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Office of Research Services (ORS)

Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity

About

UVic has been invited by the Canada Research Chairs program (CRCP) to submit a nomination to the Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity.

Objectives

  • to fund bold and potentially game-changing projects that will challenge the status quo, spark change and take action to address persistent systemic barriers in the institution research ecosystem and academia more broadly
  • to recognize faculty members who contribute their time, expertise and lived experience to help address inequities in their institution, the research ecosystem and academia
  • to provide opportunities for students and trainees to contribute to this important work

Award

$100,000 over one year, with the potential for a one-year no-cost extension, to a faculty member or a team of faculty members nominated by an eligible institution, to fund the implementation of bold and potentially game-changing initiatives led by the nominated individual or team. Up to three awards will be made per year. Initiatives should:

  • contribute to the understanding of the persistence of systemic barriers in the nominating institution and, by extension, the research ecosystem and academia more broadly
  • identify innovative measures that could be implemented within the institution to change the status quo and break down those barriers in the long term

Eligibility

Nominations are limited to initiatives that help identify or address systemic barriers within the nominating institution and, by extension, the research ecosystem. Research projects in EDI-focused disciplines will not be accepted.

To be eligible for nomination, the individual(s) must:

  • be eligible to receive grant funding from the tri-agencies;
  • hold a full-time academic appointment at the institution at the time of nomination and for the duration of the award; and
  • be in good standing with CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.
Current and former Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) are eligible, as are individuals who are not CRCs. Institutional administrators who are eligible to hold grant funding from the agencies are also eligible to be nominated.

For full details on eligibility of applicants, eligible expenses, selection criteria, and the scheme’s assessment process and timeline, please see the competition website.

Internal selection process

As institutions are limited to one application per year for this scheme, the Office of the VP Research & Innovation will coordinate the internal process to select one candidate or team to move forward to the submission stage.

To be considered for UVic’s internal competition, please send your completed internal application form to Stephanie Keenlyside by August 8 2023.

The completed application form should include:
  • Lead applicant name and details. While both individuals and teams are encouraged to apply for this opportunity, a lead applicant needs to be identified on the form. Details of the wider team can be provided later in the application.
  • Chair/Director and Dean/Centre Director signatures;
  • Summary of proposed project (2 pages):
    • description of the project that shows how it is bold and potentially game changing;
    • the expected impacts/outcomes, in terms of changing the status quo and sparking change towards a more equitable institution and research or academic ecosystem;
    • description of the team members and their roles in the project;
    • how engagement with individuals from underrepresented groups will be conducted to help inform the work;
    • how best practices in equity, including intersectionality, will be applied within the project.
  • Summary (with examples) of the overall contributions of the lead applicant to and leadership in addressing inequities in the institution and/or the research ecosystem and academia more broadly (1 page).
  • A CV summary (max 2 pages) for each team member. A format for CVs is provided in the application form.
  • Budget and budget justification (1 page) indicating how you would use the $100,000 over the one-year period.
  • References (optional).

Career interruptions due to parental leave, family care, extended illness, or community responsibilities will not negatively impact the committee’s assessment of a candidate’s research productivity. These will be taken into consideration when EOIs are assessed.

The VP Research and Innovation will serve as institutional nominator for the nominee recommended by an ad hoc committee formed by OVPRI. This committee will include individuals representing equity deserving groups and representation from EQHR.

Once confirmed, the successful internal candidate will receive support to develop their final application, which will be submitted by UVic to the Robbins-Ollivier program by November 7, 2023.

Timeline

  • Internal deadline for proposals: August 8, 2023
  • Institutional proposal selected for nomination: End of August 2023
  • Submission deadline of nomination to Robbins Ollivier competition: Nov 7th 2023
  • Results: April 2024

Application form

Application form Assessment criteria and scoring matrix

Questions

Any questions about the program, eligibility or UVic’s internal selection process should be sent to Stephanie Keenlyside.