Graduate/Postdoctoral Awards

In 2024, one graduate- or postdoctoral-level Phyllis Horton Research Award valued at $5,000 will be awarded.

Process of selection

Members of the Research Advisory Committee of the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia will review all submissions that meet the criteria stated below. Applications will be judged alongside applications from trainees at similar points in their research studies, and against what would normally be expected for trainees at that point in their career. The primary evaluation criteria are scientific excellence and feasibility of the proposed research project, the quality of the application package, and in particular, the clarity of the lay summary and quality of the cover letter. The review group will also consider the merit of the trainee, as indicated by the letters of support and other supporting documents. Applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision and the awards will be officially presented at the Society’s Annual General Meeting in 2024. The Committee reserves the right to offer one or no awards in any given year.

Criteria – Phyllis Horton Student Research Award

Former winners of one of the awards are not eligible for this award in subsequent years. Please address any questions about eligibility to marco.redden@asns.ca.

1. Open to any trainee currently enrolled in and attending a graduate-level program of study or a postdoctoral fellowship at an accredited Nova Scotia University and undertaking a research project as a major component of their studies.
2. The research is focused on dementia (Alzheimer’s disease or other).
3. No particular discipline or type of research favoured (e.g. biomedical science, clinical research, psychosocial or quality of life research).

The primary evaluation criteria are:

1. Quality and clarity of the complete application package.
2. Quality and content of the cover letter.
3. Scientific excellence and feasibility of the proposed research project.
4. Clarity of the lay summary in communicating the research project and its relevance to the general public
5. Merit of the trainee as indicated by references and the supervisor’s letter.

Application procedures

A trainee applying for this award must submit an application by email to marco.redden@asns.ca as a document/attachment using 12 pt. Times New Roman, single-spaced. The applicant’s full name should be in the file name.

Applications must include the following:

• A cover letter with a statement of career intent and personal narrative regarding working in the field of dementia research (2-page maximum)
• Summary of research and proposal (include hypotheses, thesis proposal, or a brief summary of the research to date and proposal, method (type and number of subjects, study design), and analysis of data (how the data will be analyzed)) (2 pages maximum)
• Implications of the study (1/2 page maximum)
• Lay summary (1/2 page maximum)
• Ethical issues: A statement including, where applicable: mechanisms to preserve confidentiality; any risks/discomforts/benefits to the participants as a result of the study or participation in the study, and any other ethical implications (1/2 page maximum).

The application package must also include:

• A copy of the ethics approval from the institute’s research committee.
• Two letters of support (can be sent separately to the address below). Letters should be from the faculty advisor/professor and someone else who is familiar with the applicant’s work.
• A current CV that includes a list of any other academic or financial awards.

Award recipients will be asked to provide the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia with a copy of their final paper or equivalent, which includes a summary of their findings. Recipients may be invited to share their work at an ASNS event, such as the Annual Provincial Conference, and/or through ASNS social media/website.

All applications must be submitted via email by 11:59 p.m. on April 22, 2024 to: marco.redden@asns.ca, subject: Phyllis Horton Award 2024.