CCUBC Awards

The Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs (CCUBC) offers several awards each year. Please note that the nomination deadline for all Awards is May 31, 2025.

Undergraduate Paper Award

Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs
Undergraduate Paper Award

This award is available to students who conducted research while registered as a full-time student in any undergraduate biology program at a Canadian university. It is awarded to the undergraduate student who has the best and most innovative refereed journal article based on their undergraduate research, published or in press, in any national or international scientific journal. The work must have been published within two years of graduation. The article can be in any sub-discipline of Biology, in French or in English, but the student must be the first author. Applications should include:

  1. a letter of application,
  2. a reprint of the refereed journal article, and
  3. a letter of support from the student’s undergraduate research supervisor/advisor that outlines the significance of the research.

A single nomination per department will be forwarded to the CCUBC (info@ccubc.ca) by the Chair. Applications' deadline is: May 31, 2025.  The award is valued at $250 and the letter of nomination will be posted on the CCUBC website along with a photo and short bio. The winners of the CCUBC award must agree to have a notification of their award published in a national publication, such as University Affairs and/or the CAUT Bulletin.

Graduate Student Research Prize

Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs 
Graduate Student Research Prize

This award is available to [a] full-time students registered in M.Sc. and Ph.D. biology programs at Canadian universities, or [b] recently completed graduate students (within 2 years of application). It is awarded annually to the graduate student who has the best and most innovative refereed journal article based on their graduate research, published or in press, in any national or international scientific journal. The article can be in any sub-discipline of Biology, in French or in English, but the student must be the first/senior author. 

Applications should include:

  1. a letter of application,
  2. a reprint of the refereed journal article, and
  3. a letter of support from the student’s graduate research supervisor/advisor.

The award is valued at $500. A single nomination per department will be forwarded to the CCUBC (info@ccubc.ca) by the Chair. Applications' deadline is: May 31, 2025. A description of the candidate and their work will be posted on the CCUBC website along with a photo. The winners of the award must agree to have a notification of their award published in a national publication, such as University Affairs and/or the CAUT Bulletin.

Science Promotion Prize

Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs
Science Promotion Prize

The CCUBC award is available to advocates for science in any branch of the media. It is awarded annually to honour individuals who make an outstanding contribution to the promotion of biology in Canada, through activities encouraging popular interest in science or developing science abilities. The individual may advocate and popularize biology, in French or in English. Applications' deadline is: May 31, 2025 and should be submitted to the CCUBC (info@ccubc.ca). Application should include a letter of nomination from a member of the CCUBC that outlines the candidate’s contribution to promoting biology. The award includes a plaque and the winner will be invited to present a talk at the CCUBC Annual Meeting. A description of the candidate and their work will be posted on the CCUBC website along with a photo. The winners of the CCUBC Science Promotion award must agree to have a notification of their award published in a national publication, such as University Affairs and/or the CAUT Bulletin.

The CCUBC – oCUBE Emerging Educational Leader (EEL) Award

Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs
The CCUBC – oCUBE Emerging Educational Leader (EEL) Award

This award recognizes outstanding contributions to biology education at a post-secondary institution in Canada. In recognition of the key importance of educational leadership in enhancing the teaching mission and student experience in biology education at higher education institutions in Canada, this award is presented jointly by the Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs (CCUBC) and the Open Consortium of Undergraduate Biology Educators (oCUBE).

Nomination and Selection Process

Candidates can be nominated by peers, institutions, or through self-nomination. A panel of educators, previous award winners, and Biology Department Chairs (from the CCUBC executive) will evaluate all nominations to select the award recipient. One recipient is chosen each year. Nominations for 2025-2026 will open in March 2025 and will be due April 30th, 2025. The award announcement will be communicated by oCUBE and CCUBC at the end of August 2025.

Nominations must include:
  • a nomination brief*–written by the nominator– that specifically speaks to the impact
    of the nominee’s contributions to the teaching and learning of biology (max. 2
    pages)
  • a current resume or curriculum vitae provided by the nominee
  • a statement of educational leadership in biology written by the nominee (max. 2
    pages)
  • 2 letters of reference (from mentors/colleagues other than the nominator) speaking
    to the nominee’s teaching and leadership contributions (solicited by the nominator
    and submitted confidentially to the selection committee by the referees).

*In the case of a self-nomination, the nomination brief is replaced by a nominee statement that summarizes the impact of their contributions to the teaching and learning of biology. Submission details will be provided as part of the call for nominations, which will be posted on both the CCUBC and oCUBE websites and disseminated broadly. For further details about this award, you can download the following PDF file CCUBC – oCUBE EEL Award.