Congratulations to NEON Programme Co-ordinator, Stefan Rennick-Egglestone who has received a 'special commendation' in the 2021 UK Trial Manager of the Year Awards.

The UK Trial Manager Network remarked: "This commendation, on behalf of the UKTMN Executive Group (who reviewed the nominations), has been awarded to you for your outstanding contribution to the trials you are involved in and the level at which you go above and beyond expectation within your day-to-day duties. The information provided in your nomination shows how much your hard-work and dedication means to those around you."

Stefan is a member of the Recovery Research Team and is responsible for the NEON study, which is exploring whether online recovery narratives are helpful for people with mental health problems: "I'm truly happy to have received a 'special commendation' and grateful to you all for the work that went into my nomination. It's been a joy working with the NEON team and everyone at the IMH, and I hope it will continue many years into the future."

The award nomination was made by Professor Mike Slade, Principal Investigator for the NEON Programme Grant and lead for the Research Recovery Team: “In my experience of line managing many trial managers, Stef has consistently performed at a level beyond the normal expectations of this role. Stef has exceptional interpersonal skills and impressive organisational skills, and his collaborative values have meant that co-production has been central within NEON. People with lived experience of mental health issues are members of the research team and all advisory boards, and their role has included decision-making about narrative inclusion, design and data analysis input, and leadership/co-authorship of publications. I nominated Stef because he is a truly exceptional and talented Trial Manager, who is also a pleasure to work with.”

Stefan has become a familiar and friendly-face at the Institute in recent years, and it's no surprise that his colleagues nominated him. Fellow researcher Caroline Yeo had this to say about his award: “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with Stefan Rennick-Egglestone on the NEON study. He is a very hardworking, conscientious and thoughtful manager who has been a great support to me as a survivor researcher and person with lived experience of mental distress.”

Congratulations from all of us at the Institute of Mental Health.