[Archived] University of Toronto Scarborough Pre-Tenure Faculty Research Awards

UTSC Research Recognitions have been updated as of Fall 2023. Please refer here for current internal awards opportunities.


Download Terms of Reference

  1. Purpose:

The purpose of the UTSC Pre-Tenure Research Awards is to recognize and encourage the outstanding research activities and achievements of early career faculty at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

  1. Awards and Conditions:
  2. Up to three awards will be available annually.
  3. One award will be available in each of the following categories: sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
  4. Nominations will be open to tenure-stream professorial faculty with a primary appointment at UTSC, after their mid-tenure review at UTSC and prior to the notification of their upcoming tenure review.
  5. Each awardee will receive $2,500 to be used toward the costs of his/her research program. For example, these funds can be used for travel, personnel, equipment or other costs associated with scholarly activity.
  6. Award terms will be for a one year period from July 1st to June 30th.
  7. The award is not renewable.
  8. Awardees will deliver a public lecture arranged by the Office of the Vice Principal Research.

 

  1. Nomination Process:
  2. Nominations should normally be made by Department Chairs/Centre Directors.
  3. Each academic unit may nominate one faculty member per year.
  4. Nomination packages should include clear evidence of the nominee’s outstanding research activities and career achievements.
  5. In accordance with the University’s policies on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), nominators are encouraged to consider individuals from underrepresented groups.

 

The nomination package is to include:

  1. A Nomination letter not to exceed two pages in length that details the reasons for the nomination in clear non-specialist language for an interdisciplinary selection committee. The letter should contextualize the nominee’s research achievements and record within disciplinary norms of excellence to help enable all members of the Selection Committee to effectively evaluate nominations involving fields outside of their specific disciplinary expertise. The nomination letter will indicate one of the three award categories (sciences, social sciences, humanities) for which the nominee should be considered. A faculty member’s research agenda, not their department would determine whether they will be nominated for a sciences, social sciences or humanities award. 
  2. The nominee’s complete up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV), including a comprehensive list of the nominee’s education, training, research funding, and awards & honours received. If applicable, it is encouraged that the nominee’s CV include a section detailing any circumstances that have affected their productivity. EDI considerations are encouraged to be highlighted by nominee’s in their CV.
  3. A maximum 500 word summary highlighting the nominee’s key achievements. This summary will be used for public announcements of award recipients.

 

COVID-19 Research Impact Statement:

We recognize that COVID-19 may have adversely affected faculty member research activities, and accordingly invite applicants to provide a brief statement on the impact of the pandemic in this regard (no more than 100 words) if applicable. This information will be shared with the award adjudication committee.

 

Selection Criteria:

The following selection criteria are to be used in the evaluation of nominations:

  1. Outstanding achievements demonstrated during the nominees research training at the graduate and/or post-doctoral level.
  2. Excellence of the nominee’s ongoing research activities.
  3. The nominee’s achievements in attracting research funding.
  4. The nominee’s involvement in the research training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) and undergraduate students.
  5. Recognition of the nominee as demonstrated by previously received honours and awards.
  6. Involvement of the nominee in the promotion of research.
  7. When assessing the nominations, reviewers should be attentive to EDI considerations and to the impact of any identified circumstances that have affected a nominee’s productivity.

 

Selection Process:

A Selection Committee composed of UTSC Research Advisory Board members, with the Vice-Principal Research & Innovation (VPRI) as the Chair of the Committee, will meet to evaluate and select the awardees each year.

 

Submitting a Nomination:

The nomination deadline is February 1st at 11:59PM. Late submissions will not be accepted. [If Febuary 1 falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, nominations will be accepted until 11:59PM the next business day.]

Nomination packages are to be submitted as a single consolidated PDF document by email to the Office of the Vice Principal Research & Innovation (OVPRI) at researchoffice.utsc@utoronto.ca, with the Subject: “UTSC Pre-Tenure Research Awards”. The following file naming convention should be used:

NomineeLastNameFirstInitial_UTSCPreTenureAward.pdf.  Incomplete nomination dossiers, or dossiers not in this PDF format will be returned.

Questions about this award should be sent to researchoffice.utsc@utoronto.ca with the Subject “UTSC Pre-Tenure Research Awards”.