Rules for theAmbassador for EpilepsyAwards

Background

TheAmbassadorforEpilepsyAwardisauniqueawardintroducedbytheInternationalLeagueAgainstEpilepsyandtheInternationalBureauforEpilepsyin1961.AmbassadorsforEpilepsy areindividualswhohavebeenbestowedwithanAmbassadorforEpilepsyAwardbytheInternationalLeagueAgainstEpilepsyandtheInternationalBureauforEpilepsytoproclaimtheirextraordinaryactionsinthefieldofepilepsy.TheawardisgivenjointlybytheInternationalBureauforEpilepsy(IBE)andtheInternationalLeagueagainstEpilepsy(ILAE).AmbassadorAwardswillbemadenotmorethanonceeverytwoyearsandamaximumof12Awardswillbegivenatanyonetime.TheAwardisgiventoindividualstorecogniseoutstandingpersonalcontributionstoactivitiesthatadvancethecauseofepilepsy.Thesecontributionsandactivitiesshouldeitherbeperformedataninternationallevelortheyshouldhaveaninternationalimpactorsignificance.TheAwardcarriesnomonetaryvaluebutitdoesreflectinternationalpeerrecognitionanditisgivenforthelifetimeoftherecipient.TheAwardconsistsofanAmbassador’spinandascroll.ThenameofeachrecipientisaddedtotheAmbassadors’HallofFamemaintainedbyIBEandILAE.

Nominatingprocedure

1.AllIBEandILAEChaptersandallmembersoftheJointExecutiveCommittees(JEC)of theIBEand theILAEareeligibletonominateamaximumof4candidatesinanytwo-yearperiod.

2.AninvitationfornominationswillbedistributedtoallIBEandILAEChaptersandallmembersoftheJECatleast3monthspriortoadjudication.

3.TheinvitationwillalsobemadeavailablefordownloadontheIBEwebsiteandtheILAEwebsite.

4.Theinvitationwillincludealetterthatexplainstheprocess,anofficialnominationformandalistofexistingAmbassadors.

5.ExistingAmbassadorscannotbere-nominated.

6.Previouslyunsuccessfulcandidatesareeligibleforre-nomination.However,nominationpapersarenotcarriedoverandmustberesubmittedat thetimeofthefollowingcallfornominations.

7.ApersonwhoiscurrentlyservingontheexecutivecommitteeofIBEorILAE,orafamilymember,whetherelectedorexofficio,isnoteligibletobeconsideredfortheAmbassadorAwardduringtheirtermofoffice, with the following two exceptions:

  1. Should the President-elect of the IBE and/or of the ILAE not have been bestowed with an Ambassador for Epilepsy Award, he or she will automatically receive the award, without the requirement for nomination as a candidate, at the first presentation of the awards following his or her election.
  2. Where the candidate selected to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award has not previously received an Ambassador for Epilepsy Award, they will automatically be presented with an Ambassador for Epilepsy Award at the same Awards Ceremony.

8.Tobeeligible,candidatesmustbenominatedusinganofficialnominationform.Supportinginformationcanalsobesuppliedbutthismustbelimitedtonomorethan3additionalpagesintotal.

9.Completed and signed nomination forms, together with any supporting information, must be sent to the Executive Director, International Bureau for Epilepsy, 7 PrioryOffice Park, Stillorgan Rd, Blackrock, A94 FN26, Co Dublin, Ireland, by the notified closing date.

10.Whereverpossible,nominationsmustbesubmittedelectronically.Wherethisisnotpossible,nominationsmaybesubmittedbyfaxorbypost..

11.NominationformsmustbesubmittedbyanauthorisedrepresentativeofanIBEmemberorILAEchapterandmustbearthenameoftheauthorisedrepresentative.

Assessment criteria

1.OnlyeligiblenominationswillbeconsideredforanAward.

2.Thecandidatemusthavemadeapersonalcontribution(eithervoluntarilyorprofessionally)inanyscientific,clinical,educationalorpsycho-socialfieldofepilepsythatcontributestowardsthedevelopmentofepilepsycareand/orthewell-beingofpeoplewithepilepsyinaninternationalcontext.

3.Theactivitytowhichthepersonhas contributedmustbeataninternational level orbeofinternationalimpactorsignificance.

4.Thecandidate’spersonalcontributiontothesuccessoftheactivitymustbedemonstrated.

5.Thatcontributionmustbeofascale,impact,longevity,dedication,uniquenessand/orinnovativenaturethatplacesthecandidateabovethethousandsofotherpeopleallovertheworldwhomakevaluableandimportantcontributionstowardsimprovingthelives of people withepilepsy.

Method of assessment and decision

1.CandidateswillbeassessedbythemembersoftheJECofIBEandILAE.

2.Whenmakingthisassessmentanddecidingaslateofawardees,membersoftheJECarerequestedtobemindfulofthevalueofreflectingdiversityinthetypeofcontributionpeoplemakeandtheirregionaldiversity.

3.ThenominationformandanysupportinginformationsuppliedforeacheligiblecandidatemustbedistributedtoeachmemberoftheJEC.

4.EachmemberoftheJECmusthavetheopportunitytospeakonbehalfofanycandidatebeforeanyballot.

5.In the case where a member of the JEC cannot be present in person, a proxy may speak on his or her behalf.

6.Whenallcandidateshavebeenassessed,themembersoftheJECwillvotebysecretballottodetermineaslateofAwardwinners.

7.Where voting is to be done by way of proxy, the IBE Secretary General, assisted by the Executive Director will act as the voting proxy for IBE committee members and the ILAE Secretary General, assisted by the Administrative Director will act as the voting proxy for ILAE committee members. The JEC member will provide the IBE or ILAE delegated proxy with a list of all those nominated for the award, ranked in order of preference. Proxies will follow the order of preference when casting ballots on behalf of the JEC member.

8.There shall be parity of voting strengths between representatives of the IBE and the ILAE. If one Executive Committee has more voting members than the other present in person or voting by proxy, then its number of voting members eligible to vote shall be adjusted to achieve equality.

9.Amaximumof12Awardscanbegivento selected candidates everytwoyears. Presentation of Ambassador for Epilepsy Awards to Presidents-elect and/or Lifetime Achievement Award winners will not becountedasoneofthemaximumof12AmbassadorAwardsgiven to selected candidates in thatyear.

10.EachmemberoftheJECmaythereforevotefornomorethan12candidatesinthefirstballot.

11.Tobeaddedtotheslate,inanyballot,acandidatemustreceiveanabsolutemajorityofthemembersoftheJECpresent.

12.BlockvotingbymembersoftheIBEInternationalExecutiveCommitteeoroftheILAEExecutiveCommitteeisnotpermitted.

13.The12candidateswiththemostvotesandwhoreceiveamajorityofthevotesofthemembersoftheJECwillbetheslateofAwardwinners.

14.Iflessthen12candidatesreceiveamajorityvoteinthefirstballot thenasecondballot(andifnecessaryathirdballot)willbeheldexcludingthealreadysuccessfulcandidates.

15.FurtherballotsafterthethirdonemaybeheldifamajorityofthemembersoftheJECsodecide.

16.Ifmorethan12candidatesreceiveamajorityvoteinthefirstballotthenthe12candidateswiththemostvoteswillbetheslateofAwardwinners.

17.Intheeventofatiedvoteforthe12thAward,therewillbe asubsequentballotofjustthetiedcandidates.ThemaximumnumberofvoteseachmemberoftheJECmayhavewillbeequaltothenumberofslateplacesthatarelefttobedecided.

18.ForeachballotthemaximumnumberofvoteseachmemberoftheJECmayhavewillbeequaltothenumberofslateplacesthatarelefttobedecided.

19.Inanyballot,thechairorco-chairsoftheJECshallnothaveasecondorcastingvoteintheeventofatie,noraveto.

20.WhenaslateofAwardwinners hasbeendecided,theslatewillbeputtoavoteofJECforratification.RatificationrequiresanabsolutemajorityofILAEJECmembersinfavourandanabsolutemajorityofIBEJECmembersinfavour.

21.Thedecision ofthe JECis final.

Conflicts of interest

1. AnymemberoftheJECwhohasaconflictofinterestshoulddeclareassuchandshouldexcusethemselvesfromthedecisionmakingprocedure.

Announcing and presenting theAwards

1.Immediatelyfollowingthedecision,thenewAmbassadorsandtheirnominatorswillbeinformedoftheirAwards.

2.TheAwardswillbeannouncedandpresentedindividuallybythePresidentsofIBEandILAEattheInternationalEpilepsyCongress(IEC).AwardwinnerswillbeinvitedtoattendtheIECtoreceivetheirAwardandwillbeofferedfreeregistrationtotheCongress.Theofferoffreeregistrationisnottransferabletoanyoneelse.

3.InformationconcerningtheAmbassadorforEpilepsyAwardwinnerswillbepublishedbyIBEandILAEintheirrespectivejournals,newsletters,magazinesandontheirwebsites.

Note:

TheInternationalExecutiveCommitteeoftheInternationalBureauforEpilepsymeetsjointlywiththeExecutiveCommitteeoftheInternationalLeagueAgainstEpilepsy,toconsidermattersofmutualinterestand/orresponsibilitytobothExecutiveCommittees.SuchmeetingsareknowninfullasaJointMeetingoftheExecutiveCommitteesoftheIBEandILAE, andin briefas a JEC.