The Jamie Smith Memorial Mentoring Award in Ornithology

NOMINATION

Eligibility and Qualities of the Candidates:
    To be eligible, the candidate must have contributed to the training and fostering of Canadian ornithologists.  There are no requirements that the candidate work in a specific field; individuals in academia, public sector, industry, conservation agencies and government are eligible for consideration, providing they exhibit the desired qualities of Jamie Smith himself. 
    The candidate must be recognized by those trained as being a consistent motivator, as well as being diligent in pushing students/colleagues to excel.  The candidate should demonstrate a passion for his/her discipline that is transferred to those that he/she has trained.  The candidate should also instil a sense of integrity in those that he/she mentors.


Nomination Process: 

• Candidates are nominated by former/current students, colleagues and/or peers. 
• There is no formal nomination form, but the nominator should provide a nomination letter addressed to the chair of the committee that includes a short statement (max. 1000 words) indicating how the nominee has influenced the development of other ornithologists through mentoring. 
• Nomination letters should be in either Word or .pdf format, and emailed to the Chair of the committee to allow for distribution to other committee members.
• In the nomination letter or the accompanying email, the full contact information for the candidate should be provided.
• The nomination must be accompanied by at least two additional letters of support from others (these can be in the form of separately submitted emails).  Support letters should not exceed 500 words, and should indicate they have seen and support the nomination letter.  They may then add their own comments on the nominee.
• If a candidate is not chosen to receive the award in the first year nominated, the nominee will be automatically considered for next successive years' competition.  The nominator may update the file in the second year if they so chose, otherwise the existing file will be reconsidered.

Nominations should be sent to:

Ryan Norris
Chair - Jamie Smith Memorial Mentoring Award Committee
Science Complex
University of Guelph,
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
N1G 2W1

tel: 519-824-4120 x56300
fax: 519-767-1656
email: rnorris@uoguelph.ca


Review Process:
Nominees will be reviewed by an SCO subcommittee of 3-4 individuals.  The committee members will be chosen to represent as broad as possible a spectrum of academic, government and non-government agencies.  The current committee consists of:

• Liana Zanette, University of Western Ontario
• Ryan Norris (Chair), University of Guelph