March 23 2026

Application are now open for the Paul Kennedy Legacy Award for Psychology.

The Paul Kennedy Legacy Award for Psychology is an annual award designed to help early career psychologists and/or those from lower resource countries working in SCI. The award provides funding to enable the recipient to attend the ISCoS Annual Scientific Meeting and network with other SCI specialists, or attend recognised professional training courses. Alongside both pathways also receive mentoring from experienced practitioners.  Whilst primarily aimed at supporting psychologists develop knowledge and skills, applications from other members of the multi-disciplinary team members delivering psychosocial care will be considered.

Professor Paul Kennedy was an internationally renowned Clinical Psychologist who founded and led the clinical psychology service at the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) in Stoke Mandeville (U.K.) until his untimely passing in 2016, aged 57.  In addition to being Head of the NSIC Psychology Service, Paul was Joint Director of the Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training and Research and Trustee of Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research (SMSR).

This award was established as a testament to Paul’s ability to combine his clinical work and expertise as a psychologist with research, and his generosity in reaching, connecting, and sharing his expertise with others, which is celebrated through the networking aspect of the award.

The award is sponsored by the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville, Hospital, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, University of Sydney and Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research.