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Nominations

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN

2025
CUFA BC Distinguished Academics Awards
Call for Nominations

Each year since 1995, the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC (CUFA BC) honours the outstanding scholarship and public policy contributions of the distinguished academics at five research universities across the province. They are Royal Roads University, Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, University of Northern British Columbia, and University of Victoria. Learn more about the awards history here: https://cufa.bc.ca/awards/awards-history/.

We believe that the ideas that flow out of our universities are the lifeblood of our citizenry and democratic landscape, our intellectual life, and our economy. These awards celebrate the ideas that contribute to the non-academic community and demonstrate the necessity and vitality of public university-based research and scholarly activity. The awards bring with it the admiration of one’s colleagues across the institution, disciplines, geographic borders and beyond, and are recognized with a commemorative plaque and cash award.

Every year, the nominees hail from different institutions and disciplines, and conduct research in very different domains. However different their work, they are united by their passion for rigorous and meaningful scholarship – and for research that contributes to the public good. See past winners here: https://cufa.bc.ca/awards/past-winners/.

 

PURPOSE

The purpose of the CUFA BC Distinguished Academics Awards is to recognize academic staff members of British Columbia public research universities who have made outstanding contributions to the community beyond the academy through their academic work.

 

THREE AWARD CATEGORIES

There are three awards in the CUFA BC Distinguished Academics Awards series.

Early in Career Award

The Early in Career Award recognizes outstanding contributions made by scholars at relatively early stages in their careers. It is recognized that career patterns differ and so we encourage nominators to explain how this award is appropriate for their nominee. As a guide only, early in career is often defined as being “no more than five years from completion of a doctoral degree or equivalent” or “within three years of the initial appointment as an Assistant Professor”. The adjudication committee will determine the appropriateness of nominations.

Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award

Named after the president who created the Distinguished Academics Awards during his term, Professor Ehor Boyanowsky, this award recognizes a specific and recent outstanding contribution to the community beyond the academy through research or other scholarly activity by an individual or group at any stage of their career. A recent contribution would typically be within the past three years.

Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award

Named in memory of Dr. Paz Buttedahl – academic, community builder and faculty association leader – this award is for sustained outstanding contributions to the community beyond the academy through research or other scholarly activities by an individual or a group over the major portion of their career.

 

THE AWARD

Each award consists of a plaque and cash reward of $2,000, as well as an expense paid banquet dinner at a celebratory gala for the award recipient and up to seven (7) friend or family guests in Victoria, BC on April 24, 2025.

 

ELIGIBILITY

To be considered for an award, nominees must be current members of a CUFA BC member faculty association at Royal Roads University, SFU, UBC, UNBC, and UVic. For a group nomination, a majority of group members, including the primary researcher or leader, if there is one, must be current members of a CUFA BC member faculty association. Award recipients must be willing and able to attend the awards dinner and to make a brief presentation.

 

RECOGNIZED CONTRIBUTIONS

All forms of research and scholarly activity that contribute to the community beyond the academy are eligible for consideration. Examples of eligible contributions include:

  • developing an innovative idea, process or framework;
  • extending an idea, process or framework through novel applications;
  • promoting a field of knowledge to the public;
  • contributing to the understanding of public policy; and
  • developing innovative systems to access research materials, etc.

In making its decision, the selection committee may also take into account other aspects of the nominee’s academic life and other contributions to the community beyond the academy.

 

NOMINATION DOCUMENTS

Nominations for each of the awards must include the following information:

  • a cover letter explaining why you believe the nominee should receive the Distinguished Academics Award;
  • a completed Distinguished Academics Award nomination form;
  • an abbreviated curriculum vitae of the nominee(s). CVs may be no more than 20 pages;
  • two letters of reference, one of which must be from a person outside the university community who can comment on the contribution of the individual’s (or group’s) academic work to the community beyond the academy. These letters must specifically describe how the nominee(s) research or other scholarly activity has contributed to the community beyond the academy.
    • In the case of the Early in Career Award, the letter must address how the nominee(s) fit in to the early in career category.
    • In the case of the Ehor Boyanowsky Academic of the Year Award, the letter must refer to a specific and recent contribution.
    • In the case of the Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award, the letter must refer to contributions over the course of the career.

Please submit nominations as a single PDF.

2025 DAA Nomination Form (open)                 2025 DAA Terms of Reference (open)

 

DATES AND DEADLINES (NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN)

Nominations must be received by end of day on January 31, 2025. Nominations should be sent to the CUFA BC office at [email protected]. Nominations considered in the previous year’s awards cycle may be resubmitted for one additional round.

 

OBLIGATIONS OF THE AWARD RECIPIENT(S)

Award recipient(s) must be willing and able to attend the awards gala in Victoria, BC on April 24, 2025 where they will make a brief presentation of their work. Prior to the gala, recipients will participate in a recorded profiling interview to be presented at the awards ceremony.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A list of frequently asked questions can be found on our website at https://cufa.bc.ca/awards/nominations/faqs/.

 

For any other questions, please contact us at [email protected].