Sloan Research Fellowship

The Sloan Research Fellowships seek to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise. These two-year fellowships are awarded yearly to 126 researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field. Candidates must hold a tenure track (or equivalent) position at a college or university in the United States or Canada. Tenure track faculty positions at the candidate’s institution must include a yearly teaching requirement. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in chemistry, computer science, Earth system science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, or a related field.

Package requirements:

• A letter from department head detailing candidate’s qualification, initiative and research;
• CV detailing scientific publications;
• Two (2) representative articles authored by candidate;
• One (1) page statement describing significant scientific work and immediate research plans;
• Three (3) letters from other researchers (preferably not all from same institution) in support of nomination.

Deadline: Usually Mid-September

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The Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring recognize outstanding mentorship of numerous graduate students over many years. The awards will be adjudicated by a committee
chaired by the Associate Dean, Funding, of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral
Studies.

All continuing academic staff members with a tenure or grant tenure appointment at the UBC Vancouver Campus are eligible to be nominated.

Nominees may be at any stage in their academic career, but one award will recognize faculty members in the mid-career category – that is, for those who have held university appointments for less than 12 years – and the other will recognize faculty members in the senior category – that is, for those with 12 or more years of university service.

The awards recognize one senior and one mid-career faculty members’ outstanding ability to foster the intellectual, professional, and personal development of graduate students. The following attributes of an effective mentor will be considered by the committee in evaluating applicants:

• Models excellence in scholarship, professional conduct, and integrity, instilling a desire in students to emulate these qualities
• Encourages, inspires, and supports students to reach their full potential in ways that are tailored to each individual
• Fosters the development in students of competencies in critical thinking, scholarly rigour, breadth of understanding and creativity, and professional competencies in areas such as written and oral communication, scholarly integrity, and interpersonal interactions
• Promotes and models a climate of respect and collegiality
• Integrates students into the culture of the discipline, and helps them network with relevant individuals
• Assists students to explore career options and to find fulfilling post-graduate positions
• Advocates for students when necessary, and encourages them to make best use of institutional and professional opportunities (e.g., professional development workshops and courses, conferences)

Nominations will be adjudicated in recognition of the faculty members’ proven ability in these areas. Preference will be given to faculty members who have displayed sustained mentorship activity over many years involving many students. The awards will be awarded based on the quality and extent of mentoring of graduate students.

Nomination procedures:
Each department is entitled to submit one nomination (either a new nomination or a nomination carried forward from a previous competition) for each category to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Each nomination package must include the following supporting materials:

• Completion of the nomination form which includes:
  • Up to a two-page statement detailing why the nominee qualifies for the award
  • A one-page statement by the nominee describing his or her philosophy on mentoring, and how he or she views the role, including comments on approaches to promoting student success
• The nominee’s current curriculum vitae
• A list of all individuals mentored using the Killam Mentoring Record form, including brief descriptions of any notable circumstances of students
• Up to five letters of support from individuals who are being/were mentored by the nominee, each including a summary of the author’s experience with the nominee and subsequent career development
  • Only letters signed by the author are acceptable
  • Original and scanned copies sent by email directly to the department are acceptable

Materials regarding undergraduate teaching will not be considered for this competition and should not be included in nomination packages.

Deadline: Usually September

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