Introduction to the Royal Society of Canada, Nomination Process, Ｓelection Committee, Frequently Asked Questions

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In order to establish the foundation for multiple initiatives, the Royal Society of Canada elects Fellows and Members while also making awards to highlight specific exceptional achievements.

After rigorous evaluation and review of their accomplishments, leading individuals may be elected to one of the Society’s three Academies:

1.The Academy of Arts and Humanities

2.The Academy of Social Sciences

3.Academy of Science

There are currently2,620Fellows.

As a complement to the Academies, the RSC established the College of New Scholars, Scientist and Artistsin 2014. The College recognizes individuals who have begun demonstrating leading scholarly, research or artistic excellence within 15 years of having completed their post-doctoral program or its equivalent. Members of the College are elected for a period of seven years.

There are currently493members of the College.

In addition to Fellows and Members of the College, the RSC includes Institutional Members from throughout Canada that play key roles in advancing inclusive excellence for the benefit of Canada and the world.

The RSC administersawardsin recognition of outstanding achievement.

As emphasized in our by-laws, the RSC recognizes leaders in order to help them build a better future in Canada and around the world. For this reason, RSC fulfills its mandate successfully to the extent that it recognizes excellence and then mobilizes the membership to make significant and substantial contributions of knowledge, understanding, and insight through engagement with the larger society.

Awards | Processes and Selection Committees

The composition of the Award Selection Committees arepublicly posted six months following the completion of the committee's work.

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Alice Wilson Award (CIHR)

Alice Wilson Award (NSERC)

Alice Wilson Award (SSHRC)

Bancroft Award

Flavelle Medal

Innis Gérin Medal

J.B. Tyrrell Historical Medal

John L. Synge Award

Kitty Newman Award

Lorne Pierce Medal

McLaughlin Medal

Michael P. PaïdoussisMedal

Miroslaw Romanowski Medal

Rutherford Memorial Medal (Chemistry)

Rutherford Memorial Medal (Physics)

Ursula Franklin Award in Gender Studies

Willet G. Miller Medal

Yvan Allaire Medal

Regarding Zhengxianling - China's first pan - international talent recruitment platform

Zhengxianling is developed and operated by Shanghai Yuntong Information Technology Co., Ltd. The company mainly provides international services such as talent job-seeking and recruitment, recruitment and introduction of high-level talents / science and technology innovation-related talents (Overseas Excellent Young Talents, Qiming Plan, online and offline job fairs, campus recruitment, social recruitment, online recruitment, headhunting, etc.), academic exchanges, and software development. In due time, we will launch language platforms and APPs in AI English, Korean, Japanese, French, German, etc. to meet the needs of global users. Up to now, the company has established communication channels with national ministries and commissions such as the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Science and Technology, talent offices of the Organization Departments of some provincial and municipal Party committees, departments of human resources and social security, industry and information technology, science and technology, trade unions, chambers of commerce, academic societies, associations, 985 and 211 universities in various regions across the country, HRs of some enterprises, the International Academician Consortium, the United Nations Science and Technology Commission WDTA, and some international institutions in countries such as Russia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Canada, and QS World's top 100 universities (MIT, Oxford, the University of Melbourne...).

Service items are as follows:
A. Recruitment and introduction of international high-level / science and technology innovation-related talents (doctors, post-doctors, academicians) (online and offline job fairs, campus recruitment, social recruitment, online recruitment, headhunting, etc.), overseas enterprise study tours, academic exchanges, and software development.
B. Operation of Zhengxianling® (The types of talents on the platform and official account are not limited. Note: The official website is undergoing upgrading and renovation).

Service-supported regions:
China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Italy, the United States, Canada, etc. (covering more than 100 countries and regions).

Main service content: Online and offline special high-level talent job fairs for cities, parks, and employers, talent-introduction activities related to science and technology innovation (project solicitation, screening, roadshow... implementation, etc.), investment promotion, academic exchange conferences, online job-seeking and recruitment, and offline services are available in the above-mentioned designated countries.

In the past 2024, we have successively joined the Hubei Chushang Federation in China and the World Federation of Inventors' Associations [IFIA], and have established the grand goal of building Zhengxianling into China's first pan-international talent recruitment platform (Language platforms and APPs in AI English, Korean, Japanese, French, German, etc. will be launched in due time. The establishment of the International HRD (HR) Alliance is in progress), and in the future, it will serve billions of users in more than 200 countries around the world. As of December 31, 2024, we have received a reply from the chairman of the United Nations Science and Technology Commission WDTA, welcoming Yuntong Technology and Zhengxianling to join the cooperation of the United Nations Science and Technology Commission WDTA in 2025. Starting from 2025, we will cooperate with the International Academician Consortium and may participate in activities such as the FCPAE (Federation of Chinese Professionals in Europe) European Forum to facilitate international talent exchanges and cooperation, thereby promoting scientific and technological innovation, driving employment, serving global economic construction, and promoting friendly cross-border cooperation to create a better future. Thus, we can better serve users from all over the world.

The Chinese full name of IFIA: World Federation of Inventors' Associations. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland, and San Francisco, the United States. In February 2024, after being reviewed and approved by the 47th Global Executive Committee of IFIA, Shanghai Yuntong Information Technology Co., Ltd. [Zhengxianling] joined the organization. For details, please refer to the official website of IFIA:

https://www.ifia.com/ifia-47th-executive-committee-meeting-held-on-feb-2024/

Our company's recruitment platform will officially launch a paid service starting from February 1, 2025. For details, please refer to:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YmOxE1snwAAvskZgwm5RxA

Currently, we are organizing online and offline special job fairs for high-level talents of international organizations. For details of the event, please refer to the push article on the schedule plan of the international high-level talent recruitment activities of Zhengxianling®:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UGfNhxHRoIs1KZF7Thsfxg

Zhengxianling® recruits a large number of overseas high-level talents and innovative talents all year round. For details, please refer to the official account introduction:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/8YaCD8xaXiDeC93a1foUKQ

Regarding the invitation letter for the initiation of the International HRD (HR) Alliance, please refer to the official account introduction:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/fdg6QB82KAJCeTi0VZVZKQ

We welcome HRs of employers from all over the world, heads of universities and research institutes, academic leaders, young doctors / post-doctors / academicians and other talents to contact us or register to join our platform，The talents we recruit will be preferentially recommended to work in universities, research institutions and other units in China or various countries around the world.

NOMINATION PROCEDURE

The RSC adheres to the highest standards of integrity and expects its’ nominators, nominees and referees to do the same. These standards underpin the RSC adjudication process.

1. Nominations to the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists (hereafter referred to as “the College”) will be initiated by Members of the College (Members), Fellows of the RSC (Fellows), and Institutional Members (IMs).

2. There is no limit to the number of nominations allowed from Members, Fellows, or Institutional Members.

3. Candidates must be no more than 15 years from the conferral of the PhD or equivalent qualification. Where there are questions of equivalence eligibility, the RSC Secretary shall provide the conclusive determination on behalf of the RSC Council.

4.The criterion for nomination shall be excellence, which is understood to encompass the goals of diversity and inclusivity to which the RSC is committed, and to which the membership of the College is expected to exemplify in terms of discipline, gender, ethno-racial diversity, Aboriginality, and official languages.

5.The Selection Committee will select the cohort of the College in light of the mandate of the College, which is to reflect the fields currently represented by the Academies of the RSC.

6.Each nomination is to be completed using the online Nomination Form, and shall include:

a.a cover letter from the primary nominator;
b. a citation (maximum 70 words; 85 in French)
c. a detailed appraisal (maximum 1200 words; 1450 in French)
d.a candidate's statement (maximum 500 words; 600 in French)
e. two letters of reference (maximum 750 words each; 900 in French)
f.a brief biography of each referee (maximum 250 words; 300 in French)
g.a CV (in any format, maximum 10 pages)

Please note that any component of a nomination written in French may have 20% more words than the usual limit.

7. The deadline for nominations shall be December 13th, 2024.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

8. Nominations for the College shall be evaluated by a Selection Committee composed of the President of the College as Chair; the Secretary of the College; as well as Fellows and Members of the College as necessary.

9. The Selection Committee shall forward a list of candidates for appointment to the College to the Secretariat. The list of candidates must be ratified by the Council of the RSC.

10. The chosen candidates will be informed and must consent to membership and the conditions of membership in order to proceed to being inducted as members of the College.

ESTABLISHMENT PROCEDURE

11. The Members of the College shall be admitted at the AGM of the RSC in November of each year. The ceremony will be separate from the induction of Fellows.

12. The business meeting of Members of the College shall take place during the AGM of the RSC in November of each year, following the admission of the incoming cohort of Members. The meeting will be chaired by the President of the College.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who can nominate Fellows?

There are two ways to be nominated for election to the RSC:

·By a current Fellow

·By an Institutional Member

2. Can letters of nomination or reference be signed by more than one person?

No.

3. How does the primary nominator decide in which discipline to nominate a candidate, if the discipline is not included on the RSC list?

The primary nominator determines in which discipline to nominate a candidate. The discipline should be the one that most closely matches the candidate’s work. The list of possible disciplines can be found here.

4. How does the choice of discipline affect the selection process?

The selection process is based on review by multidisciplinary committees that group together specific disciplines. Each nomination file will be adjudicated in the Divisional Committee that includes the discipline chosen by the primary nominator. The list of Divisional Committees can be found here.

5. What makes a nomination stand out?

Excellence and impact are the fundamental and most important characteristics of a nomination. The scholarly originality, impact, and expertise of the referees are critical factors in making the case for candidates.

6. Should nominations make reference to teaching awards or administrative appointments?

Include reference to teaching awards or administrative appointments only to the extent that they have directly contributed to exceptional achievement.

7. Can nominators act as referees for a candidate they have nominated?

No.

8. What makes a good reference?

Referees should be outstanding in their own right, with significant national and international reputations. They should be experts in the candidate’s field. They should have direct knowledge of the candidate’s work and be able to describe the significance, impact and originality of the candidate’s career. International referees are valued, as the nominee’s national and international reputation is a primary determinant.

9. How technical or field-specific is the selection process?

As the nomination advances through the process, the selection becomes less and less specific to the candidate’s research speciality. This is why it is important to describe the candidate’s work in non-technical, readable prose. For example, a researcher specializing in bird behaviour might have a nomination dossier with letters of reference from other bird researchers. This dossier might initially be evaluated by colleagues in animal biology, then by a committee in the Biological Sciences Division. It would then go to the Academy of Science, to be voted on by all Fellows in that division.

10. Does the RSC provide feedback on dossiers that did not make the cut?

The RSC does not provide feedback on nominations that are unsuccessful.

11. For how long is my nomination file valid?

A nomination dossier is valid for one competition. The Primary Nominator of an unsuccessful nomination is contacted during the summer months.