Announcing the new FMHS Education Impact Award

February 4, 2026

 

Overview

The Office of the Vice-Dean, Education and Community Engagement is pleased to launch the new Education Impact Award to recognize exceptional contributions to education in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).

“Outstanding Education for Outstanding Learners” is at the core of the FMHS Strategic Plan, but what does this mean in practice? The award selection committee is asking the FMHS community to submit applications to highlight educational innovations that merit the use of such superlatives, based on their thoughtful integration of new initiatives to meet the educational needs of our Schools and programs.

Some examples could include:

  • Assessment strategies using new technologies
  • Strategies to implement sustainable active learning or student-led learning activities
  • Innovative teaching practices with the potential to benefit learners from different professional backgrounds, and/or that are translatable to other Departments, Schools or Faculties

We encourage the submission of initiatives led by both established educators and by faculty or students whose contributions may be ‘behind the scenes’.

Eligibility

Initiatives may be submitted by:

  • Faculty who are tenure-stream or contract academic staff;
  • Learners currently enrolled as an undergraduate, graduate, or health professional students or residents in the FMHS (full-time or part-time).

Note: Teams may be composed of FMHS learners and faculty and can include clinical supervisors; however, a clinical supervisor without a faculty appointment cannot be the primary applicant.

Submission

Application must include:

  • A completed submission form
  • Letter of support (500 words or less) from the Associate Dean, School Director, Department Chair, and/or Program Director of the primary applicant, highlighting the benefit of the initiative to the educational mission.

Please submit application package to: admin-vdeducation.med@mcgill.ca

Timeline

The deadline for applications is March 9th, 2026.

Evaluation

A committee appointed by the Office of the Vice-Dean, Education and Community Engagement will select the innovations to be showcased according to the following criteria:

  • Demonstrated effectiveness of a teaching strategy or educational practice in a FMHS School or program (i.e., the innovation must already have been implemented; plans for future implementation are not eligible);
  • Evidence of impact on learners / learning;
  • Demonstrated benefits in terms of using resources efficiently (e.g., sharing teaching/educational resources to reduce waste/overlap/redundancy; methods/approaches that reduce the need for costly materials; leverages strengths across units, programs and schools);
  • Sustainability (can be maintained over time with existing resources);
  • Evidence-based and attuned to current challenges facing health sciences education.

 

Winners

The primary applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision in April.