Honours, Prizes, Awards and Distinctions (HPAD) Program

Brock’s commitment to excellence in research and knowledge mobilization drives the strategic priorities of the HPAD Program.

HPAD Program has been established to promote research excellence and the enhancement of the institution’s visibility and reputation provincially, nationally, and internationally.

What we do:

  • build an HPAD Program awareness through open and ongoing communications, conversations, and celebrations
  • support and showcase research excellence at Brock University
  • drive the growth of successful faculty HPAD nominations
  • raise the reputation of Brock researchers and Brock University locally, nationally, and internationally

Our work would not be possible without the support of Deans and Associate Deans, Research; Departments and Faculties; University Marketing and Communications; The Brock News, Research Enterprise, and Global Excellence Initiative.

If you are Brock faculty or staff seeking HPAD support, please log into the internal Research Enterprise website. There you will find news and information on HPAD opportunities as well as nomination forms, guidelines, and other relevant documents, resources, and procedures. To keep up with upcoming HPAD opportunities and news, sign up for Brock Research Enterprise Alerts (BREA), a Research Enterprise bi-weekly e-bulletin. To sign up, please send an e-mail to: [email protected] .

Key areas of service

1. HPAD inventory

An inventory of prestigious national and international research awards is updated regularly, complete with important information about the nomination process and award deadlines, and hosted in the Office of the Vice-President, Research.

2. Knowledge sharing

Through hosting and facilitating presentations to departments and faculties, meeting with nominees and nominators, and sharing call for nominations and relevant resources via BREA and group and individual emails, the Office of the Vice-President, Research supports researchers in the nomination process.

3. Nominee engagement

In collaboration with Deans, Associate Deans, Research, Departments, Faculties, and individual researchers, the Office of the Vice-President, Research identifies potential nominees for national and international awards and communicates with the candidate to start the nomination process.

4. Internal and external review

Building on the known strengths of peer review, the internal review of nominations for national and international HPAD opportunities allows for constructive feedback from experts in the field, with the aim of strengthening the nomination dossier and increasing chances of success. Potential reviewers are selected from a pool of Brock subject matter-experts and high-profile individuals who have been successful in obtaining national and international awards and prizes. The external review of draft nomination packages is coordinated through the Global Excellence Initiative for the awards included in the GEI Awards Inventory.

5. Internal awards and recognitions

The HPAD Program oversees and coordinates submission and adjudication of Brock University’s campus-wide awards recognizing our outstanding researchers.

Early Career Research and Creative Activity Award

Open to BUFA members who are Early Career Researchers and recognizes research excellence, contribution to the training of future researchers, and strong performance in attracting external funding, as appropriate for the nominee’s career stage.

Value: $5,000.

For more information, the syllabus, and deadlines please visit our Internal SharePoint ECRCA site.

Previous award winners:

Distinguished Research and Creative Activity Award

Recognizes BUFA members who have held an appointment for more than 5 years, whose distinguished research or creative activity (appropriate to the nominee’s discipline and faculty) demonstrates outstanding research achievements, contributions to the training of future researchers, and strong scholarly or creative performance.

Value: $10,000.

For more information, the syllabus, and deadlines please visit our Internal SharePoint DRCA site.

Previous award winners: 

Chancellor’s Chair for Research Excellence

Intended to encourage and sustain high levels of scholarly performance for BUFA members who have made, or will make, exceptional contributions in their field. The awardee will undertake a defined, three-year program of research or creative work that will lead to a significant development in scholarship (e.g., a scholarly monograph or a state-of-the-art review that may lead to a seminal series of scholarly lectures).

Value: $20,000 per year for 3 years.

For more information, the syllabus, and deadlines please visit our Internal SharePoint CCRE site.

Previous chairholders: 

6. Recognition and celebration

The HPAD recipients are profiled in a Research Enterprise annual report. The report is distributed widely among Brock researchers. The Office of the Vice-President, Research provides opportunities for research recognition through a variety of methods, such as hosting an annual research celebration.

To express your interest in nominating a colleague or in being nominated for an HPAD opportunity, please complete Generic HPAD Expression of Interest Form.

For more information about HPAD opportunities, please contact Snežana Obradović-Ratković, Research Awards Program Facilitator.