Lush Prize – how to nominate

lush64

Do you want to make a nomination for the Lush Prize, the global initiative aiming to bring forward the day when safety testing takes place without the use of animals?

Perhaps you are a campaign organisation raising awareness about animal experiments? Or a scientist developing non-animal testing methods? A young researcher requiring financial support or recognition for your efforts to avoid animal use? You may even just want to nominate your favourite animal protection organisation.

The Lush Prize focuses pressure on toxicity testing for consumer products and ingredients, in a way which complements the many projects already addressing the use of animals in medical testing.

 

There are six categories of award:

Public Awareness – rewarding individuals or organisations raising public awareness of ongoing animal testing

Lobbying – rewarding the work of individuals, groups or organisations pushing for change, focusing on policy interventions promoting the use of alternatives

Science – individuals, research teams or institutions conducting work on relevant toxicity pathways

Training – individuals, teams or organisations involved in training others in non-animal methods

Young Researcher – young scientists (up to 35 years at the time of application) with a desire to fund the next stage of a career focussed on an animal-test free future

Black Box – offers, in any one year, the full £250,000 Lush Prize fund for a key breakthrough in human toxicity pathways research (this award is at the discretion of the Lush Prize organisers and Judges rather than nominations)

 

Making a nomination is easy:

  • First of all, think about the project / team / individual you want to nominate – does their work match what the Lush Prize is about? Does it conduct outstanding work to end animal testing, particularly in toxicology / safety testing?
  • Which category of award does your nomination fit into? For example, a campaign group persuading companies to stop testing cosmetics on animals should be nominated for the Public Awareness award
  • In the Nomination section of the website click on the relevant award category. Here you will find some information about the category and the sorts of work that are eligible
  • Select whether you are nominating yourself or someone else. Depending on which you chose, you will be asked to provide either a 500 word or 750 word nomination. Write a draft nomination first and think about the kinds of work carried out and how they fit in with the Prize. Give specific examples of work and outcomes and dates. It is this evidence which the Lush Prize Team rely on during shortlisting of nominations. The work should have been conducted in the previous 12-18 months, except for Young Researchers which includes proposed work which the Prize money can fund
  • The Lush Prize focusses on the 1R of replacement rather than reducing or refining animal experiments, so ensure the project you nominate fits this criteria
  • For any of the science categories, read the eligibility guidelines to ensure the nominated project meets the scientific and ethical criteria of the Prize
  • Complete your nomination!

 

What happens next?

  • We will let you know we have received your nomination
  • If you have nominated someone other than yourself we will probably ask that individual/organisation if they want to submit their own nomination
  • After the deadline of 24th July the Lush Prize Team meets to discuss all nominations. Our researchers will have also conducted detailed analysis of each prize sector to determine the key issues and effective organisations and individuals. We use all this information to draw up a shortlist of nominations
  • These nominations then go to an international and independent panel of judges. They are experts in all areas of lobbying, campaigns and science in relation to animal testing. They meet to discuss the shortlist and decide on winners
  • Winners are informed and invited to attend the Lush Prize conference and Awards Ceremony in London where they collect their stunning hand-made award and their prize money!

 

It is important to note that the Lush Prize is not an opinion poll – winners are not based on the number of people nominating them but on the evidence of their work. So, it is much better for an organisation to provide a detailed and evidence-based nomination than ask hundreds of supporters to nominate them!

 

Don’t forget – all nominations must be received by 24th July 2014. Good luck!

Any questions? Then feel free to contact us.