Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring 2026 at UBC

The Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring 2026 recognize outstanding faculty members at the University of British Columbia (UBC) who have made a strong and lasting contribution to the development of graduate students.

Each recipient receives a $5,000 cash award and a commemorative certificate at Fall Convocation. The 2026 nomination deadline is September 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

An important point for students is that this is not a regular student scholarship. Students cannot apply directly for the award. Eligible UBC faculty members must be nominated through their department.

Opportunity Overview

Detail	Information
Award Name	Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring
Host Institution	University of British Columbia
Country	Canada
Campus	UBC Vancouver
Opportunity Type	Faculty mentoring award
Main Recipients	UBC academic staff
Categories	Mid-Career and Senior
Award Value	$5,000 cash + commemorative certificate
Number of Awards	One Mid-Career and one Senior award
Student Direct Application	Not available
2026 Deadline	September 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. PT

The information above is based on the current official UBC Graduate School award page.

What Are the Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring?

The Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring are UBC awards designed to recognize faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional mentoring of graduate students over many years.

The award looks beyond normal research supervision. UBC considers how a mentor supports students’ intellectual, professional and personal development.

The university also gives preference to faculty members who have demonstrated sustained mentoring involving many graduate students. Previous graduate mentoring experience at another institution may also be included in the mentoring record.

The award has two categories:

• Mid-Career: Faculty members with fewer than 12 years of university appointments
• Senior: Faculty members with 12 or more years of university service

University service is calculated as of the nomination deadline, with certain leave periods such as parental leave and sabbatical leave deducted according to UBC’s instructions.

Benefits and Award Value

Each recipient receives:

• $5,000 cash award
• Commemorative certificate
• Recognition at Fall Convocation

The award is funded through the Killam General Endowment, administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic at UBC.

Is It a Fully Funded Scholarship?

No.

The Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring should not be described as a fully funded scholarship. It is a faculty recognition award rather than financial support for students’ tuition, accommodation, travel or living expenses.

Eligibility Requirements

The official eligibility rules focus on faculty members at the UBC Vancouver Campus.

Eligible nominees must be continuing academic staff members with a qualifying partner, clinical, tenure or grant tenure appointment at UBC Vancouver. Nominees may be at different stages of their academic careers, but they are assessed within either the Mid-Career or Senior category.

Mid-Career Category

The Mid-Career award is intended for faculty members who have held university appointments for less than 12 years as of the nomination deadline.

Senior Category

The Senior award is intended for faculty members with 12 or more years of university service.

Previous Nominees

Faculty members whose previous nominations were unsuccessful may be nominated again, subject to UBC’s three-year limit and the required procedures for carrying a nomination forward.

Evaluation Criteria

UBC evaluates nominees based on the quality and extent of their graduate student mentoring.

The committee considers whether the mentor:

• Demonstrates excellence in scholarship and professional conduct
• Promotes academic integrity
• Supports students according to their individual needs
• Helps diverse students reach their potential
• Develops students’ critical thinking and creativity
• Encourages strong scholarly and professional skills
• Creates a respectful and inclusive environment
• Helps students build professional networks
• Supports students in exploring career opportunities
• Encourages students to use professional development opportunities
• Advocates for students when appropriate
• Supports students’ personal as well as professional development

For Senior nominees, UBC places particular emphasis on mentoring activities that extend beyond ordinary research supervision and training. Service to the scholarly community and support for personal development are also considered.

Who Can Nominate a Faculty Member?

Faculty members can nominate another faculty member for the award.

Students and mentees cannot officially nominate a faculty member.

However, students or former mentees may suggest a potential nominee to the Department Head. They may also contribute a letter of support for the nomination.

Each department can submit a maximum of two nominations:

• One Mid-Career nominee
• One Senior nominee

The nominations can be new nominations or eligible nominations carried forward from previous competitions.

Required Nomination Documents

A complete nomination package must be submitted as one PDF document per nominee.

The required materials include the following:

1. Nomination Form

The nomination form includes:

• A statement of up to two pages explaining why the nominee qualifies
• A one-page statement from the nominee explaining their mentoring philosophy
• An explanation of how the nominee approaches student success

2. Mentoring Record

The nominee must provide a record of graduate students they have mentored.

The record should include:

• Names or relevant details of mentored graduate students
• Brief descriptions of notable circumstances where appropriate
• Graduate mentoring experience from previous institutions, if relevant

UBC specifically states that this award focuses on graduate student mentoring. Materials concerning undergraduate teaching or mentoring and postdoctoral mentoring should not be included in the nomination package.

3. Letters of Support

A maximum of five letters of support may be submitted.

The letters should:

• Come from people who are or were mentored by the nominee
• Describe the writer’s experience with the nominee
• Provide specific examples of mentoring
• Explain how the mentoring contributed to the writer’s later career development
• Be signed
• Have only one author per letter
• Be no more than two pages

UBC notes that letters from current or former graduate students carry greater weight.

Original letters and scanned copies sent directly to the department are acceptable under the stated procedures.

4. Current CV

The nominee’s current curriculum vitae must also be included.

UBC encourages nominees who do not already use the relevant format to consider the Professoriate Stream CV template available through the university’s HR resources.

How to Apply

Because this is a nomination-based faculty award, there is no normal student application form.

The process is:

1. Identify an eligible UBC Vancouver faculty member.
2. Obtain Department Head approval before preparing the nomination package.
3. Complete the official nomination form.
4. Prepare the nominee’s mentoring record.
5. Collect eligible letters of support.
6. Add the nominee’s current CV.
7. Combine the required documents into one PDF.
8. Submit the nomination through the official Qualtrics form.
9. Do not upload the nomination package to UBC SharePoint.

Each department may submit up to two nominations, with a maximum of one nomination in each category.

Application Deadline

The deadline for the 2026 competition is:

September 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

The official UBC page also lists September 4, 2026 as the award deadline.

Because the deadline is close, departments and nominators should allow enough time to obtain Department Head approval, prepare the statements, collect support letters and combine the final documents into the required PDF.

Important Tips for Nominators

A strong nomination should demonstrate the nominee’s actual impact on graduate students rather than simply describing the professor as an excellent teacher.

Use specific examples

Where possible, explain how the faculty member helped individual graduate students develop academically, professionally or personally.

Focus on graduate mentoring

Do not fill the package with undergraduate teaching achievements or postdoctoral supervision because the award specifically evaluates graduate student mentoring.

Make support letters evidence-based

A useful letter should explain what the mentor actually did and how that support affected the student’s development or career.

Show sustained impact

UBC gives preference to faculty members with sustained mentoring activity involving many students over many years.

Can International Students Apply?

No.

International students cannot submit a direct application for this award.

The citizenship information shown on the UBC award page includes Canadian, Permanent Resident and International, but the actual eligibility criteria identify the eligible nominees as qualifying continuing academic staff members at the UBC Vancouver Campus. Therefore, this should not be treated as an international student scholarship.

Can Afghan Students Apply?

Afghan students cannot directly apply for the Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring.

However, if an eligible UBC faculty member has mentored Afghan or other international graduate students, those mentoring experiences may potentially be relevant to the faculty member’s nomination, provided they meet the award’s criteria.

Is IELTS Required?

There is no IELTS requirement listed for this faculty mentoring award.

This is because the opportunity is not an academic admission or student scholarship program. The official requirements focus on faculty eligibility, mentoring experience and the nomination package.

Can Students Nominate Their Professor?

Not directly.

Students and mentees cannot officially nominate a faculty member. They may, however, suggest a potential nominee to the Department Head and may provide a supporting letter for the nomination.

Can Previous Unsuccessful Nominees Be Nominated Again?

Yes, within the rules specified by UBC.

Unsuccessful nominations can be submitted for subsequent competitions up to a three-year limit. The nomination is not automatically carried forward. The department must contact the appropriate UBC office to request that the package be included in the current competition. Updated materials can be submitted through the Qualtrics process.

How Many Awards Are Offered?

The competition recognizes:

• One Mid-Career faculty member
• One Senior faculty member

UBC’s current Killam awards information confirms that the mentoring awards recognize one senior and one mid-career faculty member.

Final Thoughts

The Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring 2026 are designed to recognize exceptional faculty mentorship at the University of British Columbia.

The opportunity is particularly important for faculty members who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to helping graduate students grow as researchers, professionals and individuals.

It is important for students searching for scholarships to understand that this is not a student funding program. Eligible UBC faculty members must be nominated through their departments.

For the 2026 competition, the complete nomination package must be submitted by September 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. PT.

Official Application

Eligible nominators should use the official UBC page to access the nomination instructions and Submit Nomination Here link:

Official Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring page – UBC

Related Articles

For readers interested in other Canadian scholarship and funding opportunities, Global Scholarships Hub also has related resources:

• Killam Trust Scholarship at the University of Alberta
• University of Manitoba Scholarship in Canada
• University of Saskatchewan Scholarship in Canada

These are separate opportunities and have different eligibility rules and application processes.

OFFICIAL SOURCES

• UBC — Killam Awards for Excellence in Mentoring
• UBC — Killam Awards and Fellowships
• UBC — Award Opportunities
• UBC — Killam Mentoring Citations