Sponsor

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Description

The NSERC Donna Strickland Prize for Societal Impact of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research is awarded annually to an individual or team whose outstanding research, conducted in Canada in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE), has led to exceptional benefits for Canadian society, environment and/or economy.

Exceptional benefits can be demonstrated in one or more interacting spheres of Canadian life. Examples include:

• improvements to specific procedures in society (e.g., laws, regulations, protocols)
• stimulation of new approaches to social issues
• improvements to quality of life
• informing public debate
• improvements to policy making
• reduction of waste and pollution
• protection of species
• reduction of the impact of pollutants on ecosystems and humans
• improvements in the sustainable use of resources
• protection of ecosystems
• reduction in the impacts of climate change
• contributions to economic growth and wealth creation
• introduction of a disruptive technology
• creation of a new industrial sector

Eligibility

All researchers in the NSE, regardless of their career stage, can be nominated for this award for their research conducted in Canada. The outstanding research that led to the exceptional benefits described in the nomination must have been supported, at least partially, by NSERC, and the research must be primarily in the NSE. Self-nominations will not be accepted, and current NSERC Council members are not eligible for nomination.

In order to be nominated as an individual, you must hold an NSERC research grant.

In order to be nominated as a team, at least one of your team members must hold an NSERC research grant. The majority of your team members must be employed at a Canadian university, Canadian federal or provincial government lab, or private firm active in Canada.

Prize

If your nomination is successful, you will receive a $250,000 research grant, paid in installments in April of each year for five years. Grant funds should support continued research and knowledge dissemination.

Special Notes

Please note that research activities carried out in the context of COVID-19 need to adhere to the University of Guelph COVID-19 research principles, policies, guidelines and processes as they may be updated from time to time and communicated on the Office of Research web-page [1]. 

How to Apply

The Vice-President (Research) encourages nominations for this prestigious award, and will serve as nominator for those nominees recommended by the Honours and Awards Advisory Committee. If you wish to nominate a colleague or to be considered for VPR nomination:

1. We recommend discussing your interest in this award with your College Research Manager and Associate Dean (Research).
2. Complete the Expression of Interest document [2]. 
3. Send the completed Expression of Interest document and a CV to research.honours@uoguelph.ca [3] and copy your College Research Manager by the internal deadline.

Career interruptions due to parental leave, family care, extended illness, or community responsibilities will not negatively impact the committee’s assessment of a candidate’s research productivity. These will be taken into consideration when EOIs are assessed.

If your nomination will be submitted by a nominator other than the VPR, please submit the nomination directly to the sponsor by the external deadline. Please also submit a copy of the full nomination and OR-5 to research.services@uoguelph.ca [4].

For More Information

For more information, contact research.honours@uoguelph.ca [3] or see the NSERC Donna Strickland Prize website [5].