Wall Fellowships

Program Link: https://walllegacyawards.ubc.ca/wall-fellowships/ 

Sponsor: Peter Wall Legacy Fund

Value: Two $1,000,000 fellowships will be awarded to tenured and/or tenure-track faculty across UBC-V and UBC-O

Description: Two Wall Fellowships of $1,000,000 each have been made available annually to UBC faculty members through the Peter Wall Legacy Fund, an endowment established by Peter Wall, to support research excellence at UBC and invest in those who will help move BC and the world forward.

The Wall Fellowships are awarded to UBC faculty whose research relates to one of three areas:

  • Sustainable approaches to and development of the general urban environment, including water, energy and transportation infrastructure in British Columbia;
  • Environmental protection of oceans, beaches and waterfronts that impact British Columbia; and
  • Sustainable approaches to resource-intensive industry in British Columbia.

Projects within these areas of interest will principally relate to British Columbia, but may also apply to and address other Canadian and international regions.

ELIGIBILITY 

All UBC tenured and university tenure-track faculty, from across both campuses, are eligible to apply. Individuals may not hold this award simultaneously with a Wall Research Award (Individual Faculty Award); however, a Peter Wall Fellow may be a co-investigator on a Wall Research Award (Team Faculty Award). Fellowships can only be held once by an individual. Junior and mid-career faculty are strongly encouraged to apply.

Funds may be used to support the direct costs of research and will follow the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration of grant funding, as well as infrastructure (e.g., field equipment, lab equipment, etc.) as permitted by CFI guidelines. In addition, funds may be used for teaching buy out – support for this must be confirmed by the appropriate Unit Head and Dean.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply for a Wall Fellowship, starting May 6, 2024, applicants must log in to VPRI’s online application system UBC Research + Innovation Apply using their campus wide login (CWL), and follow the instructions provided. Once the full application has been initiated, the applicant may invite others with a CWL to contribute (e.g., administrators, grant facilitators, etc.) using the “add collaborator” button located in the left side block.

Applications can be saved and completed at a later date before final submission and can be downloaded as a PDF at any time. Each section must be marked as complete before the application can be submitted. Only the primary applicant is able to submit.

Note: Sections marked as complete are still accessible for editing, prior to submission, by clicking the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of each section and selecting edit.

Applications include the following components:

  • Notice of Intent (NOI) due June 7, 2024 
    (An NOI is required to provide time for eligibility review and enable the recruitment of reviewers. It is not adjudicated, but is required in order to submit a full application.)
  • Applicant information
  • Research proposal (5 pages)
  • Applicant’s record (4 pages)
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) (250 words)
  • Institutional benefit (250 words)
  • Budget and budget justification
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Confirmation of support for teaching buy-out (if applicable)

A completed and signed Research Project Information Form (RPIF) must be uploaded as part of the application.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

To be eligible for peer review, the proposed research must:

The following assessment criteria will be used:

Research Proposal (60%)

  • The proposed research program is clearly outlined, providing a distinct purpose and clear attainable objectives
  • The main methods used are relevant and well-defined
  • Includes a clear plan on how the research program will involve trainees, and benefit their training and career advancement
  • The relevant expertise needed to do this work is present, or there is a feasible plan in place for its recruitment
  • A plan on how the outputs of the work will be disseminated to both academics, and other stakeholders is described
  • How the proposal aligns with Indigenous community engagement, and the goals of UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan.

Institutional Benefit (10%)

  • The application provides a substantive and thoughtful explanation of how a Wall Fellowship will benefit the UBC community
  • The application provides a thoughtful description on the types of service activities that the applicant would engage in as a Peter Wall Fellow

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (10%)

  • The application illustrates how the research is informed by, or will contribute to the promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in academia and society

Applicant’s Record (20%)

  • The applicant possesses a strong record of research excellence and accomplishments
  • The impact and importance of the applicant’s previous work is clear
  • Letters of reference are supportive of the applicant’s past record and their ability to successfully lead the proposed research program

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

REPORTING

Peter Wall Fellows are required to submit an annual report to the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation that includes the following:

  • standard financial reporting
  • a brief summary of the past year’s work suitable for a lay audience
  • a summary of the work undertaken in the preceding year
  • summary statements describing:
    • how the work has been disseminated
    • how the work supported EDI
    • activities that advanced UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan
    • activities that benefited both UBC and the Fellow

Annual reports will be due sixty (60) days from the anniversary of the fellowship’s commencement. A report template will be provided to recipients.

PUBLICITY

Recipients of Wall Fellowships will informally be known as the Peter Wall Fellows. The recipients may be asked to participate in media events and other proceedings that recognize their achievement and bring awareness to the Wall Legacy Fund at UBC.

TIMELINE

May 6, 2024  NOI open for submission 
May 14, 2024 2:00-3:30 pm PT Wall Fellowship information session (Optional)  
May 16, 2024 10:00-11:30 am PT Wall Fellowship information session (Optional) 
June 7, 2024  11:59 pm PT  Notice of intent (NOI) due 
September 13, 2024  11:59 pm PT  Full application due 
Early November 2024  Peter Wall Fellows announced 
December 1, 2024  Funds distributed 

Contact:

Leslie Grad, Manager, Strategic Initiatives, VPRI,  leslie.grad@ubc.ca;

Robert Olaj, Director, Research Development, Faculty of Education, robert.olaj@ubc.ca

Back to top