
Watch CSPC 2021 Award Ceremony



2021 – Science Policy Youth Award Winner: Shaarika Sarasija
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Ottawa
Topic: Step up: Finding respite care for persons living with dementia among students of Canadian health professions
The CSPC Science Policy Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to science policy, and throughout their career have championed and inspired the science policy community in Canada. This award recognizes the work of individuals who have worked in science policy over a period of many years and made a deep impact in Canadian science policy.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is nominated and selected by the CSPC Board of Directors. CSPC encourages all individuals and/or organizations to forward names of any persons who they believe might deserve to be nominated for this award to CSPC (awards.prix@sciencepolicy.ca). The CSPC is committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and encourages individuals from all groups to apply. An individual may win the CSPC award only once.


The CSPC Trailblazer Awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated novelty and creativity through leadership, vision, courage, and commitment to the overall advancement of the science and innovation policy ecosystem. These individuals have been instrumental in the Canadian policy ecosystem by boldly spearheading change via one or more transformative initiatives, all while blazing a trail and inspiring others to follow. CSPC 2021 presented two Trailblazer Awards, one in each of the categories of Science Policy and Innovation Policy.
CSPC understands Science Policy to be inclusive of both science for policy and policy for science; and Innovation Policy to encompass all policies governing the innovation ecosystem, including social innovation.
CSPC encourages nominations from all disciplines of science (natural sciences and engineering, social and human sciences, and health sciences) and from all sectors (governments at all levels, academia, private and nonprofit sectors, media, and others).



This award recognizes a young individual (student, postdoctoral fellow, researcher, entrepreneur, etc.) under the age of 35 who proposes an innovative and compelling evidence-based policy that will make a positive difference to Canadians. This award is designed not only to highlight innovative, evidence-driven policy ideas by policy students and young professionals, but also to encourage young people not currently studying, or working on, public policy to share their policy ideas.
Eligible recipients include all young Canadian residents under 35, regardless of their field of study or work.

2021 – Winner: Shaarika Sarasija
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Ottawa
Topic: Step up: Finding respite care for persons living with dementia among students of Canadian health professions
Runners up:
- Taylor Reidlinger – A Call to Modernize Canadian Fisheries Policy: for Better Community Well-being, Food Security, Climate Resilience, and Economic Prosperity
- Hannah Rahim – The need for community-driven phenomenological research to address the suicide crisis among Indigenous peoples in Canada



