This accolade aims to honour and showcase an occupational therapist who has made outstanding, innovative, and impactful contribution to the clinical practice of occupational therapy. This year’s recipient will present a keynote address at OT Exchange 2026, presenting their interpretation and experience of innovation in occupational therapy practice. The OTA Oration is awarded by the OTA Board, in recognition of innovation in the Australian occupational therapy profession.

The OTA Oration will be run biennially, aligned with the OT Exchange Conference.

The inaugural Oration was delivered at the 2024 OT Exchange. We are delighted to announce that in 2025-2026 the OTA Oration will be conferred once again, and applications are now open for the 2026 OT Exchange Oration.

The successful applicant will present a 45-minute oration at the OT Exchange in 2026, and will have their conference travel, registration and accommodation expenses covered.

For more information, download the guidelines below, or contact awards@otaus.com.au.

Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be:

• An Australian resident
• Current OTA member
• Hold a current registration with Ahpra.

All eligible OTA members are encouraged to apply; this oration is not exclusive to academics or researchers.

Applications for the Oration are now open and close at 5:00pm (AEDT) on Friday, 13 February 2026. Application forms with additional documents as listed in the Guidelines are to be submitted to awards@otaus.com.au.

Previous Recipients
2024
Jenny Gribbin
Your OT Roadmap for Innovation Success

More information can be found in the guidelines below.