Collecting self-identification data is a central piece of the National Killam Program's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan. This data provides information on the diversity of the population applying for and receiving funding. This information increases the National Killam Program’s capacity to monitor progress on increasing EDI in their programs, recognize and remove barriers, and design new measures to achieve greater EDI in the research enterprise. In alignment with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the National Killam Program asks candidates to voluntarily provide self-identification data.

Self-identification information provides the National Killam Program Office (NKPO) with data on the composition of candidate pools, and helps identify any gaps the program should address. All self-identification information at the individual level is treated as strictly confidential.

The program uses voluntary self-identification data to understand the composition of the candidate pool. In instances where a candidate pool shows evidence of under-representation (e.g., from a specific geographical region) the National Killam Program Office (NKPO) may engage in targeted outreach. The NKPO also reviews aggregate self-identification information to monitor whether our pools remain relative throughout the assessment process.

In the event that a candidate is unsuccessful, a new nomination may be submitted in subsequent years. There is no limitation on the number of times a candidate may be nominated, but a new nomination package is required each year.

Expert reviewers and Selection Committee members treat each submission as a new nomination and they do not have access to past submissions.

The maximum length for CVs is 30 pages in English or 36 pages in French. If a candidate cannot fit in all of the required information, we recommend summarizing where possible but not removing any of the recommended sections: information on publications and presentations, grants and other fellowships received, awards and/or international recognition.

Referees should be someone who can speak to the significance of the research and its impact, the impact of the candidate, as well as how the applicant embodies the Killam attributes.

Often, they are an expert in the field, a senior administrator, or a scientific/research lead at the candidate’s institution. Referees can be either academics or not, depending on the specific case.

For the Dorothy Killam Fellowships, referees do not need to be arms’ length and can be current collaborators with the candidate. All referees should clearly specify the nature of their relationship with the applicant or nominee. For Fellowship applicants who have included a community research supplement in their submission, an additional letter for support is required from a community leader or a community member. This may be in the form of a letter of support from a leader or member of the community.

For the Killam Prizes, three letters of support are required. One letter of support must be provided by an expert in the field who is arm’s length from the nominee. The term "at arm's length" describes a relationship where persons act independently of each other or who are not related. Other letters are not required to be at arm’s length but letter writers must explain their relationship to the nominee. Nominees who focus on community-based research must provide one additional letter of support from a community leader or a community member.

For the Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships, two letters of support are required. One letter of support must come from the National Research Council Canada and one letter must come from the institution of the external fellowship applicant. Referees do not need to be arms length and can be current collaborators with the candidate.

Referees should consult the guidelines for the Killam Prize, Dorothy Killam Fellowship, and Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship. The referee should clearly specify the nature of their relationship with the applicant or nominee.

To reduce the potential for unconscious bias in the evaluation process please refer to nominees consistently by their surname(s) and use gender-neutral language, and please remove institutional letterhead.

Letters will be accepted as submitted and shared with peer reviewers and the selection committee.

We ask letter writers to remove letterhead to avoid letterhead bias. With letterhead removed, reviewers are better-positioned to engage with the content of the letter without immediately triggering assumptions about the quality of the candidate based on the institutional letterhead. However, our objective is not to remove all identifying information. The content of letters should allow the reader to understand the credentials of the writer and the context of their relationship with the candidate.

The referees can send their letters of support to their contact, typically the nominator for the Killam Prize, and the applicant or the institutional contact for the Dorothy Killam Fellowship and Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship, or by email to the National Killam Program Office, or through the National Killam Program portal. You can find additional information in our National Killam Program guide for letters of support.

The letters of support must be included with the application or the nomination package and be received before the deadline for the program.

Yes. Dorothy Killam Fellowships require two (2) letters of support.

Fellowship applicants who are engaged in community-based research must complete a community research supplement and provide an additional letter of support from a leader or member of the community involved in the research project.

Letters from communities should provide the community perspective on the importance, impact, proposed approach, and potential benefits of the research.

Other letters of support should focus on aspects not covered in the community letter of support. This could include the importance, the impact, and the quality of the proposed research or the quality and impact of the researcher themselves, and their alignment with the Killam Attributes.

Killam Prizes require one (1) nomination letter, three (3) letters of support and one (1) additional letter of support if the nominee conducts community-based research.

Nominees who focus on community-based research must provide one additional letter of support from a community leader or a community member. This letter should focus on the importance of the nominee’s research to the community or communities.

Note: Community-based research involves active participation of stakeholders whose lives are affected by the research in all phases of project for the purpose of producing useful results that lead to positive changes.

The rubric for the Killam Prize, the Dorothy Killam Fellowship, and Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship are available under evaluation criteria on our website:

• Killam Prize
• Dorothy Killam Fellowship
• Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship

The National Killam Selection Committee (NKSC) is a standing committee responsible for recommending winners for the Killam Prizes, the Dorothy Killam Fellowships, and the Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships. Members are recognized experts with national and/or international stature who support the National Killam Program's definition of research excellence, and are committed to upholding Killam values in their deliberations.

Normally, National Killam Selection Committee (NKSC) members serve for (2) two or three (3) years, with the greatest time commitment falling between June and December of each calendar year. Reappointments for additional terms are at the discretion of the Killam Trusts and the NKPO. Consideration is given to staggering or extending terms to maintain continuity and preserve institutional memory while building a consistent and forward-looking review practice.

Normally, the NKSC Chair serves for up to three (3) years, presiding over up to three (3) program cycles. Chair appointments and reappointment to additional terms is at the discretion of the Killam Trusts and the NKPO.

The National Killam Program uses a two-stage selection process. In the first phase, submissions are evaluated by external reviewers with field-specific expertise who provide consistent, fair and high-quality reviews of submissions. During this phase of review, the program office makes every effort to ensure nominations are assessed in the language in which they were submitted. In the second phase, submissions are evaluated by a selection committee with various disciplinary backgrounds. During this phase of the review, members who do not work in the language of the submitted document receive the original documents and unofficial translations of the submissions. Materials are translated by the Translation Bureau. Submitters can request to review the translated document prior to the peer review process, or submit their own translations.

The National Killam Program is actively recruiting more first language French peer reviewers. If you have candidates that you would like to put forward for peer review, or if you are interested yourself, please create a peer reviewer account on the portal.

The National Killam Program is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and has embedded DORA principles in the design of its programming and processes.

The National Killam Selection Committee (NKSC) is a standing committee responsible for recommending winners for the Killam Prizes, the Dorothy Killam Fellowships, and the Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships. Members are recognized experts with national and/or international stature who support the National Killam Program's definition of research excellence, and are committed to upholding Killam values in their deliberations.

Selection Committee members are provided with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training, and several members have expertise in addressing bias in evaluation processes. Members are asked to complete two EDI trainings created by CIHR: Unconscious Bias and Conducting Quality Reviews. During the pre-charge meeting and prior to deliberations, members are reminded of common forms of bias and encouraged to question their own biases throughout the process. During deliberations, members consult the publicly available guidelines and reference the will of Dorothy Killam to anchor decisions in her vision.

The program uses voluntary self-identification data to understand the composition of its pool. In instances where an applicant pool shows evidence of under-representation (e.g., from a specific geographical region) the National Killam Program Office (NKPO) does targeted outreach. The NKPO also reviews aggregate self-identification information to monitor whether our pools remain relative throughout the assessment process.

While the National Killam Program does not have a stream of programming specific to Indigenous candidates, it is committed to fostering Indigenous participation in all of its awards.

Using the Tri-Council self-identification questionnaire, the program provides an opportunity for candidates to voluntarily self-identify as First Nations, Inuit, and/or Métis. This information increases the program's capacity to monitor Indigenous participation, recognize and remove barriers, and design new measures to achieve greater Indigenous participation.

The National Killam Program has specific criteria and guidelines to aid in assessing research proposals that include community-based research. Community-based research involves active participation of stakeholders whose lives are affected by the research in all phases of project for the purpose of producing useful results that lead to positive changes. Fellowship candidates whose proposals include community research are encouraged to provide the following supplemental information:

• Description of existing relationships with a community or communities.
• Information on any permissions conferred to carry out the research that involves a community or communities either directly or indirectly.
• Description of the role of community members in shaping the research question(s) as well as the role community members play in contributing to, sharing, or applying research findings.
• Description of how the proposed research contributes to, or is expected to contribute to, positive outcomes, benefits to the community, or change in policy or practice following research completion.

In addition, for nominees who engage in community-based research, the candidate must include one additional letter of support from a community leader or a community member. This letter should focus on the importance of the candidate’s research to the community or communities.

Note: Community-based research involves active participation of stakeholders whose lives are affected by the research in all phases of project for the purpose of producing useful results that lead to positive changes.

The National Killam Program is committed to continuous improvement and assessing its practices on an ongoing basis to adjust to changing practices within the research system.

There is no limit on the number of times a candidate may be nominated for the Killam Prizes or apply to the Dorothy Killam Fellowships or Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships, but a new submission is required each year.

Peer Reviewers and Selection Committee members treat all applications, including resubmissions, as new applications and they do not have access to past submissions.

Note that addressing reviewer feedback through a resubmission to the program does not guarantee receipt of an award.

The Killam Trustees may choose, in their sole discretion, to revoke an award should it become known that the recipient has been convicted of a criminal offense or is confirmed to have engaged in professionally unethical behaviour, including plagiarism, claiming false honours, claiming false ethnicity, using falsified or fraudulent research results, or similar unprofessional conduct, the result of which the ongoing association of Killam Trusts with the recipient is likely to negatively reflect on the Estate of Dorothy Johnston Killam or on the Killam Trusts.