Table of Contents
The following awards are given out annually at ChemCon.
You can view the most recent winners, or see winners from previous years.
To be considered for an award, please visit the conferences and events page for details on how to register for upcoming conferences.
Science Atlantic Undergraduate Research Award
Science Atlantic Science Communication Award
The Science Atlantic Undergraduate Research Award and the Science Atlantic Science Communication Award are offered at each of the annual Science Atlantic-sponsored student conferences.
Cameron Forbes Memorial Award
The Cameron Forbes Memorial Award is presented annually at the Science Atlantic Chemistry Conference (ChemCon). The award is presented to an undergraduate student delivering an oral presentation in the organic chemistry category.
The award cannot be presented to a Cape Breton University student. The award will be presented by members of the CBU Chemistry Society executive, if in attendance at the conference.
The selected presentation should demonstrate creativity and innovation, and the presenter should exhibit enthusiasm and engagement throughout their presentation.
Judging
Judging for this award is completed by chemistry professors from the host institution, with assistance from other chemists attending the conference.
The Award
The award consists of a $200 prize.
Sponsor
CBU Chemistry
About Cameron Forbes (1998-2020)
Cameron was a truly one-of-a-kind individual—genuine, compassionate, and deeply caring. His presence will be profoundly missed by the CBU Chemistry Department, CBU, and the entire university community.
His leadership, both inside and outside the classroom and lab, along with his selfless generosity in sharing time and knowledge, left a lasting impact. A natural in the classroom, Cameron was also exceptional at the lab bench, fully dedicated to his work, his learning, and his friends at CBU. Cameron was a valued member of the CHArTl (MacQuarrie Research Group), where he contributed to research activities and collaborative projects.
He will be remembered fondly for his bright smile, tie-dyed t-shirts and lab coats, and his contagious ability to spark conversations with anyone he met.
Canadian Association of Theoretical Chemists (CATC) Award
The Canadian Association of Theoretical Chemists (CATC) Award in Theoretical Chemistry is presented each year at the three national undergraduate chemistry conferences for top student presentations related to computational and/or theoretical chemistry.
Judging
Judging for these awards is completed by chemistry professors from the host institution, including a current CATC member whenever possible. The decision of the judges is final.
The Award
Prizes are awarded to the top oral and poster presenters, to a maximum of $250 total, as well as a letter of commendation.
By accepting the prize, the winner(s) agree(s) to have his or her name, presentation title, and abstract provided to the donor.
Sponsor
For over 30 years, the Canadian Association of Theoretical Chemists (CATC) has represented the interests of both academic staff at Canadian universities and permanent staff in national laboratories whose focus is in computational and theoretical chemistry.
Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) Awards
A number of divisions of the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) sponsors awards at ChemCon each year. Up to six divisions participate in any given year, providing prizes for the best undergraduate presentation (oral or poster) in the following areas:- Physical, Theoretical, or Computational Chemistry
- Biological/Medicinal Chemistry
- Materials Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
Judging
Judging for these awards is completed by chemistry professors from the host institution, with assistance from visiting chemists.The Award
Each CIC Award consists of a letter of commendation and a cash prize.Sponsor
Through its three constituent societies—the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC), the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE), and the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology (CSCT)—the Chemical Institute of Canada is committed to advancing the chemical sciences and engineering. Funding for each award is received from the chair of that division (CIC chair list). The chairs change every year for most subject divisions. If the list at the above link is not updated, the previous chair will most likely direct you to the current chair.E. Gordon Young Award
The E. Gordon Young Award for Best Pedagogical Graduate Presentation (oral or poster) is given annually at the Science Atlantic Chemistry Conference (ChemCon). In the event that there is no suitable graduate student presentation in this area, the award will be given for a presentation made by an undergraduate student. The objectives of the award are to honour the memory of E. Gordon Young and to recognize an outstanding young chemist for his or her teaching and instructional abilities.Judging
The Award will be made following a procedure determined by the Science Atlantic Chemistry Committee. In any year, if there is no suitable candidate, the judging committee has the right to not give an award. The decision of the judges is final.The Award
The award is a $500 cash prize. By accepting the prize, the winner agrees to have his or her name, presentation title, and abstract provided to the donor.About Dr. Young
Eldrid Gordon Young (1897-1976) was an internationally recognized scientist and scholar and the first Canadian to hold the title of biochemist. In 1924, Dr. Young moved to Atlantic Canada to lead the new Department of Biochemistry at Dalhousie University. In 1950, he stepped down to become the founding director of the Atlantic Regional Laboratory of the National Research Council, serving until his retirement in 1962. Dr. Young was recognized as an accomplished lecturer as well as an influential researcher. His professional honours include fellowships in the Royal Society of Canada, the Chemical Institute of Canada, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition to his presidency of CIC in 1959-60, Dr. Young sat on the board of numerous science associations and committees during his career. For more information, please see his biography.Sponsor
The E. Gordon Young Award is sponsored by the CIC Chemical Education Fund through a bequest by Dr. Young.Murray Brooker Award
The Murray Brooker Award, named after Murray H. Brooker, FCIC, a professor of chemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador (MUN) from 1972 until his death in 2000, was awarded annually from 2001 to 2022. The award recognized presentations focusing on the student’s undergraduate educational experience in chemistry, chemical engineering, chemical technology or chemical technician studies.
In 2023, funding transitioned to support for MUN students attending the annual Science Atlantic-CIC ChemCon.
About Murray Brooker
Originally trained as a high school teacher, Dr. Brooker had a long term interest and involvement with science education and promotion, including visiting local high schools to give Chemistry Magic Shows and serving as chair of the Chemical Education Division for the Canadian Society for Chemistry from 1992-94.
Dr. Brooker was recognized for his teaching and research contributions through a wide variety of awards and honours, including the Union Carbide Award, Canada’s most prestigious award for chemical education, and the City of St. John’s Admiral’s Award for Tourism for his role as chair of the highly successful 1996 Canadian Chemical Conference, which attracted over 1000 national and international scientists. Dr. Brooker was an internationally recognized expert in the application of Raman spectroscopy to the study of molten salts and solutes in aqueous solutions with over 100 refereed publications and was appointed to three visiting professorships in Europe, at the Technical University of Denmark, the Université Bordeaux in France, and the University of Heidelberg in Germany.
In addition to the CIC’s Murray Brooker Award in Chemistry, a memorial scholarship, The Murray Brooker Scholarship for Excellence in Chemistry, was established at MUN in honour of his contributions to chemical education.