The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has released its call for nominations for the 2018 Impact Awards. I encourage you to share this information widely and consider preparing nominations of your colleagues.

The four awards are:

• Gold Medal ($100,000) for sustained leadership, dedication, and originality of thought;
• Insight Award ($50,000) for outstanding achievement arising from a research project funded partially or completely by SSHRC;
• Connection Award ($50,000) for an outstanding SSHRC-funded initiative to facilitate the flow and exchange of research knowledge within and/or beyond the academic community;
• Partnership Award ($50,000) recognizing a SSHRC-funded formal partnership for its outstanding achievement in advancing research, research training, or knowledge mobilization.

The University of Toronto may submit only one nomination for each of these awards. As such, I am establishing a small advisory committee of representatives from across the social sciences and humanities to review nominations and recommend the University’s 2018 nominees.

To submit a candidate for internal consideration, please contact your Divisional/Faculty awards coordinator and ensure submission to vpri.awards@utoronto.ca by Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The submission should contain the two-page internal nomination form for the relevant award and the candidate’s CV. Internal nomination forms for each of the four awards are available online.

Please note that Academic Divisions or Units may set their own internal deadlines and review processes. Accordingly, please consult with your Divisional/Faculty awards coordinator before submitting a nomination.

One candidate will be selected for each award, and my team will work with the Divisional offices to facilitate the development of the full nomination and ensure its submission to SSHRC by the deadline of March 6, 2018. Given that the sponsor’s deadline has been moved one month earlier in 2018, we anticipate that the final internal deadline for the full proposal will be mid-February.

For further information, please contact your Divisional/Faculty awards coordinator.

Please note that the Talent Award for outstanding achievement by an individual who holds a SSHRC doctoral or postdoctoral scholarship is administered by the School of Graduate Studies. For more information, please contact Mandy Fung at mandyws.fung@utoronto.ca.