CIHR, SSHRC and NSERC are pleased to launch the inaugural Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity. The award was created to fund bold and potentially game-changing projects that will challenge the status quo, spark change and take action to address persistent systemic barriers in the research ecosystem and academic.

The award provides a total of $100,000 over one year for a faculty member or a team of faculty members to fund the implementation of bold and potentially game-changing research:

• that contributes to the understanding of the persistence of systemic barriers in the nominating institution and/or the research system and academia more broadly;
• identifies innovative measures that could be implemented to change the status quo and break down those barriers in the long term.

Up to three awards will be presented across Canada’s post-secondary sector for 2022. Eligibility criteria, descriptions of the assessment process, selection criteria, and requirements for the nomination package are included on the award’s website. Each institution can submit up to one nominee.

An internal call for Brock nominations is now open. Nominations from Brock faculty members and librarians should include the following elements, which are modeled on the external nomination guidelines on the award’s website.

a) Description of the proposed project (2 pages maximum)

The project description must be developed by the nominee(s) and must include:

• a description of the proposed project that shows how it is bold and potentially game-changing;
• some expected impacts/outcomes, in terms of changing the status quo and sparking change towards a more equitable institution and/or research or academic ecosystem;
• who will be involved in helping implement the project (e.g., faculty, students, administrators) and their anticipated roles;
• how engagement with individuals from underrepresented groups (racialized minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, women, individuals from the LGBTQ2+ communities) will be conducted to help inform the work; and
• how best practices in equity, including intersectionality, will be applied within the project

b) Budget (1 page maximum)

Provide a one-year budget for the initiative that clearly shows how the $100,000 award will be used to meet the objectives stated in the project description. A clearly articulated connection between the anticipated project expenses and the project outcomes is essential.

For both (a) and (b), please ensure text is single-spaced, with a maximum of six lines per inch. Avoid jargon, acronyms and highly technical terms, where possible.

Team nominations are also welcome, but do not affect the length limits. Please provide the names, position titles, and anticipated project roles of all team members in a separate appendix.

Nominations and completed nomination packages are due by email to provost@brocku.ca by 5 PM on Friday, May 13, 2022. Nominations will be reviewed by a committee chaired by the Provost in order to identify the internal nominee. While Brock may only submit one external nomination, the Offices of the Provost and the Vice-President, Research, will provide partial project funding for up to three top internal nominations.

Any questions about the award of the selection process can be sent to provost@brocku.ca.