Awards
The Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) offers awards in the following categories, which are presented each year at the COS Annual Meeting.
- COS Award for Excellence in Ophthalmic Research
- The Ron Jans Clinical Cornea Research Award
- COS Lifetime Achievement Award
- The Commemorative Medal for the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
- W. Bruce Jackson Lectureship Award
- Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award
COS Award for Excellence in Ophthalmic Research
Presented annually since 1995, the Award of Excellence category is open to residents, fellows and medical students conducting original, innovative research at a Canadian university.
To be eligible for an Award of Excellence, you must apply at time of abstract submission and be the primary author of this work.
Awards for paper presentations: First place: $3000; second place: $2000; third place: $1000
Awards for poster presentations: First place: $2000; second place: $1500; third place: $750
Criteria for poster award consideration
To be considered for an Award of Excellence, your poster must be submitted electronically as a PDF well in advance of the COS Annual Meeting. The authors of the top three posters will give a brief two-minute presentation to increase exposure of their work and facilitate further discussion with meeting attendees. Please note that the goal of the presentation is not to summarize the poster but to introduce the work described in the poster. The first author of the winning posters will be contacted by the Adjudication Committee Chair in advance of the meeting to discuss details of the presentation.
Posters will be evaluated according to communicability, scientific communication and scientific merit/value. Judges will be looking for:
- Innovative research, rigorous methods and conclusions supported by results
- Title, authors that are easily identifiable
- Research question, background, methods, results, discussion and conclusion that are relevant, logical and linked to one another
- A poster that is engaging, clear and visually appealing
- Formatting that is appropriate and logical; graph and tables that are clear and easily visible
- Concise information that can be read in 3-4 minutes
Poster PDFs must be submitted to the online submission site in order to be considered for the award. All applicants will receive submission site details by email in advance of the meeting.
The Ron Jans Clinical Cornea Research Award
Established in 2010, this Award is named in honour of Dr. Ronald G. Jans, a specialist in corneal and external diseases of the eye, who passed away on May 9, 2009. Dr. Jans had performed refractive corneal surgery for more than 20 years, and was instrumental in obtaining the first VISX Excimer laser in Calgary and the second in Canada.
A leader and respected refractive surgeon across Canada, Dr. Jans was the first president of the Canadian Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (1991-92), and he was involved with many clinical research projects involving laser refractive surgery.
The Ron Jans Clinical Cornea Research Award is open to residents, fellows or medical students conducting original, innovative clinical research specifically in the areas of cornea, external disease or refractive surgery at a Canadian university.
To be eligible for this Award of $1,000, you must apply at time of abstract submission and be the primary author of this work, having contributed to at least 50% of the development of this study.
COS Lifetime Achievement Award
The Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) is pleased to recognize member ophthalmologists who have made a significant contribution to eye care during their lifelong career in medicine.
COS Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to individuals who have made a sustained impact nationally and internationally on the growth of the profession and who have maintained the highest standard of patient care in their practice.
Recipients of this Award must also be a strong and positive role model in the community and an exemplary mentor and educator.
The Commemorative Medal for the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In 2012, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society was invited by the Canadian Medical Association to nominate outstanding Canadian physicians who had made national contributions to the profession for one of 30 “Commemorative Medals for the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” being presented by the CMA. COS was proud to nominate two members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of ophthalmology in Canada, Dr. Lorne Bellan and Dr. Graham Trope. We were delighted when both of our nominees were awarded the medals. We congratulate them on their well-deserved awards and thank them both for their service to ophthalmology in Canada and to the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.
W. Bruce Jackson Lectureship Award
This annual award is presented by the Canadian Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery Society in recognition of outstanding clinical and research contributions.
Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award
This award is for unfailing dedication and compassion in providing accessible, equitable, and quality eye care to underserved populations.
Need More Information?
For more information about applying for a COS Award, or to nominate someone you feel is deserving of a COS Award, please contact Cheryl Ripley, Interim CEO at 613.729.6779, ext. 223.
