Speaker Research Medal guidelines

Nominate your favourite researcher!

The Office of the Vice-President (Research) is soliciting nominations for the 2024 Speaker Medal competition. Applications should be submitted electronically, with the subject “Speaker Medal” to ORIS (oris@uleth.ca) by January 31, 2024. After this date, incomplete applications will not be considered. If letters of support are submitted in hard copy, please send to the Office of Research and Innovation Services to the attention of Penny Pickles.

Established in 1994, The Speaker Medal for Distinguished Research, Scholarship or Performance (Speaker Medal) recognizes the central importance of research, scholarship and performance to the philosophy and goals of the University of Lethbridge and provides recognition to those members of the academic staff who excel in these areas.

Eligibility

The Speaker Medal is open to all full and part-time members of the academic staff currently employed at the University of Lethbridge, or in the case of retired academic staff members, to those who have a contract agreement with the University.

Evaluation criteria

Note: "research" is being used as an overarching term to describe the activities of research, scholarship, and creative activity.

The three main criteria used for the Committee's assessment of the nominees are:

• The quality of the research
• The impact of the research on the advancement of the field, both nationally and internationally
• The distinction which the research has brought to the University of Lethbridge

Nomination procedures

Nominations of a member of the academic staff (faculty, academic assistants, and professional librarians) may be made by any member of the university community. The permission of the nominee should be obtained prior to making the nomination.

The nomination package must include:

• The nomination form,
• A letter from the nominator speaking to the nominee's research activity in relation to the required criteria,
• A letter of support from a member of the U of L academic community,
• Three external letters of support (but with no close collegial or trainee link to the nominee) speaking to the nominee's fit when compared against the evaluation criteria, and
• A current curriculum vitae of the nominee.

All nomination materials should be submitted to the Office of Research and Innovation Services.

Selection Committee

Members of the Selection Committee are appointed by the Faculties/Student organizations and normally shall consist of:

To provide continuity, members are initially assigned to either a: one-, two-, or three-year terms which is staggered.

Committee action following nomination

Nomination materials are retained for a period of two years from the date of receipt and are included in all deliberations during that two-year-period. Thus, once nominated, a member of the academic staff is automatically considered for an award in each of two years provided that the member retains a position at the University. Additional materials may be submitted by the nominee at any time during the two-year period.

Further, the Committee will invite nominators, if they choose, to replace a previous year's original nomination package if additional information has since become available that strengthens the nominee's case.

Finally, the Committee carefully reviews each nomination in respect to the Medal criteria and through a fair process, selects the recipient. Only one recipient is awarded per year.