Multidisciplinary Collaboration Award

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Purpose

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering (CEEMP) Multidisciplinary Collaboration Award recognizes an individual faculty member or a team whose work exemplifies genuine, sustained, and impactful multidisciplinary collaboration across sub-disciplines within the Department.

The award is intended to:

  • Reinforce the Department’s strategic commitment to cross-disciplinary research, teaching, and service
  • Encourage collaboration across Structural, Environmental, Geotechnical, Transportation, Construction, Water Resources, Mining, Petroleum and related CEEMP areas
  • Highlight models of collaboration that enhance research excellence, educational innovation, and societal impact

Eligibility

  • Eligible nominees include:
    • Individual faculty members, or
    • Teams of two or more faculty members within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Collaborations must involve meaningful participation across at least two CEEMP sub-disciplines
  • Both tenured/tenure-track and teaching faculty are eligible
  • A team or individual may not receive the award in two consecutive years

 Nature of the Award

  • The award shall be presented annually, subject to the availability of suitable nominations
  • The award will be presented at the Department’s End-of-Year Event (typically December)
  • The award may include:
    • A monetary component (e.g., gift certificates), funded through a Departmental endowment or other approved source
    • Formal recognition by the Department, including announcement via departmental communications (e.g., newsletter, website)

Selection Criteria

Nominees will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  1. Depth and Authenticity of Collaboration
    • Evidence of genuine integration across disciplines (not parallel or nominal involvement)
  2. Impact
    • Demonstrated outcomes such as joint research initiatives, co-supervised HQP, shared infrastructure, interdisciplinary teaching innovations, or externally funded collaborative projects
  3. Alignment with Departmental Values
    • Contributions that advance the Department’s mission, strategic priorities, and culture of collegiality
  4. Sustainability and Leadership
    • Evidence that the collaboration is sustained or has catalyzed broader multidisciplinary engagement within the Department

Nomination Process

  • Nominations may be submitted by:
    • Faculty members
    • Department leadership
    • Committees within the Department
  • A nomination package shall include:
    • A brief nomination statement (maximum 2 pages) outlining the collaboration and its impact
    • A short CV (or team bios) highlighting relevant collaborative activities
  • Self-nominations are permitted  

Nomination Timeline and Deadlines

  • The call for nominations shall be issued annually in early September.
  • The nomination period shall remain open for approximately 6–8 weeks.
  • The annual nomination deadline shall be October 30 of each calendar year.
  • Following the close of nominations:
    • The Awards and Nominations Committee will review and assess nominations during November.
    • The Committee may convene one or more meetings as required to complete its assessment.
  • Award recipient(s) will be selected and notified prior to December 1, to allow for announcement and presentation planning.
  • The award will be formally presented at the Department’s End-of-Year Event.

Selection Committee

  • The award recipient(s) will be selected by the Awards and Nomination Committee
  • The Committee reserves the right:
    • Not to confer the award in a given year if no suitable nomination is received
    • To refine criteria or processes as the award matures

Review and Amendments

  • These Terms of Reference may be reviewed periodically by the Awards and Nominations Committee