The University of Ottawa Open Scholarship Award recognizes leaders who demonstrate excellence in supporting and practicing open scholarship. Open scholarship encompasses all aspects of open science, such as open access, open data and open educational resources in both teaching and research.

The Open Scholarship Award was created by the Library and is co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (OVPRI) to recognize faculty members, librarians and instructional staff who are committed to exploring the opportunities afforded by the global shift toward an open ecosystem of scholarly research and teaching. 

To be eligible for the prize, candidates must:

• be full-time or part-time faculty members, librarians or instructional staff employed by the University of Ottawa;
• have produced the work under consideration or demonstrated a recent (e.g. within the last two years) commitment to open science practices, engagement, and tools;
• have the support of at least one peer for their nomination;
• submit their nomination package before the deadline (To Be Confirmed) for next year.

The maximum value for the prize is $4,000 (four thousand dollars), to be deposited into the recipient’s general research account.  

Submissions are welcome in either official language. Submissions must be received before the deadline (To Be Confirmed) for next year. Please include your last name and OS Award in the subject line.

Each nomination must include the following:

• contact information for candidate;
• a letter of support from one or more peers, at least one of whom must be a full-time or part-time faculty member, librarian or instructional staff employed by the University of Ottawa, (letters of support may be included with the nomination package or sent separately to [email protected]);
• a short supporting explanation written by the candidate detailing their commitment to open scholarship. (Between 250-500 words is recommended.)
• Links to openly accessible teaching materials and/or research outputs are encouraged. 
   

Examples of open scholarship

• Teaching materials are made openly available
• Reuse of open data
• Data produced is open and available for reuse
• Open access publishing
• Openness in sharing research outputs
• Students are encouraged to share their work openly
• Open educational resources are incorporated in coursework
• Involvement in Open Government initiatives
• Use or creation of open-source software, source code and hardware  
• Use of Creative Commons licenses
• Commitment to using or developing open research infrastructure (e.g., open labs or open science platforms)
   

Nominations will be evaluated by the University of Ottawa Open Scholarship Award Committee. Candidates will be assessed based on their demonstrated commitment to one or more of the following: 

Openness in Research (e.g. research outputs available openly, data openly available, makes use of open resources)

Openness in Teaching (e.g. makes syllabi and course materials openly available, uses OERs, creates OERs)

Open Advocacy (e.g. championing and raising awareness inside and outside of the University)

Mentoring students or early career researchers (e.g. involves graduate students in open science practices; collaborates with early-career researchers to encourage open scholarship)
 

2016: Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. Professor, Faculty of Law - Common Law Section.

2017: Raywat Deonandan, Epidemiologist and Science Communicator. Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences.

2018: Kelly Cobey, Publications Officer at the Centre for Journalology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Adjunct Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health.

2018: Teresa Scassa, Canada Research Chair in Information Law and Policy. Professor, Faculty of Law - Common Law Section.

2019: Alison Flynn, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science

2020: Stefanie Haustein, Assistant Professor in the School of Information Studies, Faculty of Arts

2021: Emily Regan Wills, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences

2022: Matthieu Boisgontier, Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

2023: Lynne Bowker, Full Professor in the School of Translation and Interpretation, Faculty of Arts