced: 30 November 2025
Co-Chairs Professors Charles Craddock and Tony Goldstone invite you to apply for this first SOHO UK scholarship with awards.
DKMS Stiflung Leven Spenden is an international non-profit organisation committed to the fight against blood cancer. With more than thirteen million registered potential stem-cell donors, it offers patients worldwide a second chance at life.
The organisation invites young outstanding scientists from all over the world to apply for the DKMS John Hansen Grant 2026. Up to four talented researchers who are advancing the fields of blood stem-cell transplantation and cell therapy for haematological diseases will be awarded 240,000 each, over a period of three years.
Application deadline: 20 November 2025
Eligibility: doctoral degree (PhD, MD or equivalent achievements) in a field pertinent to the grant within the last ten years from the grant call start date.
See the John Hansen award flyer and funding guidelines for more information. Applications should be sent to [email protected] by the deadline.
HaemSTAR is an independent UK-wide network of registrars in clinical haematology who are interested in promoting and performing research in medical haematology.
Our focus is on collaborative projects across medical haematology. This includes, among many things, haemostasis, thrombosis, immunohaematology, transfusion, general haematology and obstetric haematology.
HaemSTAR has been awarded the ISTH London 2022 Legacy Fund. Part of the fund will be directed to support trainees and allied health professionals to attend educational events, meetings, conferences or any other professional development opportunity that enhances their knowledge, connections and skills.
Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis, and applicants will be notified by email by Mid-October, Mid-February, Mid-April and Mid-July as to whether or not they have been selected for an award.
See the Application review process and ISTH Legacy Fund application form for further details of eligibility and how to apply. You must be a HaemSTAR member to apply. You can join by signing up to the mailing list.
Maximum amount: £1,000 for national (UK) events, £3,000 for international events.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) offers the following awards:
GOSH-RCPCH Dr Simon Newell Early Independent Researcher Award
This award recognises an exceptional young medically qualified researcher in British paediatrics.
Award comprises: A trophy, £1,000 for the winner, £1,000 to the winner’s department to buy equipment and cover other expenses connected with their research.
Deadline: 1 December 2025 at 23.59
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RCPCH Donald Paterson Award.
In memory of Dr Donald Paterson, this award is given to a pre-consultant grade medical practitioner working in the UK, for the best scientific paper on any subject related to paediatrics. The paper must be published, or accepted for publication within two years of the award entry deadline.
Award: the winner will receive a certificate and free day attendance at the RCPCH Conference.
Deadline: 1 December 2025 at 23.59
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Williams Syndrome Cooper Bursary
This bursary from RCPCH and Williams Syndrome Foundation recognises the best scientific paper related to paediatric learning disability published in a peer-reviewed journal by an outstanding medically qualified research worker.
Amount awarded: £1,000 (£500 cash prize and £500 towards attendance at the RCPCH Conference); £1,000 to the winner’s department for expenses connected with their research.
Deadline: 1 December 2025 at 23.59
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RCPCH Denney Award
This award is presented to an outstanding medically qualified researcher for the best articles related to paediatric rare disease research.
Amount awarded: £1,000 (£500 cash prize and £500 towards attendance at the RCPCH Conference).
Deadline: 19 December 2025 at 23.59
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Check out the RCPCH website for further research funding opportunities in paediatrics.