Undergraduate Faculty Teaching Awards

The purpose of these awards is to honour excellence and sustained contributions by faculty members in undergraduate Arts and Science teaching and the undergraduate experience in life sciences. The awards carry a cash value of $1,000 each and will be presented at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine Annual Education Achievement Celebration. 

Eligibility extends to all faculty members who hold full-time appointments in basic science departments or institutes in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and teach life sciences undergraduate courses and/or research projects in Arts and Science.

• Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in Life Sciences

This award is for excellence in teaching, coordination, and/or development of undergraduate lecture or seminar courses in Arts and Science offered by the basic science departments in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

• Excellence in Undergraduate Laboratory Teaching in Life Sciences

This award is for excellence in teaching, coordination, and/or development of undergraduate laboratory-based courses in Arts and Science offered by the basic science departments in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

• Excellence in Linking Undergraduate Teaching to Research in Life Sciences

This award is for excellence, mentorship, and innovative methods that link undergraduate teaching to experiential research opportunities such as research project courses, summer student research projects, or equivalent programs.

• Sustained Excellence and Innovation in Life Sciences Education

This award recognizes sustained contributions (at least 15 years of all undergraduate appointments as of December of application year) to any aspect of undergraduate education, including:

• Undergraduate student supervision and mentoring
• Curriculum development
• Regular support of departmental, faculty and university undergraduate activities
• Undergraduate program administration (as applicable)

• Candidates for these awards must be nominated by a student, a former student, or another faculty member through a departmental/institute undergraduate program office; self‐nominations are not accepted
• A previous winner may be nominated for an Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in Life Sciences Award in any category only after a period of five (5) years
• The primary nominator will submit the nomination form and notify the nominee
• The nominator will work with the nominee to produce a single pdf document, not to exceed 30 pages, which includes (in order):
  • Completed nomination form
  • Summary of the nominee's contributions to teaching (2 pages max) 
  • Nominee's statement of teaching philosophy ( 2 pages maximum)
  • Supporting letters (1-2 pages maximum per letter) from:
    • Department/Institute Chair/Director (or designate)
    • Students (current of former students; minimum of 2 students and maximum of 4 students)
  • Letters from colleagues (maximum of 2)
  • Summaries of student evaluations of teaching/course materials
  • Current abridged curriculum vitae (10 pages maximum) including a full description of the contribution to undergraduate teaching in life sciences and accomplishments relevant to the award eligibility criteria, including:
    • Relevant undergraduate teaching
    • Teaching awards for undergraduate teaching
    • Undergraduate students supervised (dates and projects)
  • The nominator will email the completed nomination package to medicine.hse@utoronto.ca no later than March 5, 2024.

• Excellent teaching and communication skills:
  • Quality of teaching 
  • Quantity of teaching
  • Self-development in teaching methods
• Demonstrated ability to engage students and develop transferrable skills:
  • Encourages interest in and enthusiasm for the subject
  • Displays good rapport with students
  • Leads students to think critically, analytically, and independently, and to organize their own learning
  • Supports the development of scientific communication skills, if applicable
•  Effective use of appropriate teaching resources and instructional methodologies
• Incorporation and/or discovery of innovative, creative and evidence-based teaching methods:
  • Engages in formal research in the field of teaching and learning, if applicable
• Evidence of student mentorship and acting as a suitable role model
• Letters of support:
  • Strength of support
  • Evidence of excellences
  • Evidence of impact to students' future career goals, if applicable

• Laboratory and research skills development (for Excellence in Undergraduate Laboratory Teaching and Excellence in Linking of Undergraduate Teaching to Research in Life Sciences awards):
  • Fosters the development of hands-on research skills
  • Fosters the development of data gathering and analysis skills
• Sustained contributions (at least 15 years of all undergraduate appointments as of December of the application year) to any aspect of undergraduate education (for Sustained Excellence and Innovation in Life Sciences Education award), including:
  • Undergraduate student supervision and mentoring
  • Curriculum development
  • Regular support of departmental, faculty and university undergraduate activities
  • Undergraduate program administration (if applicable)

Applications will be reviewed by the Office of the Vice Dean, Education and Research Adjudication Committee - a panel of selected undergraduate students and faculty members.