Trainee Award: Doctoral Thesis Award

NOMINATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15

Recognizing recent PhD graduates for a thesis of exceptional quality and impact

BSC Doctoral Thesis Award

The BSC recognizes the achievements of doctoral trainees in biophysics through the Doctoral Thesis Award (DTA). Recipients are recent graduates of Ph.D. programs at a Canadian University, who defended a doctoral thesis of an exceptional quality and impact in any field of biophysics within one year from the nomination date. Eligibility:
  • The nominee must have defended their PhD within the calendar year (Jan. 01 – Dec. 31) preceding the nomination
  • The PhD thesis must have clear biophysical focus
  • The nominee must have obtained their PhD degree from a doctoral program at a Canadian university

Nomination Process: The DTA nomination must be made by the nominee’s doctoral supervisor (or co-supervisor). Submit a nomination of deserving candidates for the DTA by e-mailing a nomination package to Trushar Patel, chair of the Awards Committee, by the deadline.

The nomination package must include (can be submitted either in English or French):

  • A cover letter from the nominator (the doctoral supervisor or co-supervisor) describing the specific contributions of the nominee to the work, and the impact and originality of the doctoral research (2 pages maximum)
  • A PDF copy of the thesis
  • List of publications (published and submitted) based on the thesis’ materials
  • One supporting letter from the external examiner

Adjudication & Presentation: The DTA recipients are chosen by the Awards Committee, based on the following selection criteria:

  • Impact of the thesis, as judged from publications and their citations, conference presentations, and knowledge translation (if applicable) based on the doctoral work
  • Scientific excellence and originality of the thesis, as judged from the thesis itself, as well as the nomination letter and the supporting letter
  • Excellence of presentation of the thesis, as judged from the thesis itself (language clarity, illustrations, etc.)
  • The leading role of the nominee in the thesis work, as judged from their contributions to conceptualization, experimental design, paper(s) writing, and collaboration development (if applicable)

The DTA winners are recognized at the Annual meeting of the Biophysical Society of Canada and are given a prize of $500. One award per year is offered. The Biophysical Society of Canada is committed to upholding the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and will apply these principles to adjudication of this award.

Congratulations to Our Winners

Award Recipients