Paediatrics has become one of the most competitive specialties in the UK. ST1 paediatrics had a competition ratio of 5.63 applicants per post in the 2025-26 round, with 2,780 applications for 476 places, up from 3.3 the year before. For anyone aiming to train in child health, demonstrating early and sustained commitment to the specialty now matters more than ever.
Prizology now lists paediatric prizes, awards, essay competitions, and bursaries in one place.
Paediatric opportunities in one place
Paediatric awards have historically been spread across the RCPCH, regional deaneries, specialty societies, and a long tail of charities and research foundations. We have brought these together so students and trainees can see what is available without trawling through individual society pages.
We have added dozens paediatric opportunities at launch, covering essay competitions, elective and travel bursaries, audit and quality improvement prizes, research grants, and specialty awards from subspecialty societies including neonatology, paediatric oncology, and community child health.
Why these prizes matter
Competition ratios tell one part of the story. The other part is what application panels are looking for, which is sustained evidence that a candidate has engaged with paediatrics beyond clinical placements. Essay prizes, audit awards, and research bursaries give that evidence in a form that translates directly to a CV and portfolio. They also give earlier exposure to the specialty, often through the kind of supervised projects that lead to publications, presentations, and contacts within the field.
For a medical student deciding whether paediatrics is the right fit, a society essay competition is a low-cost way to test that interest. For a foundation doctor preparing an ST1 application, a national prize or bursary is one of the clearer signals of commitment a panel can weigh.
Paediatrics has been one of our most requested specialties since we launched. The volume of requests reflected what the application numbers now confirm, which is that more students and junior doctors are seriously considering paediatrics and want a clearer view of what is available to support that decision.
You can browse paediatric opportunities on Prizology now or sign up for a free account to track deadlines and save the prizes you plan to apply for.