There are eight Educator of the Year categories. The nomination must specify the category.

• Educator of the Year – Pre-clerkship (first and second years of the UGME program)
• Educator of the Year – Clerkship
• Educator of the Year – Residency and Fellowship
• Educator of the Year – Continuing Professional Development (which can include Continuing Medical Education, Faculty Development, or both)
• Educator of the Year – Community Teaching
• Educator of the Year – Translational and Molecular Medicine
• Educator of the Year – Basic Sciences, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
• Educator of the Year – PharmD

Selection criteria

These awards are presented to faculty who have demonstrated outstanding performance in their teaching. Contributions to all aspects of teaching will be considered. The following are examples and are not intended to be exhaustive:

• development and design. Examples include developing new teaching and testing techniques; developing new courses and labs; and demonstrating innovative and engaging teaching methods.
• ability to deliver a high-quality learner experience, including the ability to mentor, motivate, and engage learners
• having variety in their offerings, including teaching different courses, teaching at various levels, and teaching different class sizes
• contributions to planning and administration in an academic program (e.g., course coordination) 

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from learners or faculty members. 

There are two Mentor of the Year categories:

• Mentor of the Year – Basic Sciences
• Mentor of the Year – Clinical

These awards are presented to faculty who have demonstrated outstanding mentorship towards Faculty of Medicine learners and/or faculty members at any stage of their career, and who help to inspire and motivate them. Mentors act as role models and have the potential to shape the learning process and career experience of their mentees. They may be in a formal or informal mentorship role.

Selection criteria

Examples of the behaviours of outstanding mentors include:

• supporting learners and faculty in the development of relevant skills and ensure they appreciate the relevance and value of these skills
• providing emotional and practical support, offering mentees time for reflection and for practicing skills
• demonstrating interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to give comprehensive feedback and the opportunity for mentees to learn from mistakes and develop
• demonstrating innovative teaching skills and the ability to tailor the learning process to meet the needs of their mentees
• promoting and facilitating the development of the core values of professionalism; and
• exuding a positive attitude that inspires and enthuses students and faculty.

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from learners or faculty members. 

While part of the same awards competition, the descriptions of the four Researcher of the Year and four Early-Career Researcher of the Year categories are on a separate webpage. Please view it here: Researcher Awards. 

This award is presented to a faculty member in recognition of the promotion of Francophonie in all aspects of their work in academia and beyond. The impact of their contributions to Francophonie can be at the regional, national and/or international level either through their institution, organizational partners or the community at large.

Selection criteria

• This award recognizes individuals who are actively promoting Francophonie in their work, whether in academia, research, clinical practice or beyond.
• The candidate should have completed a significant portion of their career in French (teaching, clinical practice, research, publications, collaborations, etc.).
• Contributions can include, but are not limited to, implementing systemic changes to promote Francophonie long-term, developming tools to facilitate the learning and uptake of French, and leading initiatives to engage with francophone communities.

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from learners, faculty memberes, or members of the community. 

This award is presented annually to a non-Francophone faculty member whose actions and interventions contribute to the development of the French language and culture.

Selection criteria

This award seeks to recognize individuals who:

• contribute to the development of French language and culture;
• lead by example in the use of French and bilingualism in communications;
• advocate for the cause of the Francophonie in a minority situation;
• believe in and defend the active offer (the active offer is the invitation to communicate using either English or French); and
• promote the "Francophonie" axis of the Faculty of Medicine's strategic plan.

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from learners, faculty memberes, or members of the community. 

This award recognizes a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to advancing the Faculty of Medicine's internationalization mission, signigicantly enhancing the Faculty's engagement, influence, and impact on the global stage. 

Selection criteria

An ideal candidate demonstrates: 

• excellence in building and sustaining international collaborations that align with the Faculty's strategic platforms
• meaningful impact in education, research, and/or student and trainee exchange, including joint programs, collaborative research, or reciprocal mobility opportunities, 
• leadership and cultural fluency in working across diverse global academic and healthcare environments
• innovation and initiative in developing new or enhanced international partnerships 
• a commitment to mutually beneficial and sustainable relationships that strengthen the Faculty's global presence and reputation 

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from learners or faculty members. 

This award recognizes the most skilled and dedicated Faculty member who demonstrates exceptional leadership and commitment in advancing the Faculty strategic mandate of Global Health.

Selection criteria

This award seeks to recognize individuals who are actively working for the advancement of the Faculty of Medicine’s Global Health strategic mandate by, for example:

• demonstrating advocacy and altruism to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable populations,
• promoting and engaging in a multidisciplinary approach Global Health initiatives, and
• exhibiting a true commitment to advancing and supporting the Global Health mission, vision and strategic direction of Faculty.

Candidates may have participated in the following activities (not an exhaustive list): research on global health programs to identify best practices and potential collaborations, innovative projects with a lasting impact on marginalized populations (locally, nationally, or abroad), or contributions during an international crisis.

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from learners, faculty memberes, or members of the community. 

This award is presented annually to a faculty member in recognition of service excellence in their academic, teaching, administrative, and/or leadership roles. Their work and efforts have supported the University community or a subset thereof (e.g., learners, staff, faculty) and have contributed to the advancement towards the University’s and Faculty’s goals. The nomination letter should objectively portray the nominee’s accomplishments during the year or ongoing service excellence over multiple years, touching on as many of the selection criteria as possible.

Selection criteria

The candidate stands out among their peers and makes an exceptional contribution to fulfilling the University’s vision of service excellence by:

• having a positive impact on the learner, support staff, and/or faculty member experience
• contributing to the Faculty’s and University’s mandate
  • Examples of areas of impact and service include education, research, engagement, EDI, wellness, Francophonie, internationalization and global health, Indigenous health, planetary health, social accountability, operations, etc.
• collaborating across boundaries, exercising skill and professionalism, reflecting a positive attitude, and acting benevolently and with regard

• demonstrating creativity and initiative in improving service quality, finding innovative solutions, and having a notable impact.  

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from members of the Faculty of Medicine community. 

This award is presented to a faculty member in recognition of their work for the promotion and enhancement of the well-being of others. The Faculty Wellness Program would like to celebrate the initiative of these individuals by formally recognizing their efforts and contributions to the success of the Faculty of Medicine. The nomination letter must objectively portray the nominee’s accomplishments during the year or ongoing leadership over multiple years.

Selection criteria

This award seeks to recognize individuals who are committed to advancing the health and well-being of their co-workers, colleagues, and/or learners through a commitment to activities such as advocacy, education, scholarship and/or service.

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from learners or faculty members. 

This award is presented annually to a faculty member in recognition of their work for the promotion of EDIIA throughout their research, teaching, administrative, leaderships, and/or advocacy activities at the Faculty. The nomination letter should objectively portray the nominee’s accomplishments during the year or ongoing leadership over multiple years, touching on as many of the selection criteria as possible.

Selection criteria

This award recognizes individuals who are committed, through activities such as advocacy, education, scholarship and/or service, to:

• creating an inclusive and equitable working and learning environment; encouraging diversity, commitment and belonging;
• promoting awareness and sensitivity to issues of equity, diversity, inclusivity, Indigenization, and accessibility at the Faculty;
• promoting equity in relation to recruitment, retention and the promotion of faculty members, learners and staff;
• creating processes for allyship and addressing systems of oppression (examples include but are not limited to ableism, racism, sexism, classism, colonialism, ageism, heterosexism, etc.). 

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from learners, faculty members, or others impacted by the nominee's work. 

This award is presented to a faculty member in recognition of their contribution to social accountability at the Faculty of Medicine by engaging, partnering with, and responding to the needs of communities or regions we serve. Social accountability here is broadly defined as the obligation to direct the Faculty’s education, research and service activities towards addressing the priority health concerns of the community, region, and/or nation we have a mandate to serve.

Selection criteria

This award seeks to recognize individuals who contribute to activities that have improved the social accountability of the Faculty of Medicine’s:

1. organization and function
2. education of doctors (undergraduate, postgraduate, graduate and/or continuing professional development)
3. research activities
4. contribution to health services for our community, region, and nation

The selected candidate will demonstrate commitment to social accountability through community engagement activities that:

• are relevant to one or more priority needs for communities as determined by those communities themselves;
• have the potential to reduce health inequity;
• demonstrate sensitivity to context;
• increase the quality and efficiency of care;
• establish realistic pathways to achieve impact.

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package for this category must include at least one letter of support from a community partner (an individual or an organization).

This award is presented to a faculty member who recognizes the importance of promoting ethical and professional behaviour within our community, demonstrates exemplary professionalism and embodies the Faculty’s core professionalism values: which could include one or more of the following: respect, collaboration, excellence, compassion and empathy, integrity and honesty, altruism, wellness, equity, confidentiality, responsibility and accountability, dedication and self-improvement. The nomination letter should include specific examples of how the individual exemplifies the attributes of professionalism and touch on as many of the selection criteria as possible.

Selection criteria

The candidate is recognized for making an exceptional contribution to activities that have promoted professionalism core values at the Faculty by (the following are examples and are not intended to be exhaustive):

• Modelling and advocating for exemplary conduct in the work environment;
• Leadership in enhancing professional behaviour amongst the faculty;
• Encouraging professional identity formation in learners;
• Contribution in scholarly work that explores and advances the field;

• Evidence of previous recognition by colleagues, trainees or patients.

In addition to the nomination letter, the nomination package may include letters of support from learners or faculty members.