CS-Can|Info-Can strives to create a welcoming, respectful and nurturing community for everyone working in computer science, independent of gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, religion, country of origin, or disability. Award nominations and adjudication will be aligned with these values.
Lifetime Achievement in Computer Science
OVERVIEW
CS-Can|Info-Can presents annual awards for Lifetime Achievement in Computer Science to faculty members in Canadian universities who have made outstanding and sustained contributions to the field of computer science over their careers. Multiple awards may be presented each year.
These awards recognize career excellence in research, teaching, service, or any combination of these. Award winners will be invited to attend the annual CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Banquet to receive their awards.
Nominations are welcome starting on September 1 and are due on December 1.
ELIGIBILITY
A candidate for this award must have held a full-time appointment at a Canadian University for at least 10 years and must have spent the majority of their academic career in Canada. While many nominees will be from computer science departments, nominations from other departments are welcome. Candidates need not be currently active faculty members nor still living.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
The selection committee comprises a panel of computer scientists from a variety of sub-disciplines of the field. All nomination material should be written appropriately for such an audience. The panel is appointed by the CS-Can|Info-Can Board of Directors.
NOMINATION PROCEDURES
Nominations are welcome in either English or French.
Candidates may nominate themselves or be nominated by a member of the Canadian computer science academic community who has first-hand knowledge of the nominee’s contributions.
The nomination package should include the following:
- contact information for the nominator (including postal and e-mail address). For third-party nominations, include a brief description (one paragraph[2]) of the nominator’s relationship to the nominee.
- A summary (up to 1 page[2]) for public consumption outlining the candidate’s contributions in everyday language.
- A nomination letter (up to 3 pages) from the nominator or, in the case of self-nomination, from the candidate, that explains why the candidate deserves consideration for the award. This nomination letter should make the case for the nomination, indicating the category or categories in which the candidate has made their contributions and explaining the nature of the contributions they have made.
- 3 letters of endorsement for the candidate from people (other than the nominator) who have first-hand knowledge of the candidate’s contributions in the appropriate category or categories. Such letters can be written by colleagues in the same Department or other Departments in Canada or outside of Canada, or by other people who can appraise the contributions, for example former students for a teaching contribution, or somebody in the computing industry for a research contribution who knows the impact of a candidate’s research.
- Additional supporting material, up to a limit of 5 pages, that will contribute to an understanding of the candidate’s contributions.
- Curriculum vitae (no page limit) of the candidate, focused on the candidate’s contributions in the category or categories for which they are being nominated.
HOW TO SUBMIT
The deadline for receiving nominations is December 1. The deadline will be strictly adhered to.
All materials in the nomination package should be put into a single .zip archive file named NomineeLast-NomineeFirst.zip with each individual document in PDF format. The names of the documents should be the following.
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-NominatorLast-NominatorFirst.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Summary.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-NominationLetter.pdf
-
NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-EndorserLast-EndorserFirst.pdf
(for each of three letters of endorsement) - NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-OtherMaterial.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-CV.pdf
The .zip archive file should be sent as an email attachment to the CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Committee via email to achievement-award@ cscan-infocan.ca by the nomination submission deadline.
Please review all of the specific instructions on this page and the general instructions for all award nominations before submitting.
All submissions will be acknowledged by return email.
NOTIFICATION
Successful candidates will be notified by May 15 following the submission deadline.
The awards will be presented at the CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Banquet. Successful candidates will be provided with funds to help defray the costs to attend this ceremony in order to receive the awards in person.
Additional information about the awards program, eligibility, and nomination procedures is available here.
- The term “Computer Science Department” is a broad term that includes Canadian Departments, Schools, and Faculties of Computer Science, however named. Similarly, the term “Chair” refers to the Chair or Head of the Department, the Director of the School, or the Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science, whichever is appropriate.
- In all cases, the page or word limits are upper limits.
Outstanding Early Career Computer Science Researcher Awards
OVERVIEW
CS-Can|Info-Can annually presents up to 3 awards to top early-career computer science academic researchers who are within 10 years of completing their Ph.D.
These awards recognize excellence in research and the broader impact of research through activities such as mentorship, knowledge mobilization, public engagement, and leadership in nurturing the next generation of scholars. Winners will receive a $1,000 cash prize and will be invited to attend the annual CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Banquet to receive their award.
Nominations are welcome starting on September 1 of the award year and are due February 1 of the following year.
ELIGIBILITY
A candidate for these awards must hold a full-time appointment in a Canadian University, must have completed their doctorate (or equivalent) no earlier than July 1 ten years prior to the calendar year of the award and cannot have received this award in the past. While many nominees will be from computer science departments, nominations from other departments are welcome.
Parental leave, or medical leave is not counted as part of the ten-year period. In such situations, appropriate evidence should be supplied in the nomination material by the nominator or by the Chair. Other approved non-research related leaves may also be taken into account.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
The selection committee comprises a panel of computer scientists from a variety of sub-disciplines of the field. All nomination material should be written appropriately for such an audience. The panel is appointed by the CS-Can|Info-Can Board of Directors.
NOMINATION PROCEDURES
Nominations are welcome in either English or French.
Candidates may nominate themselves or be nominated by a member of the Canadian computer science academic community. The nomination must be endorsed by the Computer Science Department Chair at the candidate’s university.
The nominator (or candidate, in the case of self-nomination) provides
- contact information for the nominator (including postal and e-mail address). For third-party nominations, include a brief description (one paragraph[2]) of the nominator’s relationship to the nominee.
- a 2-page nomination letter that explains why the candidate deserves consideration for the award, with emphasis on contributions to their field(s) of research, and broader impact of their research through activities such as mentorship, knowledge mobilization, public engagement, and leadership in nurturing the next generation of scholars;
- an abstract (one paragraph) for public consumption outlining the candidate’s accomplishments, to be used both in committee deliberations and for publicity if the candidate wins an award;
- endorsements, letters solicited from 3 recognized experts (not the nominator) in the candidate’s field(s) who are at arm’s length, that discuss the impact of the candidate’s research on their research community.
The Chair of the candidate’s Department[3] provides a two-page letter endorsing the nomination that:
- briefly overviews the candidate’s research area and contributions to research;
- also provides a broader context for the candidate’s activities, including their teaching and administrative responsibilities; their role in supervisory and advisory committees; their involvement in outreach to others in the Department, University, industry, and the community; and their actual or demonstrated capacity for leadership;
- indicates any parental leave or medical leave that may affect the eligibility dates for the award, if applicable.
The candidate provides
- a two-page[3] summary of their research contributions and the impact of this research, including impact through activities such as mentorship, knowledge mobilization, public engagement, and leadership in nurturing the next generation of scholars (this is optional for self nominations or may be shorter than two pages);
- a one-page summary of their planned future directions for research;
- a full curriculum vitae (no page limits);
- web-accessible links to the candidate’s three most significant research contributions (or PDF copies if issues such as copyright make it impossible to set up a web link).
No other material (letters of support, etc.) can be included in the review process.
How to Submit
The deadline for receiving nominations is February 1. The deadline will be strictly adhered to.
All materials in the nomination package should be put into a single .zip archive file named NomineeLast-NomineeFirst.zip with each individual document in PDF format. The names of the documents should be the following.
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-NominatorLast-NominatorFirst.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-NominationLetter.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Abstract.pdf
-
NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-EndorserLast-EndorserFirst.pdf
(for each of the three letters of endorsement) - NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-ChairLetter.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Contributions.pdf (optional for self nominations)
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-FutureWork.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-CV.pdf
-
NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Links.pdf
or
NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Paper-1.pdf
NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Paper-2.pdf
NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Paper-3.pdf
if copies of papers are being submitted (see above)
The .zip archive file should be sent as an email attachment to the CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Committee via email to early-career-award@cscan-infocan.ca by the nomination submission deadline.
Review all of the specific instructions on this page and the general instructions for all award nominations before submitting.
All submissions will be acknowledged by return email.
NOTIFICATION
Successful candidates will be notified by May 15 following the submission deadline.
The awards will be presented at the CS- Can|Info-Can Awards Banquet. Successful candidates will be provided with funds to help defray the costs of attending this ceremony in order to receive the awards in person.
Additional information about the awards program, eligibility, and nomination procedures is available here.
- The term “Computer Science Department” is a broad term that includes Canadian Departments, Schools, and Faculties of Computer Science, however named. Similarly, the term “Chair” refers to the Chair or Head of the Department, the Director of the School, or the Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science, whichever is appropriate.
- In all cases, the page or word limits are upper limits.
- If the Department Chair is a candidate for an award, then another responsible member of the Department should provide the information requested of the Chair.
Canadian Computer Science Distinguished Dissertation Award
OVERVIEW
CS-Can|Info-Can presents the annual Canadian Computer Science Distinguished Dissertation Award to computer science doctoral students completing degrees at Canadian institutions.
These awards recognize excellence in research and writing in a doctoral dissertation.
A prize of $1,000 accompanies the award. The award winner will be invited to attend the annual CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Banquet to receive the award.
Nominations are welcome starting on September 1 of the award year and are due February 1 of the following year.
ELIGIBILITY
Doctoral students who have completed a computer science dissertation at a Canadian university during the previous 18 months may be nominated. A dissertation may only be nominated once. While many nominees will be from computer science departments, nominations from other departments are welcome. A completed dissertation is one that has been successfully defended, revised as required, and formally submitted to and approved by the university.
In all cases, the nomination package must include an explanation of the contribution to the field of computer science made by the dissertation.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
The selection committee comprises a panel of computer scientists from a variety of sub-disciplines of the field. All nomination material should be written appropriately for such an audience. The panel is appointed by the CS-Can|Info-Can Board of Directors.
NOMINATION PROCEDURE
Nominations are welcome in either English or French.
Candidates must be nominated by their doctoral supervisor. The nomination must be approved by the chair of the department and must be endorsed by two experts in the field (one of whom can be the external examiner). All submissions should be packaged into a single PDF file.
The nomination package must contain the following material.
- A nomination letter on letterhead in PDF format with the following information
- Name, address, phone number, email, and signature of the nominator (the nominee’s doctoral supervisor)
- Name, address, phone number, email, and signature of the department chair or alternate
- Name, address, phone number, and email of the person being nominated
- Name, address, phone number, and email for each of two experts in the field who are providing signed letters of endorsement
- The title of the dissertation
- The department and university within Canada where the degree is being granted
- The date on which the dissertation was completed
- A nomination statement (450 words maximum[2]) explaining why the nominee deserves to receive the award and how the research reported in the dissertation contributes to the field of computer science
- A document in PDF format of the abstract for the dissertation
- Two (2) signed letters of endorsement on letterhead in PDF format from the individuals identified in the nomination letter
- A PDF copy of the full final dissertation as it was submitted to the university, or a link to the full final dissertation in PDF format
- A PDF copy of the nominee’s current CV
The nomination letter must be signed by the nominee’s doctoral supervisor and by the nominee’s department chair. If the supervisor is also the department chair, the graduate officer or some other faculty administrative officer in the department must sign as an alternate on behalf of the chair.
Letters of endorsement from two experts in the field who are neither the supervisor nor the chair (or signing officer) should provide evidence of the dissertation’s relevance to computer science and the potential for impact on the field.
Dissertations will be reviewed based on their originality, potential impact, technical depth and significance, and quality of presentation.
HOW TO SUBMIT
The deadline for receiving nominations is February 1 of the calendar year following the completion of the dissertation. The deadline will be strictly adhered to.
All materials in the nomination package should be put into a single .zip archive file named NomineeLast-NomineeFirst.zip with each individual document in PDF format. The names of the documents should be the following.
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Nomination.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Abstract.pdf
-
NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-EndorserLast-EndorserFirst.pdf
(for both letters of endorsement) - NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Dissertation.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-CV.pdf
The .zip archive file should be sent as an email attachment to the chair of the CS-Can|Info-Can Dissertation Awards Committee via email to dissertation-award@cscan-infocan.ca by the nomination submission deadline.
Review all of the specific instructions on this page and the general instructions for all award nominations before submitting.
All submissions will be acknowledged by return email.
NOTIFICATION
The successful candidate will be notified by May 15 following the submission deadline.
The award will be presented at the CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Banquet. The successful candidate will be reimbursed to help defray the costs of attending the Awards Banquet to receive the award in person.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AWARDS
Additional information about the awards program, eligibility, and nomination procedures is available here.
- The term “department” when used above is intended to include all Canadian Departments, Faculties, and Schools of Computer Science, however named, and also academic units that award doctoral degrees in areas that are closely related to computer science. Similarly, the term “chair” refers to the Chair or Head of a Department, the Director of a School, or the Dean of a Faculty, whichever is appropriate.
- In all cases, the page or word limits are upper limits.
Excellence in Teaching Award
OVERVIEW
CS-Can|Info-Can presents the annual Excellence in Teaching Award to computer science faculty at Canadian institutions who have been nominated by students, colleagues, and alumni in recognition of excellence in teaching.
Up to two awards are presented annually to honour faculty member(s) who have demonstrated exceptional teaching ability, at the undergraduate or graduate level, via classroom lectures, laboratory instruction, thesis supervision, design and development of courses, and use of innovative teaching methods.
A prize of $1000 accompanies the award. The award winner will be invited to attend the annual CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Banquet to receive the award.
Nominations are welcome starting on September 1 of the award year and are due February 1 of the following year.
ELIGIBILITY
A candidate for this award must hold an appointment at a Canadian University. While many nominees will be from computer science departments, nominations from other departments are welcome.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
The selection committee comprises a panel of computer science faculty members with significant teaching experience.
All nomination material should be written appropriately for such an audience. The panel is appointed by the CS-Can|Info-Can Board of Directors.
NOMINATION PROCEDURES
Nominations are welcome in either English or French.
Candidates may not apply on their own behalf, but must be nominated by a student, faculty colleague or alumnus. The nomination must be endorsed by the Computer Science Department Chair at the candidate’s university.
The nominator provides
- a description of the nominator (one paragraph[2]) that fully identifies the nominator (including postal and e-mail address) and briefly outlines the nominator’s relationship to the candidate;
- a 2-page nomination statement that explains why the candidate deserves consideration for the award, with emphasis on contributions to, and impact on teaching;
- an abstract (one paragraph) for public consumption outlining the candidate’s accomplishments, to be used both in committee deliberations and for publicity if the candidate wins an award;
- endorsements, letters solicited from two to three students and/or alumni, and two to three faculty colleagues that speak directly to the impact that the nominee’s contributions have had to teaching and student learning;
The Chair of the nominee’s department[3] endorses the nomination.
The nominee provides
- a two to three page[3] teaching philosophy statement;
- a summary of teaching-related achievements and impact (to a maximum of five pages);
- a full curriculum vitae (no page limits);
- web-accessible links to other supporting material, up to a limit of 5 pages, that will contribute to an understanding of the nominee’s achievements.
HOW TO SUBMIT
The deadline for receiving nominations is February 1. The deadline will be strictly adhered to.
All materials in the nomination package should be put into a single .zip archive file named NomineeLast-NomineeFirst.zip with each individual document in PDF format. The names of the documents should be the following.
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-NominatorLast-NominatorFirst.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Nomination.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Abstract.pdf
-
NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-EndorserLast-EndorserFirst.pdf
(for each of the letters of endorsement) - NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-ChairLetter.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-TeachingPhilosophy.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-TeachingAchievements.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-CV.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Links.pdf
The .zip archive file should be sent as an email attachment to the CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Committee via email to teaching-award@cscan-infocan.ca by the nomination submission deadline.
Review all of the specific instructions on this page and the general instructions for all award nominations before submitting.
All submissions will be acknowledged by return email.
NOTIFICATION
Successful candidates will be notified by May 15 following the submission deadline.
The awards will be presented at the CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Banquet. Successful candidates will be provided with funds to help defray the costs of attending this ceremony in order to receive the awards in person.
Additional information about the awards program, eligibility, and nomination procedures is available here.
- The term “Computer Science Department” is a broad term that includes Canadian Departments, Schools, and Faculties of Computer Science, however named. Similarly, the term “Chair” refers to the Chair or Head of the Department, the Director of the School, or the Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science, whichever is appropriate.
- In all cases, the page or word limits are upper limits.
- If the Department Chair is a candidate for an award, then another responsible member of the Department should provide the information requested of the Chair.
Distinguished Service Award
OVERVIEW
CS-Can|Info-Can presents an annual award for distinguished service to the Canadian computer science community.
This award recognizes outstanding service to CS-Can|Info-Can and/or the Canadian computer science community at large. The award celebrates an individual or group of people (e.g. a team or committee of people) for outstanding service contribution(s). The award can recognize a single contribution and its impact or a number of contributions sustained over time. The impact of the service contributions should be broader than to a single institution but can be regional (e.g., for a province) or discipline-specific within the computer science field.
Nominations are welcome starting September 1 and are due on December 1.
ELIGIBILITY
Candidates for this award can be individuals or a group of people (e.g. a team or committee of people). They can be from academia, industry, or another organization as long as the outstanding service contributions for which they are being nominated support the Canadian computer science community and/or CS-Can|Info-Can.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
Recipients are selected by the CS-Can|Info-Can Board of Directors. Normally, there will be one award granted annually.
NOMINATION PROCEDURES
Nominations are welcome in either English or French.
Candidates may nominate themselves or be nominated by a member of the Canadian computer science community who has first-hand knowledge of the nominee’s contributions.
The nomination package should include the following:
- Contact information for the nominator (including postal and e-mail address). For third-party nominations, include a brief description (one paragraph) of the nominator’s relationships to the nominee.
- A nomination letter (up to 2 pages) from the nominator (or from the nominee in the case of a self-nomination)
- Up to two letters of endorsement from individuals other than the nominee who have first-hand knowledge of the nominee’s service contributions and can attest to the importance of the contribution(s) and the impact on the computer science community
- A summary (up to 1 page) for public consumption outlining the service contribution(s)
- A short (one paragraph) bio of the candidate
HOW TO SUBMIT
The deadline for receiving nominations is December 1. The deadline will be strictly adhered to.
All materials in the nomination package should be put into a single .zip archive file named NomineeLast-NomineeFirst.zip with each individual document in PDF format (when the nominee is a group, select one name for the files). The names of the documents should be the following.
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-NominatorLast-NominatorFirst.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-NominationLetter.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-EndorserLast-EndorserFirst.pdf (for each of up to two letters of endorsement)
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Summary.pdf
- NomineeLast-NomineeFirst-Bio.pdf
The .zip archive file should be sent as an email attachment to the CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Committee via email to service-award@cscan-infocan.ca by the nomination submission deadline.
Please review all of the specific instructions on this page and the general instructions for all award nominations before submitting.
All submissions will be acknowledged by return email.
NOTIFICATION
Successful candidates will be notified by May 15 following the submission deadline.
The awards will be presented at the CS-Can|Info-Can Awards Banquet. Successful candidates (or, in the case of a group award, one designated representative) will be provided with funds to help defray the costs to attend this ceremony in order to receive the award in person.
Additional information about the awards program, eligibility, and nomination procedures is available here.