Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This award recognizes the significant and impactful contributions that Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Louise Forsyth, Glenis Joyce, Audrey Kobayashi, Shree Mulay, Susan Prentice, Michèle Ollivier and Wendy Robbins have made to increase the level of equity in the CRCP and Canada’s research ecosystem more broadly, by way of their 2003 Canadian Human Rights complaints and their concerted efforts in the mediation processes, which led to both the 2006 Settlement Agreement and its addendum in 2019.

Three awards valued at $100,000 are conferred annually through a peer review process led by the program’s Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO THE 2023 COMPETITION

See the program webpage for more details:

• Nominations are limited to initiatives that help identify and/or address systemic barriers within the nominating institution and, by extension, the research ecosystem

• Research projects in EDI-focused disciplines will not be accepted.

• The section on award funds was updated to clarify eligible expenses.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

To be eligible for nomination, the faculty member(s) must:

• be eligible to receive grant funding from the agencies;

• be holding a full-time academic appointment at the institution at the time of nomination and for the duration of the award (adjunct professors are not eligible); and

• be in good standing with CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC (e.g., they cannot have eligibility limits placed on them due to not meeting grant reporting requirements for the CRCP or have sanctions in place tied to the agencies’ responsible conduct of research policy).

Institutional administrators who are eligible to hold grant funding from the agencies are also eligible to be nominated.

INTERNAL COMPETITION & LIMITED SUBMISSION PROCESS

Each institution may submit only one nomination each year. All those who meet the eligibility guidelines noted above are encouraged to submit an internal proposal for consideration for nomination. There is no limit on the number of internal submissions from any department or faculty. One proposed project/initiative will be chosen to advance to the agency.

There is a mandatory two-stage internal process to participate in this competition, administered by Institutional Strategic Awards. The faculty member leading the proposal must: 

By August 21, 2023: Submit an Expression of Interest form to awards@sfu.ca. This form includes a project summary and rationale, which will be posted on a restricted webpage for input from the SFU community during the feedback period (closes September 8). The aim is to gather diverse perspectives and insights from the community to refine and enhance proposals and ensure alignment with SFU's equity needs and aspirations.

By September 25, 2023: Submit the Proposal form to awards@sfu.ca. This form collects detailed information about the proposed project/initiative, including a budget and evidence of the faculty member(s) leadership and commitment to equity. The Proposal Form, Expression of Interest form, and consolidated feedback from the SFU community will undergo review by the internal selection committee. Applicants will be notified of the committee's decision within one to two weeks on which proposal will advance to the agency.

The selection committee, consisting of faculty, staff, and student representatives with research and equity expertise, will evaluate proposals based on agency criteria and consider the feedback received from the SFU community. They will recommend to the Vice-President, Research and International the proposal with the highest potential to advance equity at SFU, which will be submitted to the agency by November 7, 2023.  The committee's diverse backgrounds and expertise will ensure a thorough assessment that considers both the proposal's quality and alignment with institutional goals.