Spotlight Awards
Purpose
The Healthy Research Teams & Labs Spotlight Awards recognize activities that improve U of T’s research culture. The goal of the Spotlight Awards is to highlight healthy research practices as well as other activities that make our research team environments welcoming, creative, and collaborative.
Eligibility
Nomination materials should identify all contributors, who will be jointly recognized for their work on the nominated activity. Any member of the University of Toronto community (students, post-docs, staff, librarians, faculty) is eligible to be included in a nomination. Self-nominations are also welcome.
Activities must have taken place at U of T (or an affiliated hospital, provided the contributors are members of the U of T community). Eligible activities should have positively influenced local research practices, environments, or culture, in order to improve the experience of working in research teams at U of T.
Nomination process
Submissions must include a nomination statement (maximum two pages) written by a member or members of the University of Toronto community, detailing an activity that has helped to foster a healthy research culture at the University of Toronto. The statement should explain who contributed to the activity and how it has positively influenced the experience of working in a research team environment at the University of Toronto. The submission must describe how the activity aligns with at least one of the following areas of the Healthy Research Teams & Labs organizing framework as it relates to research teams:
- Equity & Belonging: Fostering a diverse, inclusive, and just research community
- Group Collaboration: Enhancing the collaborative spirit of our research environments
- Leadership: Broadening and deepening research leadership and management expertise
- Professional Development: Increasing capacity to meet trainee professional development needs for diverse careers
- Research Innovation & Integrity: Promoting openness, honesty, rigour, and professionalism
- Supervision & Mentorship: Supporting positive supervisory and mentoring relationships
- Well-being: Prioritizing work-life balance, health and safety in the research environment, and a sense of belonging
Each submission should also include a minimum of two statements of support (one of which should be from a Principal, Dean, Vice-Dean, Associate Dean, Chair, or Academic Director) that speak to the impact of the nominated activity.
Nomination materials must be submitted by email to cgpd@utoronto.ca by end of day June 27, 2025.
Selection criteria
Submissions will be evaluated by CGPD staff and members of the SGS decanal team, using the following criteria:
- Alignment with the Healthy Research Teams & Labs framework
- Convincing account of the influence of the activity on healthy research team environments
Each contributor to an activity selected for recognition will be honoured at the annual Healthy Research Teams & Labs Symposium.