Our awards committees lead an internal recognition program and encourage quality applications to prestigious external awards and prizes.
Faculty Research Awards Committee
The Faculty Research Awards Committee is composed of UBC faculty members who adjudicate the internal research awards, which recognize excellence in research by UBC faculty members in a variety of disciplines.
- The committee is comprised of a non-voting chair (appointed by the Vice-President, Research & Innovation) and members on two subcommittees representing (1) Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and (2) Applied Science, Science, and Health Sciences. The entire committee considers applications for the Killam Accelerator Research Fellowships, Killam Faculty Emerging Fellowships, President's Excellence Award for Public Education through Media, Jacob Biely Prize, Engaged Research Award and Innovation Award.
- The two subcommittees consider applications and nominations for scholarly activity in the arts and humanities, and the sciences and applied sciences, respectively, for the Killam Faculty Research Prizes, the Charles A. McDowell Award, and the Sam Black and Dorothy Somerset awards.
- Based on the recommendations of this committee, the Vice-President, Research & Innovation decides the winner of each internal award.
- Members serve a three-year term.
2026/27 Committee Membership
- Kubota, Ryuko Language & Literacy Education
- Little, Jonathan School of Health and Exercise Sciences (UBCO)
- Norenzayan, Ara Psychology
- Sayed, Tarek Civil Engineering
- Schulte, Patricia Zoology (Chair)
- Vacant, Applied Science, Science and Health Sciences
- Vacant, Applied Science, Science and Health Sciences
- Vacant, Applied Science, Science and Health Sciences
- Vacant, Applied Science, Science and Health Sciences
- Vacant, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Vacant, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Vacant, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Vacant, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Institutional Council for Research Prizes and Awards
The awarding of national and international honours, awards and prizes to UBC researchers is an important hallmark of research excellence and is critical in attracting both funding partners and world-leading academic researchers to UBC.
- The Institutional Council for Research Prizes and Awards reports to the Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) and provides advice to both the VPRI and to the President and Vice-Chancellor.
- A major role of the ICRPA is developing policies and best practices; advising on the implementation of the prizes and awards strategy; promoting a culture of celebration and recognition; and tracking appropriate metrics.
- The Council is comprised of scholars from the different disciplinary clusters (humanities, creative and performing arts, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, health), major award recipients, junior/mid-career/senior faculty members
- The Council is committed to ensuring that equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) practices are reflected.
Committee Membership
- al Shaibah, Arig, Associate Vice-President, Equity & Inclusion, Honorary Associate Professor (Educational Studies)
- Austin, Jehannine (J9), Professor (Psychiatry and Medical Genetics)
- Carrabré, T. Patrick, Professor, Director (School of Music)
- Castricano, Jodey, Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies, Professor (English and Cultural Studies) Okanagan campus
- Frost, Heather, Assistant Vice President, Research and Innovation
- Gergel, Sarah, Associate Dean, Academic, Professor (Landscape Ecology & Conservation)
- Hornibrook, Ed, Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Professor (Earth and Environmental Sciences) Okanagan campus
- Humphries, Christine, Director, Support Programs to Advance Research Capacity (SPARC)
- Levings, Megan, Professor (Surgery)
- Schulte, Patricia, FRAC Chair, Professor (Zoology)
- Sundstrom, Lisa, Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Professor (Political Science)
- Weary, Daniel, Chair, Professor (Applied Biology)
- Wong, Wendy, Professor (Economics, Philosophy and Political Science) Okanagan campus
- Vacant, Member, Emeritus College