Call for Nominations – Royal Society of Canada Fellows and Members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

From: Professor Ted Sargent, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives
Date: Sept 23, 2021
Re: Call for Nominations – Royal Society of Canada Fellows and Members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

The Royal Society of Canada has opened nominations for the 2022 class of Fellows and Members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. I encourage you to share this information widely and consider supporting nominations of eligible candidates for these significant national honours, taking into account principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in your identification of nominees.

Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) comprises the Academies of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science, and the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. The RSC recognizes excellence, advises the government and larger society on current issues, and promotes a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada and with other national academies around the world.

RSC Fellowship is a lifetime recognition that recognizes exceptional intellectual achievements that have been demonstrated through a body of publications, intellectual endeavours or creative activities exhibiting original contributions in the arts, humanities, social sciences, or sciences. Nominees must have been Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada for at least three years at the time of their nomination.

The RSC College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists enables the participation of early- and mid-career faculty in the activities of the Royal Society of Canada for seven-year terms. Members of the College are Canadians and Permanent Residents who, at an early stage of their career, have demonstrated a high level of achievement. Candidates must be within 15 years of the conferral of their PhD or equivalent qualification, or within up to 18 years with eligible career interruptions.

Nomination Process

Nominations for Fellowship and College Membership may be submitted annually by RSC Fellows by the December 1 deadline; current College Members may also nominate new members to the College. The RSC’s website hosts a Member Database listing all RSC Fellows and College Members, including over 250 who are current faculty at the University of Toronto.

Detailed guidelines and instructions for Fellow Nominations and College Nominations are available on the Royal Society of Canada’s website. Honours and awards coordinators within our academic divisions may also provide additional guidance and support for nominations.

While the nomination guidelines indicate that Institutional Members of the RSC such as the University of Toronto are permitted to nominate directly, the University does not lead nominations except in exceptional circumstances. Peer nominations are strongly preferred and encouraged given the strength of our extensive community of Fellows and College Members.

Further Resources

The Centre for Research and Innovation Support (CRIS) will host a virtual Lunch and Learn session on RSC Fellowship and College nominations on Tuesday, October 19 from 12:00 – 1:30pm, featuring the RSC’s Membership and Awards Officer, Christopher Dragan, as well as a faculty panel discussing nomination strategies. Registration will be available on the CRIS Featured Events website.

Nominators or nominees interested in the College can also explore a recorded webinar, slides and Q&A page hosted by CRIS on the topic of “Preparing Your Nomination: RSC College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists,” which was presented in October 2020 and includes insight into the evaluation process for College Membership.

The RSC will host an online Workshop on RSC Nomination Dossiers for prospective nominators on Tuesday, November 16, from 12:00 – 1:30pm as part of its annual Celebration of Excellence and Engagement (COEE) for Fellows and College Members. Nominators and support staff may register for this session by completing the COEE registration form and choosing “Individual Event Selection > Workshop on RSC Nomination Dossiers.”