Research Awards
Awards, Prizes and Fellowships
Our role is to highlight opportunities for international scholars to work with TRU faculty and students and to assist TRU faculty to gain recognition for their excellence in research through the receipt of internal and external prestigious awards, prizes and honours. Please contact the research office for assistance before proceeding with any nominations.
External Awards
Fulbright Canada
Deadline: September 15
Thompson Rivers University signed a memorandum of understanding with Fulbright Canada to establish an annual visiting research chair position. The Fulbright Chair will bring leading United States scholars, scientists, practitioners and leaders to TRU to build new synergies and research partnerships with Canadian colleagues. Each year, under the terms of the agreement, TRU will host a leading US scholar to work with TRU faculty and students in a research area important to the university and to the communities it serves.
Current opportunity: TRU is recruiting an Indigenous scholar to support TRU’s world-class research in wildfire management, climate change and Indigenous land-use practices. For more information, please visit Fulbright Canada.
Royal Society of Canada
The Awards nomination period is open from January 16 - March 31
As an institutional member of the Royal Society of Canada, Thompson Rivers University can apply for the over 20 prestigious awards in recognition of outstanding achievement. For more information, please visit Royal Society of Canada.
SSHRC Impact Awards
Deadline: April 1 annually
SSHRC Impact Awards are designed to build on and sustain Canada’s research-based knowledge culture in all research areas of the social sciences and humanities. The awards recognize outstanding researchers and celebrate their research achievements, research training, knowledge mobilization and outreach activities funded partially or entirely by SSHRC. For more information, please visit SSHRC Impact Awards.
NSERC Prizes
Deadline: Depends on the Prize
NSERC celebrates exceptional examples of research excellence with a wide range of prizes. Individual awards focus on accomplishments that range from innovative discoveries by young researchers to lifetime achievement and influence. For more information, please visit NSERC Prizes.
National Killam Program Awards
Deadline: June 6, 2024 for the Killam Prize and June 13, 2024 for the Dorothy Killam Fellowship
The Killam Prizes are awarded to active Canadian scholars who have distinguished themselves through sustained research excellence, making a significant impact in their respective fields in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. For more information, please visit Killam Program Awards.
Universities Canada Global Excellence Initiative
Deadline: Various
Launched in 2012 by former Governor General of Canada David Johnston, the Global Excellence Initiative promotes the recognition of Canadian research talent on the international stage by identifying and offering assistance to meritorious candidates for prestigious national and international awards. For more information and to access the Canadian and International inventories, please visit Global Excellence.
Internal Awards
Annual Merit Awards
Awards for Excellence in Research and Scholarship
Deadline: February 15
The Award for Excellence in Scholarship recognizes excellence in research, scholarly activity or the production of creative works over a sustained period of time that represents a significant contribution to the field of inquiry. Award winners will have a record of consistent dissemination of results, will have successfully competed for external funds, and share their enthusiasm for new knowledge creation through the supervision of students, development of new courses, programs, or teaching innovations, collaborations with other faculty members at TRU, and/or community partners.
Submit complete nomination package electronically to research@tru.ca
Distinguished Scholar Award (formerly TRU Master Scholar Award)
Deadline: February 15
This award recognizes the highest achievement in scholarship, achieved over a career. It recognizes TRU scholars:
- Whose research has had a significant impact,
- Who have an established international reputation of excellence in research, scholarship, invention or the production of creative works [referred to as “research”],
- Who have made a demonstrated and significant contribution toward the training of highly qualified people through the mentorship and supervision of undergraduate students, and graduate students if applicable, and
- Who have enhanced the reputation of TRU through their contribution to research.
Submit complete nomination package electronically to research@tru.ca
Annual Mentor Awards
Undergraduate Research Mentor Award
Deadline: February 15
This award recognizes demonstrated excellence in mentoring undergraduate researchers over a sustained period of time. This award:
- celebrates a faculty member who actively mentors undergraduates in research—someone who helps undergraduate students to explore, in quire and engage in new knowledge creation by providing meaningful guidance and support,
- Recognizes a continuous long-term commitment to undergraduate student research.
Submit complete nomination package electronically to research@tru.ca
Graduate Research Mentor Award
Deadline: February 15
This award recognizes demonstrated excellence mentoring graduate student researchers over a sustained period of time. This award is conferred upon a faculty member:
- who has mentored graduate students for more than three years,
- who demonstrates a continuous, long-term commitment to graduate student research, and
- who provides exemplary opportunities for graduate students to pursue independent research to the creation of new knowledge, ideas, and practices.
Submit complete nomination package electronically to research@tru.ca
