A highlight of the event was hearing from several Queen’s researchers on the impact of their awards in advancing their research, recognizing the contributions of their labs and students, and the personal meaning of these achievements for them and their families. Speakers included Rachel Baker (Chemical Engineering), Bhavin Shastri (Physics, Engineering Physics, and Astronomy), Yan-Fei Liu (Electrical and Computing Engineering), and John Smol (Biology). While at varying stages of their research careers, the speakers' resounding message was the importance of allowing curiosity to inspire one's research focus and creating positive impact as the driving motivations. 

On the importance of recognizing these achievements, Vice-Principal (Research) Nancy Ross said, “prizes and awards benefits ripple across the university in attracting undergraduate and graduate students and building profile for the entire institution.” She also further emphasized the contributions of the community in advancing such groundbreaking research, saying, “we are fortunate to have exceptional research leaders who open up so many opportunities for others and who work tirelessly to advance their fields, solve pressing problems, and inspire the next generation.”

The event was also an opportunity to highlight the critical role research administration has in supporting leading research. Vice-Principal Ross explained, “we have outstanding support in place for our researchers applying for prizes and awards, from identifying the right opportunities, to interpreting complex guidelines, to developing competitive nomination packages and collecting support letters.”

To learn more about the recent honours and achievements of the Queen’s research community and about administrative support in applying for prizes and awards, visit the Vice-Principal (Research) website.