The University of Guelph has created two new internal awards to recognize research excellence and innovation. The inaugural recipients of U of G’s Research Excellence Awards and Research Leadership Chairs were announced this week. Created by the Office of Research and the Office of the Provost, the awards will be made annually. “The awards recognize both researchers who are embarking on stellar careers and those whose research successes already set them apart from their colleagues in their disciplines globally,” said Malcolm Campbell, vice-president (research).
Research Excellence awards are a one-time, $5,000 award. Early career faculty who are one to two years post-tenure are eligible. Research Leadership Chairs are for well-established faculty who have demonstrated research excellence. The $15,000 awards are for three years, with a possible extension to five years. “The recipients in this first round represent the diversity, depth and breadth of our researchers across campus,” said Charlotte Yates, provost and vice-president (academic).
Award winners will present their work to U of G and the wider Guelph community through special research events. Each of U of G’s seven colleges will be eligible for one Research Excellence Award recipient and up to two Research Leadership Chairs. Recipients are nominated and selected by their respective colleges. Awards are based on scholarly output, research-related knowledge mobilization, research-derived innovation and training of highly qualified personnel.
The inaugural awardees are:
Research Excellence Awards
- Sarah Adamowicz, Integrative Biology
- Amanda Boetzkes, Fine Art and Music
- Alexandros Gezerlis, Physics
- Thomas Koch, Biomedical Sciences
- Meghan McMurtry, Psychology
- Paul Spagnuolo, Food Science
Research Leadership Chairs
- Emma Allen-Vercoe, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Prof. Thomas Koch - Stephen Henighan, Languages and Literatures
- David Ma, Human Health and Nutritional Sciences
- David MacDonald, Political Science
- Ed McBean, Engineering
- Amar Mohanty, Plant Agriculture
- Shayan Sharif, Pathobiology
- Alfons Weersink, Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Additional recipients will be announced later this year.