External Awards
Memorial encourages and endorses institutional nominations for the following presitgious and highly competitive external teaching awards:
- Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) Award for Distinguished Teaching
- Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) Ann Marie MacKinnon Educational Leadership Award
- 3M National Teaching Fellowship (3MNTF)
Nomination process
The details of Memorial's internal process and timelines for external teaching award nominations are outlined below. These processes and timelines must be followed in order for a submission to receive the required endorsement from the Office of the President.
Call for nominations
The AAU issues its call for award nominations in March, and STLHE issues its call for the 3MNTF in August or September each year*. However, to ensure sufficient time to compile a competitive dossier, Memorial issues an internal call for nominations well in advance of the official call from these groups, usually in September of the previous year. The Office of the Provost will distribute the call for external award nominations to academic units requesting units to seek nominations. However, individuals may also submit an unsolicited nomination brief (see below).
*Please refer to the websites above to confirm annual AAU and STLHE deadlines, as they are subject to change.
Make a nomination
Those interested in recommending someone for an AAU or 3MNTF award, and those interested in being considered for an institutional nomination, are required to complete the appropriate nomination brief.
Nomination brief templates:
- AAU Teaching Award_Nomination Brief Template
- AAU Leadership Award_Nomination brief template
- 3MNTF_Nomination Brief Template
Completed nomination briefs are to be submitted by October 1 to teachingawards@mun.ca and copied to the Associate Dean of your respective faculty or school.
Selection of institutional nominees
The Teaching Awards Committee meets in November of each year to review submitted briefs and select an institutional nominee to proceed with their application for the following year.
For example, 3MNTF nomination briefs will be reviewed and selected in November 2024 for full nomination package submission November 2025. This allows applicants approximately 12 months to prepare their nomination package once they have been selected to submit.
Those who have submitted a nomination brief will be notified of the committee’s decision within two weeks of the meeting date.
Guidance on application process and preparation
Preparing a nomination dossier that describes the scope, quality, and impact of a nominee’s teaching, educational leadership, and educational innovation, and that adheres to award criteria and guidelines is a significant undertaking. Selected institutional nominations must receive endorsement by the Office of the President. The Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning is available to provide guidance regarding the process and preparation of award dossiers.
3MNTF nominees are also encouraged to utilize STLHE nomination mentorship network.
Should a nominee desire CITL feedback on their fully completed nomination package, it must be provided to CITL by the following dates for review:
| Review Deadline | |
|---|---|
| AAU Award for Distinguished Teaching | Feb. 1 |
| AAU Ann Marie MacKinnon Educational Leadership Award | Feb. 1 |
| 3M National Teaching Fellowship | Apr. 1 |
Letter of endorsement
CITL will coordinate a letter of endorsement from the Office of the President on behalf of the selected nominee. To allow time for this process final nomination packages must be submitted to CITL at least four weeks in advance of the submission deadline, as outlined below.
Submission of application
Final award submissions must then be submitted to the awarding bodies on the dates they have specified on their websites. While the deadlines for AAU and 3MNTF submissions are typically May 1 and Nov. 1 respectively, these dates are subject to change each year so pleasebe sure to consult the websites referenced above. CITL will require final nomination packages four weeks prior to the submission deadlines.
Timeline Summary
| Nomination Process | Timeline | |
|---|---|---|
| AAU | 3MNTF | |
|
Internal Call from Memorial University |
Current Year |
Current Year |
| Internal call for nominations released | September | September |
| Nomination brief submitted to Teaching Awards Committee for consideration and selection (teachingawards@mun.ca) | October 1 | October 1 |
| Teaching Awards Committee reviews briefs and selects applicants to move forward | November | November |
| Applicants are notified | November/December | November/December |
|
External Call from Award Granting Organization |
Next Year |
Next Year |
| PLEASE NOTE that the dates listed below are subject to change based on the annual nomination deadline set by the awarding bodies. | ||
| Selected nominee receives process guidance and submits completed nomination package to receive feedback from CITL (teachingawards@mun.ca) Note: 3MNTF nominees are also encouraged to utilize STLHE nomination mentorship network. |
February 1 (or 12 weeks before submission deadline) | April 1 (or 20 weeks before submission deadline) |
| Final nomination package submitted to CITL | March 31 (or 4 weeks before submission deadline) | September 30 (or 4 weeks before submission deadline) |
| Endorsement letter from the Office of the President received | April | October |
| Submission deadline - final nomination package submitted to awarding body | May 1 (or as stated on AAU website) Submitted by MUN AAU rep via CITL |
November 1 (or as stated on STHLE website) Submitted by CITL or nominator |
Contact
If you have questions about these recognitions or require more information, please contact teachingawards@mun.ca.