The Eric Jackman Prize in the Human Behavioural and Social Sciences was established by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) with the support of a generous endowment from the Jackman Foundation.

The Prize celebrates path-breaking and sustained scientific contributions to preventing harm, strengthening resilience, or otherwise benefiting humankind through research in one or more behavioural and social science fields.
Open to both individual Canadian researchers (or permanent residents of Canada) and established research teams led by a Canadian (or permanent resident of Canada), the RSC Jackman Prize will be offered annually if there is a suitable candidate.

The Prize includes a cash award of $10,000 CAD.

Public-facing activities featuring the winner of the Prize will promote public awareness of the role of social sciences research in creating a better society and also link the research to key elements of public policy.
A successful candidate for the RSC Jackman Prize will stand out for the following reasons: 

• The clear relevance of the work to challenges confronting humankind

• The path-breaking aspects of the work

• The recipient’s sustained focus on applying the results of the work to tangible benefits to humankind

Nominations for the Prize will be adjudicated by a committee named by the RSC and chaired by the President of its Academy of Social Sciences. Members of the committee will include at least three distinguished scholars with expertise in the relevant disciplines as well as two members-at-large.

The inaugural prize will be presented at the RSC’s 2025 Celebration of Excellence and Engagement in Montreal.

NOMINATION DOSSIER REQUIREMENTS

The nomination must consist of the following elements:

1. Nomination form (click here to download)
2. Letter of nomination from the Primary Nominator

   NOTE: The Primary Nominator can be a Member of the Society, either a Fellow or a current Member of the College of New Scholars. There is no limit on the number of nominations any Member may submit each year. The Primary Nominator can also be an institutional member, but the Nominator must be the President, Vice-President, or CEO of the university or organization.

3. Citation (max. 70 words, or 85 in French)
4. Detailed appraisal (max. 1200 words, or max 1450 in French)
5. Three letters of reference (max. 750 words per letter, or max 900 in French)
6. Three bios from referees (max. 250 words, or max 300 in French)
7. Curriculum Vitae (max. 20 pages)

For more information, consult the RSC’s Guide to Preparing a Nomination.

NOMINATION SUBMISSION PROCESS

Internal (McMaster) Process

Please inform your Faculty’s Associate Dean, Research by April 10, 2025 if you wish to nominate a colleague or be nominated for the 2025 RSC Eric Jackman Prize. The OVPR Prizes & Awards team will reach out to Faculty-endorsed nominees after this date to discuss next steps in the nomination process.

NOTE: Due to the tight turnaround for submitting nominations for the 2025 RSC Eric Jackman Prize, there will be no formal internal Notice of Intent (NOI) process for this award this year.

RSC Nomination Submission Requirements for all medals/awards

Completed forms and accompanying documents must be submitted via email at: nominations@rsc-src.ca on or before 8 pm ET on May 29, 2025. 

KEY DEADLINES

• Prospective nominators/nominees must inform their Faculty’s Associate Dean, Research of their interest in nominating a colleague or being nominated for the 2025 RSC Eric Jackman Prize by April 10, 2025

• Nominees’ draft dossier documents due to the OVPR Prizes & Awards team by May 1, 2025

• Referee letters/biographies and finalized nomination dossier due to the OVPR Prizes & Awards team by May 22, 2025

• Medal/Award nominations due to the RSC via email (nominations@rsc-src.ca) on or before 8 pm ET, May 29, 2025 

The OVPR P&A team is happy to support nominators/nominees in the preparation and submission of award nomination dossiers. Please contact us at awardmgr@mcmaster.ca with any questions and/or requests for support pertaining to the RSC Eric Jackman Prize.