Supporting McMaster’s participation in significant national and international prize competitions is an institutional priority. We encourage all of our researchers to apply for research distinctions or nominate a deserving colleague.

Nathan Coschi and Karen Espiritu are your contacts for nominations, and provide support for major prize competitions by:

• Reviewing the eligibility requirements and prize guidelines with anyone wanting to put forward a nomination package for a colleague, or those interested in applying for a prestigious competition
• Soliciting letters of reference and support on behalf of the nominator or applicant
• Arranging for application signatures and drafting institutional letters of support as required from the Vice-President, Research or from the President
• Editing draft nomination packages
• Reviewing nomination packages to ensure that all of the requirements have been met
• Facilitating the internal competition process for those honours and prizes that limit the number of institutional nominees
• Tracking the success of our faculty members and sharing their stories with both our internal and external communities.
• Developing a repository of successful McMaster University nomination packages and tips to help prepare strong nominations for major awards.
• Submitting nomination packages and applications online or by courier as required.

Internal Awards recognize the consistently outstanding scholarly and creative productivity of McMaster’s faculty. The University Scholar and Distinguished University Professor are bestowed on those who have achieved national or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within his or her discipline, and are administered by the Office of the Provost. The Senator William McMaster Chairs are awarded to individuals whose scholarship has put them in the upper echelon of academic achievement. Finally, the Petro-Canada-McMaster University Young Innovator Award celebrates the achievements of an outstanding faculty innovator and are administered by the McPherson Institute.

For more information or help facilitating a nomination, contact Prizes and Awards Specialists Nathan Coschi and Karen Espiritu. We’d also like to hear from you if you are planning to submit a nomination package for a McMaster colleague in an effort to build a confidential database that will be useful for future competitions.