NSERC prizes - Donna Strickland Prize for Societal Impact of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research

About the award

Overview

The NSERC Donna Strickland Prize for Societal Impact of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research is awarded annually to an individual or team whose outstanding research, conducted in Canada in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE), has led to exceptional benefits for Canadian society, environment and/or economy.

Exceptional benefits can be demonstrated in one or more interacting spheres of Canadian life. Examples include:

• Improvements to specific procedures in society (e.g., laws, regulations, protocols)
• Stimulation of new approaches to social issues
• Improvements to quality of life
• Informing public debate
• Improvements to policy making
• Reduction of waste and pollution
• Protection of species
• Reduction of the impact of pollutants on ecosystems and humans
• Improvements in the sustainable use of resources
• Protection of ecosystems
• Reduction in the impacts of climate change
• Contributions to economic growth and wealth creation
• Introduction of a disruptive technology
• Creation of a new industrial sector

Who can be nominated?

All researchers in the NSE, regardless of their career stage, can be nominated for this award for their research conducted in Canada. The outstanding research that led to the exceptional benefits described in the nomination must have been supported, at least partially, by NSERC, and the research must be primarily in the NSE. Self-nominations will not be accepted, and current NSERC Council members are not eligible for nomination.

In order to be nominated as an individual, you must hold an NSERC research grant.  

In order to be nominated as a team, at least one of your team members must hold an NSERC research grant. The majority of your team members must be employed at a Canadian university, Canadian federal or provincial government lab, or private firm active in Canada.

Funding

If your nomination is successful, you will receive a $250,000 research grant, paid in three annual instalments. Grant funds, which are subject to the Tri-agency guide on financial administration, should support continued research and knowledge dissemination.

An individual or a team may be nominated for more than one NSERC prize (Herzberg, Polanyi, Brockhouse, Synergy, McDonald or Strickland) in the same year but can only receive one prize in a given year. Nominees may not receive more than one of the following prizes for the same achievement: Brockhouse, Polanyi, or Strickland.