european psychiatric association

Pascal-Boyle Prize

Women have long been discriminated against, including in the fields of mental health care and psychiatry. The aim of this prestigious Prize is to publicly acknowledge and increase awareness of the outstanding achievements by women in working to improve mental health care in Europe.

It is named in honour of Dr Helen Boyle, an Irish-British physician, who started practicing in 1894 in England and went on to become the first female President of the Medico-Psychological Association (later to become the Royal College of Psychiatrists); and Dr Constance Pascal, a Romanian doctor, who was the first woman to qualify as a psychiatrist in France in 1908. Both contributed significantly to the scientific literature in addition to their pioneering clinical work and served as role models for generations of future female psychiatrists.

Eligibility criteria

  • Open to women only
  • Must be a psychiatrist or researcher in psychiatry contributing significantly to the field of mental health care
  • The contribution can be scientific, clinical, academic or in other areas deemed acceptable by the Jury
  • Must have worked mainly in Europe
  • There is no age limit
  • Members of the Prize Jury and EPA Board are not eligible
  • Previous winners of the Prize are not eligible

Nomination rules

  • The right to nominate is open to anyone, except the Prize Jury members
  • Nominations are confidential and a nomination should not be made known to the nominee
  • Self-nominations are not acceptable
  • Deceased persons cannot be nominated

Nomination and selection procedure

  • The deadline for nominations for the 2024 Prize has now passed.
  • The laureate will be announced and awarded at the European Congress of Psychiatry, 6-9 April 2024.
  • Nominations should provide a lay summary, detail the work done by the nominee, and explain the impact thereof towards improving mental health care in Europe that makes it deserving of the Prize using five selection criteria. These criteria enable nominators to provide detailed information, which help Jury members to be well-informed when reviewing nominations and providing their grading. Criteria include scientific contributions, clinical contributions, contributions to education, contributions to advocacy, and contributions to international leadership.
  • The Jury is composed of the EPA Executive Committee and invited members to ensure female majority.

Notice

  • The Jury may elect to not award a Prize in any given year.