1. Title

Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) Oration

2. History

The OTA Oration was established in 2023, with the inaugural oration to be delivered at the 2024 OT Exchange. The oration recognises and showcases an exceptional Australian occupational therapist who has made an outstanding, innovative, and impactful contribution to the practice of occupational therapy. The OTA Oration is bestowed by the Occupational Therapy Australia Board in recognition of innovation and impact in the Australian occupational therapy profession which has led to positive outcomes for the profession or those who are recipients of occupational therapy services.

3. Objectives

The objectives of the oration are:

• To recognise and celebrate innovative and impactful contributions to occupational therapy practice, and
• To inspire and advance the profession through dissemination of experience and knowledge.

The recipient will present a keynote address (oration) on their interpretation and experience of innovation in occupational therapy practice.

4. Scope

The OTA Oration consists of a keynote address in person at the Occupational Therapy Australia OT Exchange Conference. The address will be approximately 45 minutes in duration and allocated to the program at the discretion of the Conference Management Team.

This oration will be run biannually in line with the OT Exchange Conference.

5. Expenses for Presenter

Occupational Therapy Australia will be responsible for expenses incurred to the recipient to attend the Exchange to present the OTA Oration. Expenses which will be covered include:

• Travel expenses (flights and transfers) to the OT Exchange,
• Accommodation for two nights during the exchange, if necessary, and
• OT Exchange registration fee and invitation to the welcome reception.

6. Criteria for Selection

Inclusion Criteria

The applicant must:

• Be an Australian resident,
• Be a current member of Occupational Therapy Australia, and for the previous three consecutive years,
• Hold a current registration with AHPRA.

There are no exclusions for applicants in the instance of application or receipt of OTA Awards. There are no requirements for the applicant to hold any qualifications beyond those enabling them to undertake professional practice and be registered for practice as an occupational therapist in Australia. There are no restrictions on the length of career for applicants.

Applicants are not required to hold an occupational therapy specific job position to be eligible to apply.

Exclusion Criteria

Previous recipients of the OTA Oration are unable to apply again.

Assessment Criteria

The oration recipient will be selected based upon:

• Contemporaneity of proposed keynote subject,
• Professional experience,
• Engagement with occupational therapy professional practice,
• Proposed topic and key ideas relevant to the OT Exchange themes and audience,
• Demonstrated innovation in practice which contributed to the enhancement or impact of the profession or lives of those who receive occupational therapy services.

7. Application Process

To apply, applicants must submit the following to awards@otaus.com.au -

• A current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A brief professional biography (100 words)
• A headshot for use in media and communication, if successful,
• And a completed application form, containing:
  • A short (<300 word) personal statement on their suitability as an oration recipient,
  • Their proposed keynote address topic, and
  • A short (<400 word) proposed abstract of their presentation topic.

8. Selection Process

Applicants which meet the inclusion criteria will be circulated to the Board for review. In the event of a Conflict of Interest, that Board Member will withdraw from the voting process.

The Occupational Therapy Australia Board will select the OTA Oration recipient. The recipient of the inaugural OTA Oration will be four months prior to the event.

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified as per the indicated timelines.

All decisions of the Selection Committee are final and are not subject to discussion. Unsuccessful applicants will be eligible to reapply in future.

9. Responsibilities of Recipient

The recipient will agree to:

• Use of their headshot in OTA media and communications,
• Complete a keynote address, in person, at the OT Exchange Conference,
• Communicate with OTA to allow entitlements of travel expenses and organisation of conference attendance,
• Recording and use of the oration by OTA for delegates,
• Participate in any related marketing or communications materials pertaining to the event including a Connections feature.

Indicative Timeline