Cancer Australia's Call for nominations for the 2024 Jeannie Ferris Award has now closed. The Jeannie Ferris Award recognises individuals who have made outstanding contributions to improving outcomes for people with cancers in two categories:

  • Category 1 - Members of the community: those with personal experience of cancer, as a person with a diagnosis of cancer; or as a community member, family member, or carer who has been involved in the support and care of people with cancer.
  • Category 2 - Health professionals and researchers: researchers and health professionals of all disciplines involved in cancer research or clinical care, including (but not limited to) specialists, primary care practitioners, nursing and allied health professionals.

About the Award

Recognising excellence in improving equity of cancer outcomes

This Award is named in honour of the late Jeannie Ferris, former Senator for South Australia who was passionately committed to raising awareness about gynaecological cancer in Australia. Senator Ferris was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in October 2005 and passed away in April 2007.

The Jeannie Ferris Cancer Australia Recognition Award was established by Cancer Australia in 2013, to recognise outstanding contributions to improving outcomes for women with gynaecological cancers.

To mark the occasion of the 11th Anniversary of the Jeannie Ferris Cancer Australia Recognition Award, Cancer Australia has broadened the scope of the Award from 2024, to recognise and promote the value and efforts of consumers, health professional and researchers in improving equitable outcomes for all Australians affected by all cancers.

The new direction for the Award will align with the Australian Cancer Plan (the Plan) , launched by the Minister of Health and Aged Care in November 2023. The future-focused, ten-year Plan is a national framework to accelerate world class cancer outcomes and improve the lives of all Australians affected by cancer.