Speaker Research Medal application guidelines

Nominate your favourite researcher!

The Office of the Vice-President (Research) is soliciting nominations for the 2025 Speaker Research Medal competition. Applications should be submitted electronically, with the subject “Speaker Research Medal” to ORIS (oris@uleth.ca) by January 31, 2025. After this date, incomplete applications will not be considered. If letters of support are submitted in hard copy, please send to the Office of Research and Innovation Services to the attention of Penny Pickles.

Established in 1994, The Speaker Medal for Distinguished Research, Scholarship or Performance (Speaker Medal) recognizes the central importance of research, scholarship and performance to the philosophy and goals of the University of Lethbridge and provides recognition to those members of the academic staff who excel in these areas.

Eligibility

The award is open to all full and part-time members of the academic staff (faculty, instructors, and professional librarians) currently employed at the University of Lethbridge, or in the case of retired academic staff members, to those who have a contract agreement with the University.

Nominees must have demonstrated their leadership not only as outstanding researchers but also notable contributors to the University of Lethbridge’s intellectual community. Examples include:

• Leading a collaborative research program or a research centre/institute.
• Building linkages with other institutions, such as academic institutions, government agencies and departments, and/or associations and foundations.
• Mentoring students and colleagues.
• Securing external research funding.
• Making the University of Lethbridge a more innovative research institution.

Evaluation criteria

The Speaker Research Medal is made based on excellence in the broadest sense. The adjudication committee will review the nomination packages based on outstanding performance in the following areas: 

• The quality of the nominee’s research and its contribution to new knowledge and/or advancement of the disciplinary boundaries.
• The impact of the nominee’s research on the related discipline or field of study and/or practice. 
• The distinction which the research has brought to The University of Lethbridge. The nominee should have an international reputation for research excellence and have made a significant contribution to the University’s research culture and reputation.

Note: "research" is being used as an overarching term to describe the activities of research, scholarship, and performance. 

There is prescribed weighting of the criteria.

Nomination procedures

Nominations of a member of the academic staff (faculty, and professional librarians) may be made by any member of the university community. The permission of the nominee should be obtained prior to making the nomination.

A nomination dossier consists of the following components: 

• Nomination form

  Document

  speaker_research_medal_form.docx

• Letter of nomination (max 3 pages). The letter should introduce the nominee and provide a concise overview on how the nominee meets or exceeds the award criteria. It should not be a summary of the nominee’s CV but rather highlight the originality, significance, and impact of the nominee’s contributions to research, scholarship, and creative activity in their field. Impact can include, but is not limited to, advancing discovery and knowledge; fostering community engagement; addressing socio-economic or environmental needs; or contributing to increased equity, diversity, and inclusion in research. 
• A statement from the nominee (max 2 pages). It should outline their: 
  • contributions to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion and decolonization at the University of Lethbridge and beyond through their leadership and/or research contributions. 
  • contributions to the training of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
• A current curriculum vitae in a format used by one of the Tri-Agencies. 

The following items should be sent directly to the Office of Research and Innovation Services:

• Two letters of support from experts in field who can provide a comprehensive and unbiased critical review of the nominee’s research, scholarship, or performance relative to the evaluation criteria. At least one letter must be external to the University and not have a conflict of interest (as defined by the Tri-Agencies). 
• A letter of support from a student or postdoctoral trainee. The student/trainee may be a current or former student/trainee of the University of Lethbridge, but the nominee must be (or was) their primary supervisor for research experience (i.e., independent studies, applied studies, undergraduate research assistant, graduate studies, postdoctoral training).

All nomination materials should be submitted to the Office of Research and Innovation Services.

Selection Committee

Members of the Selection Committee are appointed by the Faculties/Student organizations and normally shall consist of:

To provide continuity, members are initially assigned to either a: one-, two-, or three-year terms which is staggered.

Committee action following nomination

Nomination materials are retained for a period of two years from the date of receipt and are included in all deliberations during that two-year-period. Thus, once nominated, a member of the academic staff is automatically considered for an award in each of two years provided that the member retains a position at the University. Additional materials may be submitted by the nominee at any time during the two-year period.

Further, the Committee will invite nominators, if they choose, to replace a previous year's original nomination package if additional information has since become available that strengthens the nominee's case.

Finally, the Committee carefully reviews each nomination in respect to the Medal criteria and through a fair process, selects the recipient. Only one recipient is awarded per year.