NSERC Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal – Call for Nominations

Sponsor

NSERC

Program

Gerhard Herzberg Award

For More Information

Program Information

Description

The NSERC Gerhard Hertzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering, NSERC’s highest honour, recognizes research contributions characterized by both excellence and influence –two qualities that defined Dr. Herzberg’s illustrious career. It is awarded annually to an individual who has demonstrated sustained excellence and influence in research for a body of work conducted in Canada that has substantially advanced the fields of natural sciences or engineering.  

Eligibility

Candidates may be nominated by any individual or group; however, the nominators must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.  Posthumous or self-nominators will not be accepted. The recipient must be a scientist or engineer from a Canadian university, government lab or private firm, whose research is primarily based in the fields of natural sciences and/or engineering. An individual may only win the NSERC Herzberg Medal once. An individual may be nominated for the medal and other NSERC major prizes in the same year, but can receive only one such prize in a given year.

Funding Availability

In addition to the medal, the winner is awarded a grant of up to $1 million to use for personal university-based research to direct in some related way, such as the establishment of research Chairs in his or her name at a Canadian universities. The monetary award is distributed over a -5 year period. Research grant fund paid to winners of this prize are subject to the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide. If the winner already has an NSERC Discovery Grant, that grant is increased up to a maximum of $200,000 for each of the five years. If the grant is currently greater than $150,000, it is topped up by $50,000. A winner who is not an NSERC Discovery Grant recipient may direct the full $200,000 to university endeavours, such as scholarships.

The committee may recommend not to award the prize in a given year if there is no outstanding nomination.

How to Apply

Nominations must include:

1. A brief one-paragraph description of the nominator including confirmation of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident of Canada status and background;
2. A letter or document of up to four pages that clearly describes:
   1. the nominee's achievements and how they relate to one or more of these categories:
      1. contributions to knowledge;
      2. the use of existing knowledge to develop novel solutions to practical problems;
      3. the successful promotion or management of research activities;
      4. leadership in the transfer of knowledge;
      5. the training of highly qualified personnel;
      6. other appropriate contributions;
   2. the significance, benefit or impact of the nominee's achievements on society and industry; and
   3. the role of the nominee in bringing about the achievements. 
      The letter should clearly highlight the nominee’s most significant scientific and engineering contributions by referring to the list included with the curriculum vitae (CV) (see item 3); 
3. The nominee's up-to-date NSERC Personal Data Form (Form 100) or  Canadian Common CV or an up-to-date CV in another format (maximum 10 pages) including detailed information about the contributions and achievements described in the above categories (e.g., lists of works published and highly qualified personnel trained). The CV should contain relevant information over the entire career of the nominee;
4. The names and addresses (mail and email) of the six most important people in the nominee's field from whom NSERC may request objective assessments of the nominee's suitability for the award. The majority of these proposed referees should be from outside Canada, and none should be in conflict of interest (see Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations). Applicants must not contact suggested external reviewers in advance. A brief one-paragraph description of each person's background and the rationale for the person's suitability as a referee must be supplied. Please note that NSERC reserves the right to select all or none of the suggested referees;
5. Terms and Conditions Form for Nominees signed by the nominee; and
6. Terms and Conditions Form for Nominators signed by each nominator.