One of the roles of the Vice-Principal Research is coordinating the submission of award nominations for outstanding faculty. Awards include those offered through the tri-council granting agencies (NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR) as well as other academic institutions and councils. Many of these awards are associated with substantial amounts of money (normally intended for research) and all are associated with prestige. Certainly, it raises the profile of individuals, departments, and the university as a whole when faculty members are the recipients of such honours.
To be competitive for these larger prizes, it is important that faculty members first demonstrate their competitive ability at a disciplinary level. This includes recognition with research prizes, best paper awards, and invitations to give keynote addresses. Departmental involvement is often required to initiate and manage the process of achieving this recognition, and the VP Research Portfolio encourages department members to think carefully about which colleagues may be suitable nominees for disciplinary prizes, and discuss possibilities with all members of their departments.
Some research prize competitions solicit institutional nominations by invitation only. Others limit the number of nominations that may be put forward from the University. In these instances, the VP Research may assume or delegate responsibility for the coordination and preparation of nominations. Candidates will be nominated at the discretion of the VP Research. Advice from the research community regarding prospective candidates for closed competitions is welcome.
Many of Canada's most prestigious research prize and award programs utilize an open competition process, welcoming nominations from colleagues or the general public. Members of the Queen's community are encouraged to directly nominate deserving candidates for these competitions. However, the national profile of some of these programs is such that the VP Research may also elect to nominate outstanding Queen's candidates. The university does not limit the number of nominations put forward in open competitions.
The preparation of a strong nomination package takes time and energy, and the Vice-Principal Research Portfolio will provide advice on the preparation of nomination packages for any Queen's candidate. All nominations are treated as strictly confidential. For major international awards, an external review process is available through the Global Excellence Initiative.
For more information on the coordination of awards packages, please contact the Research Awards Officer.