2025 Early Career Scholar Award: Call for Nominations

The Vanier Institute of the Family is pleased to invite nominations for the Early Career Scholar Award. The award is a new initiative recognizing outstanding contributions to the understanding of families and family life in Canada by emerging scholars. It celebrates the achievements of early career scholars who have demonstrated exceptional potential for research, leadership, or innovation in advancing knowledge about families in all their diversities.

Eligibility criteria

• Nominees must have received their PhD within the past seven years.
• Contributions must reflect excellence in research that aligns with the Vanier Institute’s mission of fostering knowledge and understanding about family diversities and wellbeing in Canada.
• Nominations can be submitted by peers, supervisors, and mentors; self-nominations are not permitted.

Submission Guidelines

Nominations must be submitted via the Institute’s website and include the following:

• A completed nomination form.
• The nominee’s CV or resume.
• A letter (maximum two pages) outlining the nominee’s contributions, including research significance, leadership and innovative initiatives, and how they align with the Vanier Institute’s mission.
• Up to two supporting documents (e.g., academic publications, reports, or other relevant materials).

Selection criteria

The jury will evaluate nominations based on:

• Excellence in research: demonstrated high-quality research that advances understanding of families and family life in Canada, reflecting the Vanier Institute’s mission to foster knowledge and understanding of family diversities and wellbeing.
• Leadership and innovation: evidence of potential for leadership in the field of family studies through mentorship, engagement in the community or with practitioners or policy makers, the development of novel approaches, methodologies, or frameworks that enhance the study of families.
• Demonstrated ability to share research findings beyond academic audiences: engagement with community organizations, media, or policymakers to mobilize knowledge about families in Canada. 

Deadline and announcement

Nominations must be submitted by March 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

The winner will be announced on June 12, 2025. The announcement will be shared on our website, through email, and across our social media channels via a news release.

For more information or if you have any questions regarding the Early Career Scholar Award, please contact [email protected].