Renée Soulodre-La France Excellence in Research Award (Early Career)

About the Renée Soulodre-La France Excellence in Research Award (Early Career)

The Renée Soulodre-La France Excellence in Research Award (Early Career) was established in 2019 to recognize the exceptional research work of faculty members who are in the early stages of their professional lives. In 2024, the award was renamed in honour of Dr. Renée Soulodre-La France, History Professor Emerita who served as an Associate Dean and showed an unwavering commitment to advancing and supporting research during her tenure.  This award recognizes a faculty member who has earned distinction for themselves and for King’s as a result of the outstanding characteristics and significance of their research. 

Criteria for the Award

Nominees must be full-time faculty members at King’s at the Assistant Professor level and must be actively involved in a research program at King's University College at Western University.

Additionally, they must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  1. have completed their highest degree no more than seven years before the nomination deadline (only the date of completion of the first doctorate); or
  2. have held a tenured or tenure-track post-secondary appointment for less than seven years; or
  3. have held a post-secondary appointment, but never a tenure-track position (in the case of institutions that offer tenure-track positions); or
  4. have had their careers significantly interrupted or delayed for health or family reasons within the past seven years.

The following criteria will structure the adjudication committee’s definition of Excellence:

  1. Quality of scholarly production as measured by peer-reviewed publications, or its impact on policy;
  2. National and/or international recognition of the research;
  3. The influence and the impact of the research upon the field and related scholarship;
  4. The innovation and originality of the research;
  5. The impact of the work on the discipline in relation to the stage of the researcher’s career;
  6. Demonstration of exceptional promise for early career researchers;
  7. Sustained production of research;
  8. Dissemination and communication of research productivity through conferences and workshops;
  9. Mentorship and leadership in research excellence;
  10. Recognition of Research Excellence through external funding received from the Tri-Agencies (SSHRC, CIHR, and NSERC) and other funding sponsors;
  11. Participation in national and international research networks and collaboration.

Nomination Process and Deadline

The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, February 7, 2025.

Nomination packages must include:

  1. A letter of nomination (maximum 2 pages) providing a rationale for why the nominee merits this award should be signed by the nominator and include a minimum of two additional signatories in support of the nomination. The nominator must be a King’s full-time faculty member. Additional signatories need not be affiliated with King’s.
  2. Candidates can nominate themselves. In such cases, the letter of nomination should be signed by the nominator and include a minimum of two additional signatories in support of the nomination. Additional signatories need not be affiliated with King’s.
  3. The letter of nomination should also describe how the nominee’s research contributions to the field align with King’s strategic plan and advance King’s research priorities – community engagement, ethical action, and social justice.
  4. Upon receipt of the nomination packages, the Chair of the Research Committee will contact nominees to congratulate them on their nomination and confirm the acceptance of nomination. If the nominee accepts, they will be asked to provide the following:
    • a cover letter (max. three pages) outlining outstanding achievements and evidence of excellence in research and scholarship with reference to the criteria;
    • one external reviewer’s letter of support (signatories to the letter of nomination may not serve as external reviewer);
    • CV (format and length as appropriate in the discipline); and,
    • An Impact Statement (one-page) on the most significant research contributions.

Please submit the nomination package via OWL using this link.

Award Recipients