Trailblazer Award Application

The CSPC Trailblazer Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated novelty, creativity and impact through leadership, vision, courage, and commitment to the overall advancement of the science and innovation policy ecosystem. These individuals have been instrumental in the Canadian policy environment by boldly spearheading change via one or more transformative initiatives, all while blazing a trail and inspiring others to follow.

CSPC 2022 will present two Trailblazer Awards, one in each of the categories of Science Policy and Innovation Policy.

CSPC encourages nominations from all disciplines of science (natural sciences and engineering, social and human sciences, and health sciences) and policy, and from all sectors (governments at all levels, academia, private and nonprofit sectors, media, and others).

The nominee must have innovated or catalyzed change that has positively and significantly impacted the Canadian Sciences, Technology and Innovation ecosystem through (at least) one of the following:

• Policy making: has demonstrated novelty and creativity leading to a significant impact on policy making in general, policy making for science and innovation, and/or the use of science in policy making.
• Advancing research: has made significant contributions to research in science policy and/or innovation policy.
• Mobilizing knowledge: has made significant contributions to mobilizing and disseminating knowledge to communities across the country and internationally.
• Community-building: has made a transformative impact in bridging the various stakeholders of science and/or innovation policy, building a more cohesive and connected science and innovation community.
• Championing/advocating: has contributed in innovative and creative ways to promote and raise the profile of science policy and/or innovation policy.
• Capacity-building: has contributed to training, mentoring, inspiring, or developing the next generation of scientists and policy makers by spearheading change through an inclusive and collaborative approach.
• Enhancing productivity/development: has enabled a culture of productivity, economic development, or entrepreneurship.
• Enhancing social innovation: has made distinct and transformative impact and contributions to making human and natural systems more adaptive, sustainable, and resilient.