CAPO Award of Excellence Descriptions and Nomination Procedures

  1. Procedures

  2. CAPO Award for Clinical Excellence Description

  3. CAPO Award of Education Excellence Description 

  4. CAPO Award for Research Excellence Description

  5. Click here to view the Excellence Awards Terms of Reference.

2024 call for nominations is now open. Deadline for submissions is April 12.

1. Nomination Process

To nominate a CAPO member for one of these Awards of Excellence, please see below:

  • Nominators do not need to be CAPO members. It is the responsibility of the nominators to obtain permission from the nominee to put their name forward for the award.

  • Application for the award will consist of:

    • a curriculum vitae or resume of the nominee,
    • a letter of nomination from the primary nominator summarizing the nomination submission,
    • one letter of reference from individuals familiar with the nominee’s contributions. The letter of nomination will specifically state why the nominee is deserving of the award by providing evidence for how the individual has contributed to the enhancement of psychosocial oncology in Canada, through their scientific and research endeavors, clinical practice, or education or policy (depending on award they are being nominated for).
  • Complete nomination packages must be submitted ONLINE to the Chair(s) of the Awards Committee (c/o the CAPO office) by no later than April 12, 2024. Submit online using the following links depending on which Excellence award you are submitting a nomination for:
    • Nominations and supporting documentation can be submitted in either French or English.

    • In the event of multiple nominees, the Awards Committee will invite members of the CAPO Board (barring those with conflicts of interest) to vote in order to attain a recipient of the award. In the event of a tie vote, the last three CAPO past presidents, excluding the immediate past president (who are clear of any conflict of interest) will review the tied nominations and vote amongst themselves to select a winner.

    • If no suitable recipients are nominated, no award will be given.

    • There is no monetary value to these awards.

    2. CAPO Award for Clinical Excellence

    This award shall be presented by the Awards Committee and the Board of Directors of the association to a CAPO member in recognition of outstanding clinical contributions to the field of psychosocial oncology in Canada.

    1. The recipient will have made his or her contributions as a practitioner in applied psychosocial work in oncology;

    2. Nominees must be registered or licensed to practice in their field, and have been practicing in the field of psychosocial oncology for a minimum of 5 years;

    3. Nominees must demonstrate outstanding clinical contributions to psychosocial oncology. The award focuses on the distinctive contribution made in providing or developing services to patients and families; and/or in clinical supervision of others.

    4. Award recipients must register and attend the annual CAPO conference (in person or virtually) in order to be eligible.

    Innovation and sustained successful clinical service should be what distinguishes the recipient of this award.

    Past Award of Clinical Excellence recipients:

    • 2022 Recipient: Dr. Madeline Li (ON)
    • 2017 Recipient: Dr. Steven Simpson (BC)

    • 2016 Recipient: Sarah Sample (BC)

    • 2015 Recipient: Sheila Damore-Petingola (ON)

    • 2014 Recipient: Dr. Marc Hamel (QC)

    • 2012 Recipient: Dr. Michael Speca (AB)

    • 2011 Recipient: Dr. Maru Barrera (ON)

    • 2010 Recipient: Dr. John Robinson (AB)

    3. CAPO Award of Education Excellence

    This award shall be made to recognize a CAPO member who, in the opinion of the Awards Committee and the Board of Directors of the association, have made a significant contribution to education and training in psychosocial oncology in Canada. The recipient of this award must meet the following criteria:

    1. Whose influence on psychosocial education and training has been exercised through excellence and/or leadership as a teacher;

    2. Whose work as a teacher, supervisor and/or administrator has influenced the methods and settings utilised in education and training, in ways of significant benefit to psychosocial oncology;

    3. Whose scholarship or accomplishments in education and/or training has brought about changes or enhanced the knowledge base in these areas.

    4. Award recipients must register and attend the annual CAPO conference (in person or virtually) in order to be eligible.

    In whatever form the individual’s contributions are regarded as distinguished, the impact of the work shall have been on education and training in psychosocial oncology in Canada.

    Past Award of Education Excellence recipients:

    • 2022 Recipient: Dr. Linda Carlson (AB)
    • 2021 Recipient: Dr.Guy Pelletier (AB)
    • 2018 Recipient: Andrew G. Matthew (ON)

    • 2017 Recipient: Joan Hamilton (NS)

    • 2014 Recipient: Dr. Josée Savard (QC)

    • 2013 Recipient: Susan Blacker (ON)

    • 2012 Recipient: Dr. Doris Howell (ON)

    • 2011 Recipient: Dr. Deborah McLeod (NS)

    • 2010 Recipient: Dr. Carmen Loiselle (QC)

    4. CAPO Award for Research Excellence

    This award supported by CAPO shall be made to recognize a member who, in the opinion of the Awards Committee and the Board of Directors of the association, has made a significant research contribution to Psychosocial Oncology. The recipient of this award must meet the following criteria:

    1. Whose research has substantially enhanced the knowledge base of psychosocial oncology;

    2. Whose research demonstrates originality and innovative contributions to the field, or to the research method;

    3. Whose research has been supported by national research funding agencies, and has been frequently published in peer-reviewed journals;

    4. Who demonstrates evidence of dissemination at national and/or international conferences.

    5. The nomination will be strengthened by one or more of the following:

    6. The recipient of the award has

      • served on provincial, national, or international research committees;

      • served as a grants reviewer and/or panel chair for provincial and national research funding agencies;

      • served as a peer reviewer of research manuscripts for oncology journals; and

      • assisted in the organization of research conferences by serving as a conference chair, member of the scientific committee, and/or abstract reviewer.

      • Award recipients must register and attend the annual CAPO conference (in person or virtually) in order to be eligible.

    The 2023 CAPO Award Recipient for Research Excellence is Dr. Sophie Lebel

    Dr. Sophie Lebel is a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at the University of Ottawa. Her research focuses on cancer survivorship and psychosocial interventions. Her expertise is on managing fear of cancer recurrence. Over the past 15 years, she has been working on a fear of cancer recurrence intervention called FORT, a group intervention for survivors that has been tested through clinical trials, including an ongoing adaptation for caregivers. Thanks to funding from the Canadian Cancer Society, she is currently implementing FORT in 5 different oncology centers across Canada. She is the director of the Interdisciplinary Psychosocial Oncology Research Group and Laboratory, an initiative by the University of Ottawa that brings together researchers, health care providers, community partners, and trainees with an interest in helping cancer patients and their loved ones in the Greater Ottawa region. Clinically, Dr. Lebel helps cancer patients and their caregivers with adjustment difficulties throughout the disease trajectory.

    Past Award of Research Excellence recipients:

    • 2022 Recipient: Dr. Fiona Schulte (AB)
    • 2021 Recipient: Dr. Shane Sinclair (AB)

    • 2020 Recipient: Dr. Jennifer Jones (ON)

    • 2019 Recipient: Dr. S. Nicole Culos-Reed (AB)

    • 2018 Recipient: Dr. Doris Howell (ON)

    • 2017 Recipient: Dr. Gary Rodin (ON)

    • 2015 Recipient: Dr. John Oliffe (BC)

    • 2014 Recipient: Dr. Tom Hack (MB)

    • 2013 Recipient: Dr. Keith Wilson (ON)

    • 2012 Recipient: Dr. Kerry Courneya (AB)

    • 2011 Recipient: Dr. Elizabeth Maunsell (QC)

    • 2010 Recipient: Dr. Linda Carlson (AB)


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