President's Impact Awards & Academy: Prepare a Nomination

• The 2024 President’s Impact Awards competition is now open. Nominations must be submitted by November 3, 2023; divisional awards offices may set earlier internal deadlines. Please consult Learn About the Selection Process for detailed information about eligibility, nominations, and award adjudication
• Involve and consult with the nominee(s) while preparing the nomination package and other relevant supporting materials
• Ensure all nominees complete the updated University of Toronto’s Employment Equity Survey prior to the nomination deadline

During the nomination period, the nomination form can be accessed online: President's Impact Awards nomination form.

The following information and materials will be needed to complete the online nomination.

• Areas of Impact (all that apply): Arts and Culture, Community Involvement, Economy, Education, Entrepreneurship, Environment, Health, Industry, Inventions and Innovations, Law, Professional Practices or Services, Public Engagement, Public Policy, and Quality of Life. Additional areas not covered in the list may be specified
• Nomination for the Carolyn Tuohy Impact on Public Policy Award (individual nominees only): If Public Policy is among the areas of impact, indicate whether the nominee should also be considered for the Carolyn Tuohy Award. No additional materials are required. Note that a nomination for the Carolyn Tuohy Award may not be submitted independently; candidates must also be considered for the President’s Impact Award
   
  Please note: A nomination for the Carolyn Tuohy Award may not be submitted independently; candidates must also be considered for the President’s Impact Award. No additional materials are required, but nominators should ensure that the nomination dossier (described below) addresses the selection criteria for both awards.
• Nominee Information
• Nominator Information
• Endorsement Form: An endorsement form signed by the Dean, Principal, Vice-Principal Research or Vice- or Associate Dean Research of the nominee’s or team lead's academic division, as appropriate, is required. Electronic signatures are permitted
• Nomination Dossier: A single PDF document containing the materials specified below
   

The University of Toronto recognizes that diversity is essential to the creation of a vibrant intellectual community that allows our researchers to maximize their creativity, contributions and impact. The President’s Impact Awards are therefore strongly committed to recognizing diversity in research impact and especially welcome nominations of racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and impact. 

As part of our efforts to ensure equity, diversity and inclusion in the selection process, all nominees are asked to ensure they have completed the University of Toronto’s updated Employment Equity Survey prior to the nomination deadline. Self-identification data is important to the University’s ability to accurately identify barriers to inclusion and develop strategies to eliminate these barriers.

Nominees may complete the survey in the Employee Self-Service portal’s “Personal Information” menu by voluntarily self-identifying in all applicable groups, or logging a response declining the survey. All personal information directly relating to the nominee will remain confidential and cannot be accessed by reviewers or staff; aggregated information about the nomination pool will be received by the VPRI Research Equity and Diversity Strategist and accessed only by the Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, Strategic Initiatives to confirm that the nomination pool reflects the diversity of our faculty.

The nomination dossier is limited to a maximum of 50 pages for individual nominations and 70 pages for team nominations. Please organize your nomination documents using the following headings and upload as a single PDF file.

1. Table of Contents
2. Nomination Summary
   
   • A one-sentence (20- to 25-word) proposed citation summarizing the contributions for which the nominee or team is being nominated, in the following format: “For (contributions that have impacted society beyond academia)”
   • A 250-word summary (on the same page) highlighting the impact of the nominated accomplishments, with reference to the following selection criteria.
     
     • Demonstrated, sustained impact(s) of the research beyond academia
     • Benefits of the nominated achievements to society
     • Originality, scope and/or uniqueness of research impact(s)
3. Nomination Letter
   
   • A nomination letter (maximum two pages) signed by a Department Chair, Academic Director, Vice- or Associate Dean Research, or Vice-Principal Research as appropriate. The nomination letter should emphasize how the nominated research accomplishments have resulted in a significant impact on society, and how this impact exceeds the scope and expectations of the nominees' professional and/or clinical role(s). Nominations should focus primarily on the impact of research undertaken during nominees' appointments at the University of Toronto.
4. Detailed Description
   
   • A detailed description (maximum four pages) outlining the demonstrated and sustained impact of the nominated research beyond academia; the resulting benefits to society; and the originality, scope, and/or uniqueness of the impact of the research. The connection between the nominated research or scholarship and its eventual impact should be clearly elucidated.
   • If an individual nominee’s research impacts are the result of a collaboration, their specific contributions to the impacts should be clearly outlined. For team nominations, it must be clear that all nominated faculty significantly contributed to the collaborative research and impacts.
5. Curriculum Vitae
   
   • Nominations of individuals must include the nominee's curriculum vitae. The maximum length of the dossier including CV is 50 pages; if the CV must be shortened to meet the dossier length requirement, please indicate this and provide a link to a full online CV.
   • Team nominations should include curriculum vitae(s) only for the director(s) or leader(s) of the research. They must also provide a 3-page maximum list of collaborative research contributions (publications, presentations, etc.) and impacts that demonstrate the participation of all team members. The maximum length of a team nomination dossier is 70 pages.
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   • CVs should highlight the most relevant information regarding research and research impact.
6. Letters of Support (maximum two)
   
   • Letters of support from two referees (maximum two pages each) who are able to comment on and assess the impact of the nominated research. For team nominations, both letters must address the collaborative work of the nominated faculty members, not the work of individual team members.
   • Letters from referees external to the University of Toronto are strongly recommended, particularly letters from individuals outside of academia who can attest to the impact of the nominated work. Referees should not be direct collaborators on the nominated achievements.
7. Supporting Material
   
   • Up to three attachments (maximum two pages each) presenting material that assists in demonstrating the impact of the nominated research accomplishments.
   • Examples include: list of relevant contributions; list of partners; media stories or opinion pieces; collected testimonials; links to online materials/videos/websites (one link counts as one attachment; screenshots may be provided with links); or outline of successful commercialization with marketing results.
   • Do not include additional letters of support, copies of publications, or patents as attachments.

• Provide guidance on the nomination process
• Manage the online nomination form and selection process