Will you be our young investigator of the year?

One of South Australia's most prestigious prizes for early career scientists - the Young Investigator Award - is back for 2008, and applications are now being accepted.

The award highlights outstanding new science in the field of women's and children's health, and also the researchers' ability to communicate and 'sell' that science to the public.

The prizes for the Young Investigator Award are among the biggest of their kind anywhere in Australia. The winner receives the $10,000 The Hon. Carolyn Pickles Award, and for the first time this year both of the runners up will receive $3000 each.

"It's clear from previous awards that there is a lot of talent in South Australia among our early career researchers," said Dr Andrea Averis, Chairperson of the YIA 2008 organising committee and Director, Research Administration for the Children, Youth and Women's Health Service.

"Excellent, world-class science is being conducted by Honours, Masters and PhD students every day. This award helps to recognise the quality of their science and also their ability to demonstrate to the community why that science is important," she said.

University of Adelaide Obstetrics & Gynaecology PhD student Cadence Minge was last year's winner of the Young Investigator Award.

The Award is an initiative of the Children, Youth and Women's Health Service and the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide. The University of South Australia and Flinders University are also partners in the Award together with the Women's and Children's Health Research Institute and the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation.

Entries close on 18 July.

Researchers working in the field of women's and children's health are urged to apply.

For more information and eligibility, visit the website: www.cywhs.sa.gov.au/yia/