How to nominate

A full member of the BDA for a minimum of 10 years.

The nominee will have sustained active participation in the work of the BDA at a national or UK level, e.g. as a member of the Board of Directors, Country Board Member, member of the Trade Union Executive Council or through their dietetic expertise, has represented the professional body at a national or international level in various ways over a minimum of 10 years.

The nominee will have made an exceptional contribution to the dietetic profession at national, UK wide or international level over and above that which would be expected from their job role for a minimum of 10 years.

Areas of contribution could include, but are not limited to:

• Clinical practice
• Teaching and practice education
• Research/evidence into practice.
• Leadership
• Professional development and welfare of colleagues
• Trade union and industrial relations
• Influencing, policy and strategy development
• Advocacy and ambassadorial roles within and out with the profession
• Supporting the workforce through initiatives such as equality, diversity and inclusion

A full member of the BDA for a minimum of 10 years

The nominee will have made an exceptional contribution to the profession of Dietetics at national, UK wide or international level over and above that which would be expected from their job role over a minimum of 10 years.

Areas of contribution could include, but are not limited to:

• Clinical practice
• Teaching and practice education
• Research/evidence into practice
• Leadership
• Professional development and welfare of colleagues
• Trade union and industrial relations
• Influencing, policy and strategy development
• Advocacy and ambassadorial roles within and out with the profession
• Supporting the workforce through initiatives such as equality, diversity and inclusion

A member of the BDA in any category of membership (except student) at any stage in their career for a minimum of 5 years.

The nominee will have made a significant contribution to the association at local, regional or speciality level over and above what would be expected from their job role for a minimum of 5 years.

The individual will have:

• Shown personal commitment and significant contribution for a minimum of 5 years
• Actively participated in the work of the BDA locally or in a branch or speciality
• Given outstanding service to the dietetic profession and made an impact

Areas of contribution could include, but are not limited to:

• Clinical Practice
• Teaching and practice education
• Research/evidence into practice.
• Leadership
• Professional development and welfare of colleagues
• Trade union and industrial relations
• Influencing, policy and strategy development
• Advocacy and ambassadorial roles within and out with the profession
• Supporting the workforce through initiatives such as equality, diversity and inclusion

The Edith Elliot Honour recognises an individual’s contribution to the dietetic profession which may be local; regional; in a specialist field of practice; or a diverse area of practice. Nominees will have been acknowledged for excellence in their sphere of work and their special contribution to the dietetic profession.

A member of the BDA in any category of membership (except student) at any stage in their career for a minimum of 5 years.

The nominee will have been recognised as making a significant contribution to the profession at local, regional, speciality level or in a diverse area of practice over and above what would be expected from their job role for a minimum of 5 years.

The individual will have:

• Shown personal commitment and significant contribution for a minimum of 5 years
• Given outstanding service to the dietetic profession and made an impact on the practice and/or delivery of dietetics

Areas of contribution could include, but are not limited to:

• Improved service delivery that has benefited service users
• Development of specialist skills that are innovative and have informed local service delivery in what could be a complex environment
• Leading an innovative way of working and promoting the contribution of dietetics in a diverse setting
• Creating and supporting a learning culture locally or regionally
• Supporting professional workforce locally or regionally through initiatives such as inclusion and diversity
• Interpreting and applying evidence to inform their practice locally or regionally for the benefit of service users
• Facilitating involvement in research or creating a culture that supports research
• Raising the profile of the profession through providing examples of local innovation that have been published and raised interest
• Developing and evaluating educational resources (for example for students, people accessing services, etc.) and new methods of delivery
• Contributing to and leading professional networks to promote the exchange of knowledge, skills and resources.
• Trade union and industrial relations
• Influencing, policy and strategy development
• Advocacy and ambassadorial roles within and out with the profession

The nominee has made a consistent and outstanding contribution to the advancement of the dietetic profession and /or BDA, that has made a significant impact on dietetic professional practice, education, trade union, research and/or policy over a minimum of 10 years. This period can be cumulative over a period of time.

This contribution can be national, UK wide or at international over and above that which would be expected from their job role.

Areas could include, but are not limited to:

• Advanced dietetic education
• Conducted research that has influenced the practice of dietetics at a national and UK-wide and/or international level
• Raised the profile of the profession with a range of stakeholders
• Through outstanding leadership, the nominee may also have influenced the perception of dietetics in national or international context. For example, the nominee may be working in a national leadership role or an international organisation
• Influencing, policy and strategy development
• Outstanding contribution in another area not listed

Nominees should have made a significant contribution to the piece of work or project by providing leadership or dedicating significant personal time and effort. 

The Roll of Honour is given to members who have provided services beyond what would be expected of a committee, working group or project.

In addition, nominees would not normally fulfil the criteria for another BDA Honour such as an Ibex or Fellowship, which are given for contributions over many years of practice.

The BDA Honours Committee will consider all nominations using a standardised assessment based on the judging criteria in sections 2,3,4 and 5.

Each nomination is critically appraised by all members of the Honours committee.

• If your nomination is considered to fit into a different category than you have indicated, then the Honours committee reserves the right to alter this (as agreed by the BDA Board of Directors)
• Do not submit more than one proforma per nominee. Should this occur, ALL forms will be considered null and void and returned.
• If you are in any doubt then please contact the BDA office on 0121 200 8080 and ask for the Honours Committee Administrator before submitting.

The BDA Honours Committee will give recommendations to the BDA Board of Directors to take the final decision on conferring the Honour.

The discussions will be confidential and no further correspondence will be entered into. Successful nominees will be informed by the Honorary Chair and Chief Executive. 

The Honour will be presented formally by the Honorary President and Chair of the Association at a National BDA event such as the Awards Ceremony or the Annual General Meeting following which, a notice will appear in Dietetics Today.

Firstly, check out the webpage where all the Honours are explained in detail.

If you want to discuss a possible nomination or need more information, you can contact the committee by emailing: [email protected]

All eligible nominations are carefully considered by the committee and they may recommend a different Honour, based on the evidence provided.

Given the importance of the Honours we require clear evidence of exceptional commitment, service and impact beyond any normal expectation of their job role. You usually need details of what they have done and why this is exceptional. Most importantly, we need detail about the impact this has had for the BDA or the profession.

Sample responses to show the type of information and detail needed can be found under each listed award on the Honours webpage.

The BDA office will acknowledge receipt and check eligibility and completeness. Further information or clarification may be sought. The committee will then review the nomination form and details at the next available meeting. Honours Committee meetings are usually held every two to three months - dates can be found here.

If the nominee is deemed eligible for an Honour, the Committee will recommend this and submit details to the Board of Directors, who will make the final decision.

The process is summarised in this flowchart.

The Committee meets every two to three months, just before the Board of Directors meetings. So, expect feedback to have been received within around three months after submission. However, if further information is required, it may take longer.

The nomination is scored against set criteria, so ensure that you have clearly stated what is special about the nominee’s contribution and most importantly, the impact this has had on the profession or the association. The committee will then discuss and agree which, if any, Honour will be recommended.

The lead nominator will be informed of the outcome after the relevant meeting (usually within three months of their submission).

Limited feedback is provided for unsuccessful nominations and sometimes an alternative route to recognise the member’s contribution is suggested. The BDA Honours recognise the members who go above and beyond for the profession and the BDA.

If you know someone who has made a difference to the community and is outstanding at what they do, you may also want to consider applying to the National Honours Awards.

Each year the BDA recognises and celebrates those members who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in the profession.

All those being honoured will be invited to the Awards ceremony and will receive a certificate and badge recognising their achievement and Honour. The badge can be worn on work uniforms/lanyards and at BDA events. This helps to increase awareness of the Honours and the amazing work being carried out in the profession.

If the answer to your question is not on the Honours pages of the BDA website, then contact the committee [email protected]