Distinguished Research Award - Research & Innovation

Distinguished Research Award (established 1986)

The Distinguished Research Award is the highest honour conferred by Trent University for research and scholarly activity.

An award will be made annually to a member of the Trent Faculty, including Professors Emeriti, in recognition of a full career of internationally recognized intellectual contributions, including:

Consistency in the production of scholarly materials appropriate to the scholar’s discipline;
Significant contributions to research and scholarly activity as documented by organizations that advance research, professional technical committees, and/or professional, literary, and artistic associations;
Significant direct contributions towards the training of high qualified personnel (HQP);
Receipt of research funding, at levels appropriate to the scholar’s discipline.

All Trent University tenured faculty who have been employed as least six (6) years at Trent are eligible for nomination. The award will rotate annually between humanities, social sciences and natural sciences research. The nominator will confirm the principal research area within which the candidate should be considered. Faculty members who conduct natural science based research are eligible to be nominated for the 2025 award.

The award will be adjudicated in two stages:

1. Nominations of eligible applicants can be made to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation by any member of the Trent community by December 10, 2024. These will include the name of the nominee and one paragraph outlining their eligibility.

2. Nominators will be advised by the Vice-President, Research and Innovation if they should proceed to compile the full nomination dossier, which is due no later than February 10, 2025.

Distinguished Research Award Terms of Reference

The 2024 Distinguished Research Award competition has closed.

Distinguished Research Award Past Recipients

2023 - Dr. Hugh Elton (Ancient Greek and Roman Studies)
2022 - Dr. David Patton (Physics and Astronomy)
2021 - Dr. Sally Chivers (English and Gender & Women's Studies)
2020 - Dr. Antonio Cazorla-Sanchez (History)
2018 - Dr. Erica Nol (Biology)
2017 - Dr. Stephen Bocking (School of the Environment)
2016 - Dr. David M. K. Sheinin (History)
2015 - Dr. Suresh Narine (Biomaterials)
2014 - Dr. Haroon Akram-Lodhi (International Development Studies)
2013 - Dr. Ian Storey (Ancient History and Classics)
2012 - Dr. Don Mackay (Chemistry)
2011 - Dr. Jacqueline Solway (International Development Studies)
2010 - Dr. Bryan Palmer (Canadian Studies)
2009 - Dr. Douglas Evans (ERS)
2008 - Dr. Stephen Katz (Sociology)
2007 - Dr. Jim Struthers (Canadian Studies)
2006 - Dr. Chris Metcalfe (Environment/Resource Studies)
2005 - Dr. Barbara Marshall (Sociology)
2004 - Dr. Leonard Conolly (English Literature)
2003 - Dr. Peter Dillon (Environment/Resource Studies)
2002 - Dr. John Topic (Anthropology)
2001 - Dr. Joan Sangster (Women's Studies)
2000 - Dr. Carlyle Smith (Psychology)
1999 - Dr. Alena Heitlinger (Sociology)
1998 - Dr. Michael Peterman (English Literature)
1997 - Dr. Tom Hutchinson (ERS/Biology)
1996 - Dr. Robert Paehlke (Political Studies/ERS)
1995 - Dr. Doug McCalla (History)
1994 - Dr. Ray March (Chemistry)
1993 - Dr. Paul Healy (Anthropology)
1992 - Dr. John Burbidge (Philosophy)
1991 - Dr. Gordon Winocur (Psychology)
1990 - Dr. Joan Vastokas (Anthropology)
1989 - Dr. John Fekete (English Literature/Cultural Studies)
1988 - Dr. Keith Oldham (Chemistry)
1987 - Dr. David Kettler (Political Studies)
1986 - Dr. John Gilchrist (History)