The Paul Kennedy Legacy Award for Psychology is an annual award designed to help early career SCI psychologists by providing funding to enable them to attend the ISCoS Annual Scientific Meeting and network with other SCI specialists, or attend recognised professional training courses, and alongside both pathways receive mentoring from experienced practitioners.

This award is a testimony 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 provided jointly by Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research, the University of Sydney, and the National Spinal Injuries Centre Stoke Mandeville (Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust).

For further information, including details of upcoming opportunities, please contact [email protected]

Previous winners

2025 winner – Dr Danie Breedt

Director Charis Psychological Services and Consultant at Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital

Mentoring to help integrate psychological services into SCI rehabilitation. Attendance at ISCoS 2025

"The Paul Kennedy Scholarship enabled me to meet with like-minded passionate professionals, that has since developed into long term relationships and collaborative opportunities. Through the presentations and discussions at the ISCoS 2025 Annual Scientific meeting I was able to start thinking creatively about how we can begin to address the difficulties that we as service providers as well as our patients face on a daily basis. I have gathered resources and tools that we started implementing across South Africa with very positive feedback. It was a truly life- and career changing opportunity." 

2024 winner – Dr Haleluyah Moshi

Senior Physiotherapist, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Tanzania

Furthered Clinical Psychology training and training in Neuropsychology and Psychosexual Counselling

“Attending and presenting at ISCoS 2024 greatly improved my approach to working with persons with SCI, students, and colleagues locally and internationally. Since then, I’ve focused more on addressing psychosocial needs of clients and involving relevant stakeholders, while also training final-year physiotherapy students on these aspects”

Haleluyah attended the ISCoS Annual Scientific Meeting in 2024 and also presented his work at a Psychosocial SIG webinar in May 2025

2023 Award winner – Nadiia Rechun

Psychologist, National Rehabilitation Centre, Rivne, Ukraine

Funded to attend courses in clinical psychology and sexual health counselling, plus networking and mentorship

“The Scholarship has provided me a possibility to build up my professional competencies in Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology and Sexology, as well as receiving valuable mentorship by experienced and competent colleagues.

This increase in expertise immediately influenced upon my clinical activities, as I have improved my assessment and treatment skills concerning patients with complex injuries and psychological comorbidities.

Owing to the multi profile nature of my education my patients are confident enough to visit me with various enquiries for personal sessions - sexual health, family relations recovery, upcoming re-socialisation, etc.

Owing to the Scholarship - and my thorough hard work  - my career has developed, as I have been able to quickly adapt to the professional community, and secure new contacts and resources.”

Nadiia attended the ISCoS Annual Scientific Meeting in 2023 and presented her work at the Psychosocial Special Interest Group preconference and again at the Psychosocial SIG webinar in May 2024.

2022 Award winner – Md. Adbul Zabbar

Senior Counsellor, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Funded to attend ISCoS Scientific meeting and for psychosexual training course, plus networking and mentorship

“The Professor Paul Kennedy Legacy Scholarship for Psychology give me an opportunity to pursue the career of my dreams. I learned what it takes to not only be a successful service provider, but an outstanding clinical sex therapist.

Receiving financial aid, training and mentoring allowed me to make a difference in the ever changing, and challenging, world of health care. I have acquired different skills and techniques that I have applied to improve relationships and sexual satisfaction among patients and their partners.

The award has also helped my career a lot - Now I am certified sex therapist in Bangladesh and I received a promotion this year. I have a stronger network with other psychologists across the world and have had doors open into the world of evidence-based practice, quality improvement and research & innovation. It has also helped me with clinical leadership and teamwork.”

Md Zabbar presented his work at the Annual Scientific Meeting in 2024.

2021 Award winner – Kyle Deane

Paediatric Psychologist, Shriners Children’s, Chicago, USA

Funded to attend courses in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and grant writing, plus networking and mentorship

“The Paul Kennedy Award allowed me to develop my work on the connection between cognitive appraisals of disability/injury and pain in Children, by adapting the “Appraisals of DisAbility Primary and Secondary Scale (ADAPSS)”, a measure developed by Professor Kennedy for adults with SCI.

I was interested in investigating how integral appraisals are in predicting outcomes for adults who experienced SCI as children. This early work helped me prepare and ultimately receive a grant for a project, currently underway, to develop and validate a measure of appraisals for youth with SCI.

We are excited to build on Professor Kennedy's work to develop this paediatric measure, which we believe will aid in the capability of studying adaptation of children and adolescents with SCI.”

Kyle presented his work during the Annual Scientific Meetings in 2022 and 2024.