Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) recognizes individuals who exceptionally contribute to the fields of science policy and youth who show innovative evidence-based policy that positively impacts Canadians.
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 (info@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.
2022 – Lifetime Achievement Award Winner:
Sheila Watt-Cloutier
Citizen Advocate on Environmental, Cultural and Human Rights
Sheila Watt-Cloutier has been selected as a result of so many years of exceptional contribution and leadership over the course of her career in bringing Indigenous perspectives and knowledge to national and international policymaking, in particular on environmental health, sustainability and preservation.
She has raised awareness of the threat of climate change in the Arctic and its relationship to human rights and Indigenous rights in Canada, and globally, She has been clearly articulating the interconnectedness of Inuit culture, the environment, the economy, foreign policy, global health, and sustainability. Her work with the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment integrated traditional and western knowledge and evidence, bringing a human face to climate change in the Arctic. She has inspired the science policy community across Canada with her insights, courage, and voice.
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 (info@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 Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated novelty and creativity through leadership, vision, courage, and commitment, and positively and significantly impacted the Canadian Science, Technology and Innovation ecosystem. These individuals have been instrumental in boldly spearheading change via one or more transformative initiatives, while blazing a trail and inspiring others to follow.
CSPC 2023 will present three Trailblazer Awards, one in each of the categories of Policy for Science, Science for Policy and Innovation Policy.
CSPC encourages nominations from all disciplines of policy and sciences (social and human sciences, mathematical, physical and life sciences, engineering and technology) and from all sectors (governments at all levels, academia, private and nonprofit sectors, media, and others). Please note that technological or scientific discoveries or inventions are not considered for this award.
2022 – Trailblazer Award Winner
Category: Innovation Policy
Dr. Elicia Maine
Associate Vice-President, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation, Simon Fraser University
Dr. Elicia Maine, Associate Vice-President, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation at Simon Fraser University, was selected for her work on the i2I program, which was tailor-made to mobilize university research, teach science and technology commercialization, and develop an entrepreneurial mindset in graduate scientists and engineers. Dr. Maine recognized key gaps in our Canadian science innovation ecosystem: Canadian STEM researchers being underutilized, Canadian science breakthroughs being underdeveloped and scientists needing additional support to translate discoveries into value-creating products and companies. This program nurtures a pipeline of talent within the wider Canadian innovation ecosystem and is recognized globally because of its distinct approach to unleashing the innovation potential of STEM researchers.
2022 – Trailblazer Award Winner
Category: Science for Policy
Dr. Gregory J. Smallwood
Principal Research Officer, National Research Council of Canada
Dr. Gregory J. Smallwood, Principal Research Officer at the National Research Council of Canada, was selected for his work on international climate change-related policy, which comes at a critical time in efforts to achieve global policy agreements to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. His science-to-policy advocacy has had a dramatically positive impact on reducing global transportation-related black carbon and other nvPM that are key drivers of climate change and adverse health effects. In particular, his sustained and creative policy advocacy has resulted in one of the most significant changes to global aircraft engine emission standards since the 1980s.
2022 – Trailblazer Award Winner
Category: Policy for Science
Dr. Imogen Coe
Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
Dr. Imogen Coe, Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University, was selected for her work on integrating the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into the research ecosystem of STEM including into the policies and practices of funding agencies and government, and into the workplaces of commerce and industry where scientific knowledge may be generated or applied. Long before EDI became street-talk within government and academia, she recognized a problem endemic to science. She has had significant influence on where, when, and how EDI has been – and is being – integrated into policy developed by government, funding agencies, scholarly societies, post-secondary institutions, health-care entities, and commercial and not-for-profit enterprises. Imogen Coe has inspired a generation with her championship work on EDI.
2021 – Trailblazer Award Winner
Category: Innovation Policy
Josephine Etowa
Professor, University of Ottawa
Senior Investigator, Centre for Research on Health and Nursing
2021 – Trailblazer Award Winner
Category: Science Policy
Yann Joly
Research Director, Centre of Genomics and Policy
The CSPC Trailblazer Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated novelty and creativity through leadership, vision, courage, and commitment, and positively and significantly impacted the Canadian Science, Technology and Innovation ecosystem. These individuals have been instrumental in boldly spearheading change via one or more transformative initiatives, while blazing a trail and inspiring others to follow.
CSPC 2023 will present three Trailblazer Awards, one in each of the categories of Policy for Science, Science for Policy and Innovation Policy.
CSPC encourages nominations from all disciplines of policy and sciences (social and human sciences, mathematical, physical and life sciences, engineering and technology) and from all sectors (governments at all levels, academia, private and nonprofit sectors, media, and others). Please note that technological or scientific discoveries or inventions are not considered for this award.
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.
Featured Applicants:
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
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
2020 – Winner: Hannah Harrison
Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Geography, Environment & Geomatics, University of Guelph
Topic: Improving seafood direct-marketing for Canadian economic resilience and food security
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
