AIFST - Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology

This Award was estabilished on honour of Malcome Bird 5th President of the Institute. The award is for AIFST members under 30 years of age at 30 June 2011, and recognises young members who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership and integrity in their profession.

2012 Notification date: 17 March 2012, Nomination form & material by 26 March 2012

The basis for selection is the merit of a 1000 word Technical Abstract and a subsequent spoken presentation at the 2011 Convention, which selected finalists attend at AIFST expense. Nominees must also provide a 500 word statement providing reasons that support is required for attendance at the AIFST Convention, achievements in study, professional positions and Institute involvement, curriculum vitae, and a statement by a peer or department head on how the nominee has demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and integrity. The subject of the entry may be any aspect of food science and technology including original research or critical review.

Download Malcolm Bird Award nomination form or contact National Office for nomination form.

1. The "Malcolm Bird Commemorative Award" is The Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Award for young members who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership and integrity in their profession.
2. The Award is named in honour of Malcolm Bird, fifth President of the Institute (1975-77), who died in 1977, soon after completing his term of office and who had always shown an active concern for the welfare of young members.
3. This Award shall be open only to members of the Institute who are under 30 years of age at 30th June in the year of the award. Nominees shall have been a member of the Institute for a minimum of 12 months prior to the closing date for nominations.
4. The Award shall be made annually at the discretion of Council.
5. Award finalists shall receive the following: Domestic Economy flights to the AIFST Annual Convention; Accommodation for the duration of the Convention; and, Registration to the AIFST Convention (at which the finalist will present). A maximum of three (3) will be chosen by the judging committee.
6. Council shall call for nominations for the Award in the Official Journal of the Institute at a time not later than six (6) months prior to the date of presentation. The notice shall give the closing date of entries, a brief summary of the award conditions, and an address for return nominations. The notice shall also include date and place of presentation of the Award.
7. Nominees shall submit by the designated closing date to the Executive Manager a technical abstract no longer than 1000 words of the nature described in Clause (i). Multi-authored papers shall not be accepted. No late submissions shall be accepted.
8. The basis for the selection of a person to receive the Award shall be the merit of a written submission, the quality of its subsequent presentation in the spoken form before an audience and review of the statements as required under Clause (j). The subject of the paper may be any aspect of food science and technology, and may be either a critical review or the result of original research. The format for the written paper shall conform to that laid down in "Guide to Authors" for publication in Food Australia.
9. where appropriate, all entries shall be accompanied by a statement from a supervisor of the nominee to the effect that the paper is an individual effort.
10. Information as indicated in points (1) – (3) below are required in addition to the written submission outlined in Clause (i):
    (1)    500 word statement providing reasons that support is required for attendance at the AIFST Annual Convention; Achievements in study and professional positions to date and; Extent of involvement in the Institute;
    (2)    Current Curriculum vitae
    (3)    200 word statement by peer or department head indicating how the nominee has demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and integrity.
    All nominees shall complete the web-based nomination form available on the Institute website (see above Attachment)
11. Each entrant shall give an undertaking to attend at the time and place designated by Council in the notice as per Clause (g) to present the paper, if so required by the Award Jury.
12. Immediately after the close of nomination, the President shall invite three Professional members or Fellows of the Institute to act as the Award Jury. The members of such Jury shall not be members of the Executive, and shall not be professional or personal associates of the nominees. In addition, the President or his nominee shall act as Convener of the Award Panel. However the Convener shall have no primary voting rights and only in the case of equality of points obtained by nominees, shall he have a casting vote.
13. Should a jury member withdraw at any stage, the President shall appoint a substitute juror.
14. The President shall notify the Convener, if any, and the jurors of their appointments. The President shall acknowledge to each nominee the receipt of the paper. Within 14 days of the receipt of the papers, the President shall forward to the Convener, if any, and the jurors copies of each paper, together with clearly defined instructions for registering their decision, using the points system set out in Clause (s). Each judge shall be given the name and address of the Convener of the Award Jury and the date by which his results must be returned to the Convener. This date shall be no more than five weeks after posting of the papers to the jurors.
15. The Award Jury shall read the submission(s) entered for the award and select the submission(s) of greatest merit on the basis of a scoring system determined by Council (Attachment 2). The selected paper(s) are to be presented by their authors at the time and place designated by Council. If there are not papers of sufficient merit, the Jury shall recommend to Council that no award be made that year.
16. The Convener of the Award Jury shall receive and tally the points allocated by each juror to each nominee. The total points shall be converted to a percentage, and the Convener shall notify the President of the results. The President shall notify the author(s) who received the highest, second and third highest percentage (over 50%), by a date not later than two months prior to the date notified for public presentation of the paper(s).
17. The successful author(s) shall attend, at the Institute's expense, at the time and place designated by Council to present their paper(s) to a public session as so arranged. Each paper shall be not less than 10 minutes and not greater than 15 minutes (plus 5 minutes for questions).
18. The Award Panel shall hear the papers as presented and allot scores according to a scoring system determined by Council (Attachment 3).
19. The Convener shall add the scores for the spoken papers to the scores of the written papers and the author of the paper receiving the highest total score shall be the winner of the award. The Convener shall vote only to break a tied score. However if two competitors receive the same total score, the judges shall convene and determine an outright winner reviewing both the written submission and the oral presentation.
20. The Convener of the Award Jury shall forthwith report the name of the winner of the award to the President of the Institute and provide a brief supporting statement suitable for use in the citation of the award.
21. Authors of outstanding but unsuccessful papers in any year, at the discretion of the Jury, may be invited to resubmit their papers in the following year of the award, provided all other rules are met. These authors may resubmit the unsuccessful paper in its original or modified form if they so desire.