I. Objective:

The SSR - YGA enables promising young Obstetricians and gynaecologists from all the member countries of the Asia and Oceania region to attend the congress of the AOFOG which is usually held biennially.

The participation of Young Gynaecologists:

• provides them an opportunity to update knowledge and skills of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology

• promotes social interaction between them, their peers and other delegates

• provides an insight into the functioning of the Federation by encouraging attendance at General Assembly session

• All these help to prepare them to become the future leaders of their National Societies (NS) of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and hence of the Federation. The criteria of selection provided to the NS reflects this hope.

II. History of the Award:

It was instituted in 1991 during the presidency of Professor Masahiko Mizuno through the support of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and subsequently supported by donor agencies and member societies on a voluntary basis. Ten years later in 2001, it was renamed the SS Ratnam - Young Gynaecologists Award in memory of Emeritus Professor S. S. Ratnam, who was the President Elect of the AOFOG at the time of his demise and who had been its Secretary General for 21 years.

Initially restricted to eight (8) countries from developing countries, it was approved in the Bangalore Council meeting 2002 that all National Societies will have YGAs. YGAs from the following 21 developing countries will be provided with the financial support from AOFOG whereas YGAs from 7 developed countries/NS will provide financial support to the selected YGAs from their own fund and resources.

DEVELOPING MEMBER COUNTRIES

DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

III. The Award / The Donors:

On the year of the award, AOFOG provides the awardee with return economy airfare, registration fee and allowance for board and lodging for the duration of the Congress i.e. 4 nights. The awardee is given complimentary registration for the next congress but he must now pay for his/her airfare and accommodation.

The Secretary-General will write to all the NS requesting donations towards the objective of S.S. Ratnam YGA Awards. The first request will be sent 18 months before the Congress and a reminder will be sent 12 months before the Congress. All donors will be acknowledged at the President’s Night.

IV. Eligibility of a YGA:

All nominations are to be made by the NS, then submitted to the AOFOG Secretariat and finally approved by the Executive Board.

To qualify, the Young Gynaecologist must

• be 40 years or below on 1st January in the year of the AOFOG Congress

• have made a significant contribution to his National Society and demonstrated leadership qualities.

• must belong to a NS that is not in arrears for more than 3 years.

V. Guidelines on YGA selection

• All communications regarding YGAs will come from the Secretariat. The first announcement will be sent out eighteen (18) months before and the second announcement twelve (12) months before the AOFOG Congress. These Announcements must clearly state the eligibility criteria, prizes on offer and the closing date. The deadline for receipt of nominations is 6 months before the AOFOG Congress.

• The NS is required to submit at least 3 candidates for consideration together with their Curriculum Vitae and full papers but the Secretariat is not in a position to decide on the number of awards available to each country until funds come in from donor agencies and member societies. All papers submitted should have a covering letter from the Principal / Presenting author declaring (a) any conflict of interest (b) any sources of funding and (c) that the paper has not been presented or published in any part in any previous Regional or International Meeting.

• Five (5) months before the AOFOG Congress, all papers meeting the criteria will be sent to the President Elect. The President Elect will form a Committee to select the 10 best papers and communicate the final list to the Secretariat four (4) months before the AOFOG Congress. To enable an equitable distribution among member NS, a NS cannot be represented more than once in the final list of 10 papers.

• The final list of the YGAs shall be given to the host society three (3) months before the AOFOG Congress.

• On the presentation of the papers at the congress, the 10 best selected papers will be presented at a special YGA Session in the congress whereas other submitted papers will be presented as Oral Free Communication. The President Elect will preside over the YGA Session and he will select a panel of 3 judges to adjudicate the presentations. The three best presentations will receive a prize the nature and quantum of which will be decided by the incumbent Executive Board. Suggested amounts are USD3000, USD2000 and USD1000 respectively for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. If the AOFOG Congress precedes the FIGO Congress in the same year, the Executive Board may at its discretion offer a part sponsorship to attend the FIGO Congress in lieu of these cash prizes.

• The NS is also required to inform the Secretariat on the cheapest round trip airfare to the Congress venue to facilitate preparation of the Federation’s budget for reimbursement.

• The reimbursement of the airfare and allowance for board and lodging to each of the YGA will be scheduled on the 2nd and 3rd day of the Congress.The YGAs will be required to present the Official Receipt, the ticket and other pertinent receipts (airport taxes, etc.) for reimbursement.

VI. Activities of the YGAs in AOFOG Congresses

• During the Congress, the 10 best Young Gynaecologist Awardees present their papers at a special session.All other YGAs will present their papers in an Oral Free Communication session as allocated by the Organising Committee.

• They are encouraged to attend the General Assembly as observers. Although not encouraged, they may attend Council Meetings as the NS representative provided due notice of this has been lodged with the Secretariat in advance. As the YGA has already received subsidy to attend the Congress, he is not entitled to receive any other benefits for attending the Council Meeting. All YGAs are expected to be present at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

• YGAs will attend the President’s Night without any charge. They will receive certificates of attendance during the President's night. Representatives of all the donors are invited to the ceremony so that they could be thanked personally for their support and could interact with the YGAs and assess how well their contribution has been spent. As the President’s Night is meant to honour the YGAS and give them the opportunity to network with their peers and seniors, attendance by family members is not encouraged. However, spouses or parents of the YGA wishing to attend can write in to the Secretariat making a request to attend with the appropriate fee to be advised by the Secretariat. This arrangement will have a limit of 2 family members per YGA and will be subject to review at each Congress. Such family members permitted to attend will be seated at a separate table and not with the YGAs.

• YGAs will also attend the Congress Banquet without any charge. The winners of the 3 best YGA papers will be announced at the Banquet. Family members of the YGAs may attend this function by purchasing tickets from the Organiser.