The Ambassador for Epilepsy Award is a unique award introduced by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) in 1968. Ambassadors for Epilepsy are individuals who have been bestowed with an Ambassador for Epilepsy Award by the IBE and ILAE to proclaim their extraodinary actions in the field of epilepsy.

Ambassador Awards are presented every 2 years at the time of the International Epilepsy Congress and a maximum of 12 Awards are presented at any one time. The Award is given to individuals to recognise outstanding personal contributions to activities that advance the cause of epilepsy. These contributions and activities should either have been performed at an international level or have an international impact or significance. The Award reflects international peer recognition and is given for the lifetime of the recipient. The name of each recipient is added to the Ambassadors’ Hall of Fame maintained by IBE and ILAE.

Nominating Procedure

1. All IBE members and all ILAE chapters and all members of the Joint Executive Committees (JEC) of IBE and ILAE are eligible to nominate a maximum of 4 candidates in any two-year period.
2. An invitation for nominations will be distributed to all IBE members and ILAE chapters and all members of the JEC at least 6 months prior to adjudication.
3. The invitation will also be made available for download on the IBE website and the ILAE website.
4. The invitation will include a letter that explains the process, an official nomination form and a list of existing Ambassadors.
5. Existing Ambassadors cannot be re-nominated.
6. Previously unsuccessful candidates are eligible for re-nomination. However, nomination papers are not carried over and must be resubmitted at the time of the following call for nominations.
7. To be eligible, candidates must be nominated using an official nomination form. Supporting information can also be supplied but this must be limited to no more than 3 additional pages in total.
8. Completed and signed nomination forms, together with any supporting information, must be sent to the Executive Director, International Bureau for Epilepsy, 11 Priory Hall, Stillorgan, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, by the notified closing date no later than 3 months prior to the date of decision.
9. Wherever possible, nominations must be submitted electronically. Where this is not possible, nominations may be submitted by fax or by post.
10. Nomination forms must be submitted by an authorised representative of an IBE member or ILAE chapter and must bear the name of the authorised representative.

Assessment Criteria

1. Only eligible nominations will be considered for an Award.
2. The candidate must have made a personal contribution (either voluntarily or professionally) in any scientific, clinical, educational or psycho-social field of epilepsy that contributes towards the development of epilepsy care and/or the well-being of people with epilepsy in an international context.
3. The activity to which the person has contributed must be at an international level or be of international impact or significance.
4. The candidate’s personal contribution to the success of the activity must be demonstrated.
5. That contribution must be of a scale, impact, longevity, dedication, uniqueness and / or innovative nature that places the candidate above the thousands of other people all over the world who make valuable and important contributions towards improving the lives of people with epilepsy.

Method of Assessment and Decision

1. Candidates will be assessed by the members of the JEC of IBE and ILAE.
2. When all candidates have been assessed, the members of the JEC will vote by secret ballot to determine a slate of Award winners.
3. A maximum of 12 Awards can be given every two years.
4. When a slate of Award winners has been decided, the slate will be put to a vote of JEC for ratification. Ratification requires an absolute majority of ILAE JEC members in favour and an absolute majority of IBE JEC members in favour.
5. The decision of the JEC is final.

Announcing and Presenting the Awards

1. Immediately following the decision, the new Ambassadors and their nominators will be informed of their Awards.
2. The Awards will be announced and presented individually by the Presidents of IBE and ILAE at the International Epilepsy Congress (IEC). Award winners will be invited to attend the IEC to receive their Award and will be offered free registration to the Congress. The offer of free registration is not transferable to anyone else.
3. Information concerning the Ambassador for Epilepsy Award winners will be published by IBE and ILAE in their respective journals, newsletters, magazines and on their websites.

Note:
The International Executive Committee of the International Bureau for Epilepsy meets jointly with the Executive Committee of the International League Against Epilepsy, to consider matters of mutual interest and/or responsibility to both Executive Committees. Such meetings are known in full as a Joint Meeting of the Executive Committees of the IBE and ILAE, and in brief as a JEC.