Awards and Nominations Information

Each year, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society™ (CCS) recognizes the outstanding achievements of individual Canadians and Canadian organizations that contribute to cardiovascular health and care. CCS Awards are granted for excellence in research, teaching, exemplary care, prevention of cardiovascular diseases and overall career contribution. We encourage you to nominate worthy individuals from across the country for these prestigious awards.

Nominations may be submitted between March 7 and May 1, 2011. These awards of excellence are presented annually at the CCS Awards Ceremony held during the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress. Award criteria and information on how to submit nominations is provided below.

CCS Awards

• ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - "in recognition of Canadians who have made outstanding contributions in their career within the cardiovascular field"
• Award Criteria and How to submit a nomination



• RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - "in recognition of research excellence, working on an aspect of cardiovascular research in Canada"
  • Award Criteria and How to submit a nomination



• DISTINGUISHED TEACHER AWARD - "acknowledgement of an individual’s excellence in teaching over the long term in any of the cardiovascular fields"
  • Award Criteria and How to submit a nomination



• DR. HAROLD N. SEGALL AWARD OF MERIT - "in recognition of a significant contribution to the prevention of cardiovascular disease or the promotion of cardiovascular health in Canadians"
  • Award Criteria and How to submit a nomination



• YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD - "young investigator whose clinical or basic science activities are in the area of cardiovascular disease"
  • Award Criteria and How to submit a nomination


• TRAINEE EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD - "acknowledges a CCS Member-in-Training for their extraordinary accomplishment in all aspects of medical education in any of the cardiovascular fields, be that adult cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, pediatric cardiology or pure research"
  • Award Criteria and How to submit a nomination



• STUDENT PRESENTATION AWARD - "scientific merit and excellence of presentation and research work done by a resident, research fellow, or graduate student in a training program"
  • Award Criteria and How to submit a nomination



• DR. ROBERT E. BEAMISH AWARD - "The Award is presented to the first author of an original research article published during the preceding three years in The Canadian Journal of Cardiology and judged to have the greatest (potential) impact on cardiovascular medicine"
  • Award Criteria and How to submit a nomination

Other Awards:

The CCS factors in the determination of the following awards through its Scientific Program Committee and its abstract submission process.

• Dr. Paul Cartier Cardiac Surgery Resident Award
• Richard Rowe Research Prize

CCS AWARDS

Annual Achievement Award

The Annual Achievement Award was created in 1992 in recognition of Canadians who have made outstanding contributions in their career within the cardiovascular field.

Award Criteria:
CCS Members are asked to nominate an individual whose/who:

1. Career has significantly aided the growth of and support to the cardiovascular field;
2. Is a Canadian citizen, but is not required to be a Member of the Society;
3. Contains highly respected attributes relative to this Award

A Nomination submission must include the following documents:

1. a Letter of Recommendation summarizing the candidate's highly respected attributes relative to this Award
2. a 1-2 page Biography of the nominee

Submit a Nomination using any one of the following methods:

Award Prize:
In addition to the plaque presentation at the annual CCS Awards Ceremony, which takes place during the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, the Annual Achievement Award recipient will receive a cash prize of $1,000, reasonable coverage of travel expenses, two-nights hotel accommodation and complimentary registration for the current year's Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

Research Achievement Award

This award was created in 1982 in recognition of research excellence. The acknowledgement is offered to an established investigator working on an aspect of cardiovascular research in Canada. 

Award Criteria:
Nominations are sought for this most prestigious award from CCS Members, Deans of Canadian Medical Schools and Heads and Program Directors of Cardiovascular Programs in Canada.

The research should:

1. have an identifiable theme;
2. have been conducted, at least in part, in Canada;
3. and the nominee should currently be actively engaged in research.

A Nomination submission must include the following documents:

1. Three letters of support, at least two of them from outside the nominee’s institution. One of the supporters will serve as the primary nominator and must be responsible for gathering the additional two letters of support and related materials;
2. A copy of the nominee’s CV.

Note: The selection committee relies heavily on the letters of nomination and support, which should therefore be detailed and provide a clear rationale for the nomination.

Submit a Nomination using any one of the following methods:

Award Prize and Oral Presentation:
In addition to the plaque presentation at the annual CCS Awards Ceremony, which takes place during the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, the Research Achievement Award recipient will receive a cash prize of $2,000, reasonable coverage of travel expenses, two-nights hotel accommodation and complimentary registration for the current year's Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.  The recipient of this Award will also be asked to present a forty-minute dissertation at the current year's Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, highlighting selected aspects of his or her research work.  When appropriate, one runner-up may be presented with a $1,000 cheque and a plaque.

Distinguished Teacher Award

This award was created in 1997 as acknowledgement of an individual’s excellence in teaching over the long term in any of the cardiovascular fields. Recipients of this award are applauded for their dedication to teach in this scientific specialty.

Award Criteria:
Nominations for this award are solicited from the general membership of the Society, from the Deans of Canadian medical schools, and from the Heads and Program Directors of the divisions of cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, pediatric cardiology and cardiovascular research groups.

A Nomination submission must include the following documents:

1. a letter from the primary nominator outlining the rationale for the nomination;
2. a letter of support from a second person;
3. a 1-2 page Biography of the nominee.

Submit a Nomination using any one of the following methods:

Presentation
In addition to the plaque presentation at the annual CCS Awards Ceremony, which takes place during the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, the Distinguished Teacher Award recipient will receive a cash prize of $2,000, reasonable coverage of travel expenses, two-nights hotel accommodation and complimentary registration for the current year's Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

Dr. Harold N. Segall Award of Merit

This award was created in 1991 in honour of the late Dr. Harold N. Segall, who was a founding Member of the CCS and for many years served as the Society’s Archivist. It is offered in recognition of a significant contribution to the prevention of cardiovascular disease or the promotion of cardiovascular health in Canadians.

Award Criteria:
CCS Members are asked to nominate an individual, group, or organization that has provided tremendous participation for the betterment of cardiovascular health in Canadians by advocating for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or the promotion of cardiovascular health in Canadians.

A Nomination submission must include the following documents:

1. a 1-2 page Biography of the nominee or in the case of an organization, a 1-2 page background document;
2. a Letter of Recommendation to support the nomination

Submit a Nomination using any one of the following methods:

Award Prize:
In addition to the plaque presentation at the annual CCS Awards Ceremony, which takes place during the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, the Dr. Harold N. Segall Award of Merit recipient will be provided with reasonable coverage of travel expenses, two-nights hotel accommodation and complimentary registration for the current year's Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

Young Investigator Award

This award was created in 1970 and is presented to a young investigator whose clinical or basic science activities are in the area of cardiovascular disease. 

Award Criteria:

To be eligible for this award, the young investigator:

• must be a researcher who is no more than five years from his/her first independent appointment at an institution (university, hospital, other research facility, industry) at the time of submission. The date of first appointment must be comprised between January 1, of the 5th year prior to the date of award and July 1, of the year of the award.
• must be pursuing a career in Canada.
• must be the first or senior author of the research work
• must be nominated by a CCS member or non-member who is a Canadian clinician or scientist in good standing (nomination letter must indicate the novel aspect or significance of the work, describe the role of collaborators, include a clear statement of the role of the applicant, and explain the impact of the research)
• must submit an original manuscript. The manuscript can be submitted in hard copy or electronically, and must not have been published, in its entirety or in major part, prior to April of the Congress year for which the award is being considered.
• must submit a curriculum vitae outlining education, past and current positions, grant support, trainees, and publications (papers, abstracts, chapters)
• Must submit an abstract for consideration at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress. That abstract CANNOT be entered simultaneously in the CCS Student Presentation Award competition
• Only one award application per nominee will be considered
• Previous CCS Young Investigator Award winners are not eligible.

Award Prize and Presentation

• There will be one winner in each of two categories – Clinical and Basic
• Winners will receive $1,000 Canadian and an award plaque
• Winners will receive full fare economy travel to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, Complimentary registration to the Congress and 2 nights’ hotel accommodation (room and tax)
• When appropriate, two runner-up awards (one in each category) in the amount of $250, accompanied by an award plaque, may be presented. The runner up awardee does not receive complimentary registration, travel or accommodation.
• YIAs will receive their award at the CCS Awards Ceremony, which takes place during the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress
• The YIAs will be highlighted in the final program of the Congress and at the time of the Sate-of-the-Art session.
• The winners and runners up will present their abstract as first presenter of an oral session. In this presentation, they can also provide an overview of their current research program and of their vision for the future. The chair of the YIA committee or the co-chair of this session will do a short introduction highlighting the contribution of the YIA.

The SPC reserves the right to present no YIA award in a given year if they deem there to be no meritorious candidate.

Submit a Nomination using any one of the following methods:

Trainee Excellence in Education Award

This Award was first presented in 2002. It acknowledges a CCS Member-in-Training for their extraordinary accomplishment in all aspects of medical education in any of the cardiovascular fields, be that adult cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, pediatric cardiology or pure research.

Award Criteria:
Nominations are solicited from CCS Members, Program Directors, Chiefs of Cardiology and Deans of Medicine.

The CCS Trainee Member should have:

1. earned distinction as an outstanding teacher of fellow trainees, junior house-staff and medical students;
2. acquired accomplishments illustrating initiative and innovation in, and contributions to medical education.

A Nomination submission must include the following documents:

1. a letter from the primary nominator outlining the rationale for the nomination;
2. a second letter of support from the Program Director of the nominee;
3. a 1-2 page Biography of the nominee.

Submit a Nomination using any one of the following methods:

Award Prize:
In addition to the plaque presentation at the annual CCS Awards Ceremony, which takes place during the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, the Trainee Excellence in Education Award recipient will receive a cash prize of $500, reasonable coverage of travel expenses, two-nights hotel accommodation and complimentary registration for the current year's Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

Student Presentation Award

This Award was first presented in 1986 to recognize the scientific merit and excellence of presentation and research work done by a resident, research fellow, or graduate student in a training program.

Award Criteria:

1. Candidates must either be a resident, research fellow, graduate student, or medical student in an accredited training program;
2. Candidates may not be a previous winner (1st place) of the Student Presentation Award;
3. Candidates must self nominate and must indicate their interest in being considered for the award at the time that they submit their Abstracts online to CCS;
4. A letter from the candidate's supervisor must accompany the submitted Abstract. The letter must indicate that the Abstract is to be considered for the Student Presentation Award competition, confirm that the candidate is in a training program at the time of Abstract submission and attest that the candidate is the principal investigator of the research project. The supervisor should also state in their letter whether the student performed the majority of the work for the research submission;
5. The candidate can enter more than one abstract for the Student Presentation Award, but only one abstract can be presented and the abstract cannot be entered simultaneously in the CCS Young Investigator Award (YIA) competition;
6. To be eligible, the candidate’s research must be original and cannot have been presented or published prior to the CCS Scientific Annual Meeting.

Award Prize and Oral/Poster Presentation:

• Award winners (one Basic, one Clinical) will each receive a cash prize of $500 and a plaque;
• When appropriate, up to two runners-up in each category may be selected to receive a $250 cash prize and a plaque if a single winner cannot be decided by the judges;
• At the discretion of the SPC, the award recipient may be announced at the annual Congress (historically, this has been done by the SPC or AM Chair following the Guidelines or Debates Session).

Submit the letter from the candidate's supervisor using any one of the following methods:

Dr. Robert E. Beamish Award

support by The Canadian Journal of Cardiology

This award is given in honour of Dr. Robert E. Beamish, Founding Editor-in Chief of The Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The Award is presented to the first author of an original research article published during the preceding three years in The Canadian Journal of Cardiology and judged to have the greatest (potential) impact on cardiovascular medicine.

A Nomination submission must include the following:

1. Nominations will require primary and secondary letters of support and will be considered for a period of three years;
2. The nomination should include detailed reference to the subject article.

The recipient will be selected by a Committee of the Associate Editors of The Canadian Journal of Cardiology prior to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

Submit a Nomination using any one of the following methods:

Award Prize:  
The recipient of the Dr. Robert E. Beamish Award will be presented with a commemorative gift and a cash prize of $1,000 at the annual CCS Awards Ceremony, which takes place during the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

Other Awards:

The CCS factors in the determination of the following awards through its Scientific Program Committee and its abstract submission process.

Dr. Paul Cartier Cardiac Surgery Resident Award

This award was created in honour of Dr. Paul Cartier, who was highly regarded as an outstanding Canadian Cardiac Surgeon. It is sponsored by the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons (CSCS) and is presented annually at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress. The award is to be given to a Cardiac Surgery Resident who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of cardiac surgery through basic science or clinical research and who has demonstrated promise for a distinguished academic career in cardiac surgery.

Eligibility:
All residents enrolled in an accredited Canadian Cardiac Surgery Training Program at the PGY1 to PGY6 level at the time of the application deadline are eligible to apply. Residents applying for the award must have submitted an abstract for presentation to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

Award Criteria:
Nominations must include (and will be judged by) the following:

• Nominee’s curriculum vitae and a letter outlining past research endeavors and future plans (maximum 2 pages).
• Letter of support from nominee’s program director outlining applicant’s potential for future academic career.
• Abstract submitted to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.

Award Prize:
The award will be presented following the Bigelow Lecture at the CCS Plenary Session during Congress.  The winner will receive a $2,500 cash award, as well as an honorary plaque.

Nomination may be submitted by mail or email to:
Dr. Louis P. Perrault
Montreal Heart Institute
5000 Belanger St.
Montreal, QC H1T 1C8
Phone: 514-376-3330 ext. 3715
Email: louis.perrault@icm-mhi.org

Richard Rowe Research Prize

The award is presented to an individual for outstanding research in heart disease in children undertaken during training. The colleagues and friends of Dick Rowe established this prize as a tribute to his many contributions to pediatric cardiology. While his achievements were international, he has a special place in the development of pediatric cardiology in Canada, and it is hoped that this prize will help to foster the ideals to which he aspired.

Eligibility criteria:
Applicants may be from all levels of trainees including Residents, Fellows, Graduate or Medical students, and must:

• attend a Canadian institution or Canadian training abroad, and be either in training or completed training within the twelve months prior to submission.                    
• have done research related to heart disease in children.
• have had significant conceptual input into its development and have largely performed the research.

Regulations:
Candidates must submit an abstract to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, indicating Pediatric Cardiology as the Section Classification and the Richard Rowe Research Prize as the Award Competition.

Award Prize and Oral Presentation:
The winner of the Award will be announced after the presentations, during the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.  The winner will receive a $500 cash award and an honour plaque.  Entries not selected for this competition will be eligible for the other scientific sessions based on evaluation of the accompanying abstract.  Presentations will be 10 minutes, with a five-minute question period.  Please note the CPCA reserves the right to select fewer than three papers, or to award no prize if entries are of insufficient quality.

If you have any questions regarding this award, please contact:
Dr. Andrew Warren
Scientific Program Director
Canadian Pediatric Cardiology Association
c/o IWK Health Centre
Children's Heart Centre
PO Box 9700
Halifax, NS, B3K 6R8