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Awards Committee

Members

Chair: Pauline Barmby (2022-2025) Western University


Members:

  • Jon Willis (2023-2026) University of Victoria

  • Craig Heinke (2022-2025) University of Alberta

  • Alexandra Tetarenko (2024-2027) University of Lethbridge

  • Pierre Chastenay (2024-2027) Université du Québec à Montréal

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Mandate and terms of reference

CASCA delivers five different awards and prizes over two years whose descriptions are available on the Scholarships and Awards Page (for students) and the Post PhD Awards Page. These awards are delivered during the Annual General Assembly (AGM). The Awards committee manages the Beals and Martin awards, the Petrie lecture and the Plaskett medal (awarded jointly with the RASC). The committee will be composed of seven members in order to cover as best as possible the varied research fields found in our community. Hence the Awards committee will:

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  1. Request candidacies from the community by 1st November of the year preceding the AGM for the awards and prizes that will be given that next year using e.g. the CASCA exploder and website and e-Cass. The call should emphasize that both nominators and nominees must be CASCA members in good standing;
     

  2. After the call for nominations has closed, check with the CASCA administrator of the eligibility of all nominators and nominees;
     

  3. Conduct the review of nominations with appropriate treatment of conflicts of interest;
     

  4. Inform the CASCA Board of the winner of the different competitions as soon as the deadlines permit so that arrangements and coordination can be made with the AGM local organizing committee;
     

  5. Be ready to respond to special requests from the CASCA Board;
     

  6. Provide the CASCA Board with a citation for each award, suitable for publication by the CASCA Press Officer;
     

  7. The committee Chair is normally invited to introduce the award winners at the AGM;
     

  8. Provide a report of activities and issues once a year to the Board in advance of the CASCA AGM. The Board may request an interim report if the need arises. The report will include: current members and term, suggestions for new members and/or chair, brief report of activities, any issues, questions, recommendations or requested actions for the Board.

Committee Timeline and Procedures

Early November: Prizes and nomination procedures announced

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Early November: Solicit more diverse nominations from the EIC and the Nominating Committee

 

January 15 : Prize nominations due.

 

Early February: Committee chair and CASCA administrator distribute nomination packages to committee.

 

February: Committee members individually review nomination materials and score candidates.

 

Late February: Committee members discuss scores as a group and decide on final list of prize winners.

 

Late February/Early March: Committee chair submits final selection to CASCA Vice President for certification by the CASCA Board.

 

Spring: CASCA President informs prize winners

 

May: Prizes presented at Annual General Meeting

 

All nomination packages are studied by all committee members, except 1) for the ex officio member from the AGM Organizing Committee and 2) any committee members with a conflict of interest for a particular nominee. Conflicts of interests include (but are not limited to) personal relationships, common or rival scientific collaborations, supervisory relationships, and common institutional affiliations. Committee members with conflicts of interest are asked by the Chair to leave the room during deliberations concerning the relevant nominees. When the Chair is conflicted, the moderation of the discussion is delegated to another committee member.

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Identities of nominees, nominators, and the contents of nomination packages are kept confidential. The same is true of committee deliberations.

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